KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 7 — The lawyer for Hindu mother M. Indira Gandhi has demanded "a proper and full explanation” behind Putrajaya’s decision to yet again defer the tabling of the Law Reform Marriage Act (LRA) Amendment, asking if the Cabinet assented to it.

In a statement today, M. Kulasegaran related that in 2007 when Indira Gandhi’s ex-husband converted to Islam and proceeded to do the same with their three children, he had immediately raised the matter in the Dewan Rakyat.

"I immediately raised the matter in Parliament and the then de facto law minister Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz said the Cabinet has issued a directive that when a parent converts to another religion the religion of the child shall remained unchanged and status quo shall remain until the child attains the age of majority.”

The DAP Ipoh Barat MP said the issue has continued to drag until amendments to the LRA was tabled last year, and the move by Putrajaya was "shocking” as many expected the Bill to be passed today.

"I urge the Government to give a proper and full explanation as to why the bill was hastily withdrawn. Did the Cabinet unanimously agree to this? And is this permanent or a watered down bill will be tabled?” he asked.

Putrajaya had earlier today, withdrew a Bill from Parliament that would have prohibited the religious conversion of children to Islam with the consent of just one parent after conservative Muslims protested against it.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Azalina Othman informed the withdrawal of the Law Reform (Marriage and Divorce) (Amendment) Bill 2016 in the Dewan Rakyat this morning.

In a statement issued later, Azalina said the government will table a new version of the Bill for first reading tomorrow, but with the removal of Article 88(A) that states that should a spouse convert to Islam, a child must remain in the religion of the parents during their marriage prior to the conversion unless both spouses agree to convert their child to Islam, subject to the child’s wishes upon turning 18.