Gerakan will oppose the motion to amend the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965 or Act 355, which the government will take over from PAS, if it contravened the Federal Constitution.

During the Umno annual general assembly, Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak said the government would "take over" PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang’s bill to amend the Act.

Mah said while Gerakan had not seen the government's format of the bill, Hadi's motion however was unconstitutional.

"The government has taken over the bill, but we will still go against the bill if it is unconstitutional," he told reporters in Petaling Jaya this morning.

On Nov 22, Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi briefed Muslim MPs on Hadi's bill.

During the meeting, it was decided that a proposal would be submitted to Najib to urge him to form a parliamentary select committee, consisting of Muslim and non-Muslim MPs to review the bill after it is tabled in Parliament.

Mah, who is also plantation industries and commodities minister, said BN would discuss the latest development on Hadi’s proposed bill.

"The prime minister said there will be a BN meeting (before the next parliamentary sitting in March 2017) to further discuss the issue. We will give our input then," he said, adding that Gerakan's lawyers would look into the constitutionality of the government's bill on Act 355.

However, Mah did not provide a direct answer when asked if BN and the cabinet had discussed the matter prior to Najib's announcement or if the announcement breached BN's spirit.

"We will give our opinion in a frank closed-door discussion with the prime minister when the time comes," he said.

He also pointed out to the suggestion to have the matter discussed at a parliamentary committee comprising lawmakers of all races.

"We need to discuss it to understand and we will see how we go from this. Let's not preempt the issue," he added.