Parti Amanah Negara's Private Member's Bill to strengthen syariah courts is different from the one by PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang, which only focuses on penalties, said Amanah MPs.

"We have met many lawyers and judges, so we believe strengthening the syariah court is important, but it is not just about amending the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act (Act 355). It's more than that," Amanah's Kota Raja MP Siti Mariah Mahmud said today.

However, Amanah said it would only reveal the contents of the bill once it is tabled in the Dewan Rakyat. The bill has been submitted to the Parliament secretariat.

Amanah's Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad said their bill should act as an "alternative" to Hadi's bill.

Speaking to reporters at the Parliament lobby, Khalid (photo) said Amanah seeks to review existing administrative provisions, a procedure practised even for laws that regulate civil courts.

"The biggest difference is, ours is not about Act 355. It's about strengthening the syariah courts.

"Why does he (Hadi) consider the need to redraft the whole of Section 2 (of Act 355)? We don't know.

“He does not explain. All he said is you need to support it, if not you're out of Islam," Khalid added.

Section 2 refers to the criminal jurisdiction of syariah courts, which states that they can only mete out maximum penalties of three years in jail, RM5,000 fine and six strokes of the whip.

Hadi's bill is often dubbed the 'Hudud Bill', as amending the limits for penalties would allow the implementation of hudud penalties in Kelantan and Terengganu.

Kelantan and Terengganu's state legislative assemblies have passed hudud enactments.

PAS defended the move as an attempt to strengthen syariah courts.

Amanah's partners PKR and DAP said they will discuss the new bill.

However, MCA said DAP are expected to be up in arms over the matter.

"If the reverse applies, DAP will be shouting at MCA to make a stand or quit BN," MCA religious harmony bureau chairperson Ti Lian Ker said in a statement.

Ti said DAP's relative silence is akin to its stance in Selangor where DAP "stays divorced, but quietly remains sleeping together in Selangor".

DAP remains in the state government with PAS, despite the breakdown of Pakatan Rakyat following their disagreement over hudud.

To allay all fears, Ti said, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng must come out to assure, through Pakatan Harapan's manisfesto in the 14th general election, that hudud will never be part of the opposition agenda.

DAP must also vow to contest against Amanah and PAS if Amanah makes unilateral announcements on amendments to Act 355, he added.

"If DAP was caught off-guard by Amanah’s announcement, then obviously, the so-called consensus within Pakatan Harapan is all surface talk for the decaying opposition pact to retain support from non-Muslim voters, in particular, urbanites, who clearly are repudiated by PAS’ U-turn and DAP’s helplessness," Ti aded.