The controversial Criminal Procedure Code (Amendment) Bill 2015, which was withdrawn a year ago, has been retabled at the Dewan Rakyat with six amendments.

The House will debate the latest amendments to the CPC at the committee stage or third reading today.

Minister in the Prime Minister Department Nancy Shukri tabled the bill for the second reading or policy debate yesterday.

The CPC Bill was part of the 11 new and amended bills that were tabled to fight organised crimes.

It, together with Evidence (Amendment) Bill, were later withdrawn from the House during the second debate last year.

Lawmakers from both divide felt it may be opened to abuse with excessive power given to the authorities.

However, a number of other new and amended bills were passed in that session, including the Prevention of Crime (Amendment and Extension) Act 2013, Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 and the Penal Code.

The government has tabled amendments to the CPC Bill again in 2015 but it was deferred to this year together with eight other bills.

The House is expected to pass both the CPC Bill and Evidence Bill in this parliamentary session, which will end on May 26.

The six amendments to the CPC (Amendment) Bill are:

1. The court now has the discretion to decide if it wants the jail sentence of a multiple offender to run concurrently or consecutively.

In the amended bill tabled two years ago, it required the court to impose 'consecutive sentence' on multiple offenders.

2. The evidence or report given by an expert relating to organised crimes shall be received by court as 'prima facie proof'.

It previously said the court shall admit the evidence as 'conclusive proof'.

3. The court shall order the accused to pay a fine if the confiscated property has been disposed or 'concealed'.

It previously stated the court shall fine the accused if the property has been disposed or 'cannot be traced'.

4. The section that allows the police to seize property which they reasonably suspected to be illegal property is to be deleted.

5. The party in a criminal proceeding shall not obtain the consent of the other party before tendering any statement in evidence.

6. The original provision, which allows the court instead of the minister to reward a private person who has shown unusual courage, diligence or exertion in the apprehension of a person involved with a crime, is to be retained.

The reward is fixed between RM1,000 and RM10,000. The opposition has earlier raised concerns that a minister could use this to reward a political crony instead.