SEREMBAN, Aug 29 — Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom today stressed that the amendment to the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965 (Act 355) will not in any way affect the non-Muslims. 

Instead, he said the amendment would only empower the syariah court system in the country. 

He said there was a need to empower and strengthen the syariah court system, including in the implementation of increased punishment, be it in terms of fines or jail sentence. 

"The amendment will only involve the jurisdiction of syariah court or in other words, it will involve only the Muslims, and the non-Muslims will not be affected in any way,” he told reporters at the Multaqa of Imam, Mosque Committee and Religious Teachers here today. 

The minister the empowerment of the syariah court system was important as most of the fines and jail sentences, the majority of which had been deemed insignificant, had failed to restraint anyone from committing offences under Act 355. 

"For example, we can see men who abused their wives got away with only RM1,000 fine, which is truly irrelevant in present situation, and those who committed deviation of faith offences will only have to pay fine of RM5,000, which can easily be paid,” he added. — Bernama