KUALA LUMPUR, July 9 — PAS today urged the Minister in charge of religious affairs, Datuk Mujahid Yusof Rawa to table an amendment to the Shariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965 in order to empower the courts further.

PAS information chief Nasrudin Hassan said that Mujahid and Putrajaya must walk the talk in empowering the Shariah Courts.

"This suggestion is not a political one; even PAS parliamentarians will support and take part in debates for any such Bill,” Nasrudin said in a statement.

"This is the perfect time to take efforts in strengthening the institution, system and legal scope for Shariah jurisdiction for the whole of Malaysia,” he added.

PAS previously tabled its own version of the amendments to the Act, knows as Act 355, in Parliament.

The Bill, which sought to increase maximum punishment limits by up to 10 times for the courts, was even allowed by the previous government to be tabled and read out in Parliament, though it was never passed.

Critics of the amendments have argued that the bill was part of PAS’ attempt to introduce hudud in Kelantan.