Ipoh Barat MP M Kulasegaran has expressed concern that a planned amendment to the Law Reform (Marriage and Divorce) Act 1976 to end unilateral child conversion may be binned.

This was after the proposed amendment did not appear any closer to being passed in Parliament, with only two weeks of sitting left.

"I understand there are powerful people who want the bill to be withdrawn at all costs come what may.

"The bill was to be debated this week as it was listed as number four in the Order Paper of Parliament for the last two weeks.

"Now in the third week of the parliamentary session, it has been pushed down to number eight.

"This clearly indicates there is no priority in getting this bill passed," he said in a statement today.

The amendment bill was tabled in Parliament on Nov 21 last year.

It makes clear that a child must remain in the religion of the parents when they were married under civil law.

This means that the child cannot be converted to another religion even if one parent converts, unless consent is obtained from both parents.

The amendment was to address the issue of a spouse married under civil law converting to Islam and using the Syariah Courts to seek custody of a child by secretly changing the child's religion to Islam.

"Many Malaysians and like minded people would be disappointed by the move to defer or to withdraw this bill. I urge the prime minister to keep to his promise and not to give in to the ultras.

"Any delay in approving the bill, which is already eight years too late, will make many to continue to suffer in silence," he said.