Despite feeling unwell, PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang attended the Dewan Rakyat today, confident that his private member's bill to amend Syariah Court (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act (Act 355) will be tabled this sitting.

"God willing, God willing," he told reporters when asked, as he alighted from his vehicle.

Hadi was not present at the opening ceremony of the fifth term of 13th Parliament sitting yesterday as he was feeling under the weather.

Hadi's bill seeks to raise penalty limits for syariah courts to 30 years' jail, RM100,000 fine and a 100 lashes of the whip.

Syariah courts can now only impose a maximum penalty of three years' jail, RM5,000 fine and six lashes of the whip.

The Marang MP's bill had initially sought to eliminate any penalty limits.

However, this was amended after a meeting with Muslim MPs, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

The government said it will take over the bill at second reading, to make it a government matter.

Government business is prioritised in the House.