The government did not directly table a bill to amend the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act (Act 355) because of procedures, which includes getting consensus from all states, said Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Jamil Khir Baharom.

Jamil Khir said this is the reason for the government picking up PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang's private member's bill to amend Act 355 instead.

"Why (Hadi's) private member's bill? Why didn't the government table it directly? Because we have restrictions, our standard operating procedures.

"If the government brought the bill, we need a consensus from 14 states brought to the cabinet, then to the National Islamic Council and then to the Rulers Conference.

"You can't bring it to the Rulers Conference if you don't have consensus from 14 states, but a private member's bill requires only one state or one person to table it," Jamil said.

He said this while answering questions at the Umno Overseas Club Alumni annual general meeting in Kuala Lumpur today, on why the government did not table the bill itself.

He stressed that the government had always intended to table a bill to amend the Act.

Hadi had tabled a motion to amend Act 355 during the Dewan Rakyat sitting last month.

The matter would be debated during the next Dewan Rakyat session in March.

When the motion moves to the second reading stage, it would be taken over by the government and read out by Jamil.

The PAS president had previously sought to abolish the penalties cap prescribed under Act 355, from the present three years' jail, six strokes of the whip and RM5,000 fine.

This would allow states such as Kelantan and Terengganu to put into force their respective enactments which prescribes hudud law.

Eventually, Hadi amended his motion to instead proposing a higher cap of 30 years’ jail, RM100,000 fine and 100 strokes of the whip.