Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Nancy Shukri ( photo ) said the government has decided to keep Section 375 of the Penal Code as it is.

"That is, intercourse between husband and wife in a legal marriage that remains in force is not considered rape.

"To date, there are no proposals to amend the law," she said in a parliamentary written reply.

She said the decision was made based on research and findings of a special select committee in 2006 when the Penal Code (Amendment) Bill 2004 was tabled.

Nancy said the committee at that time comprised Seputeh MP Teresa Kok, Pasir Puteh MP Che Min Che Ahmad, Gelang Patah MP Tan Ah Eng, Cameron Highlands MP SK Devamany, Santubong MP Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar and Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Mohd Radzi Sheikh Ahmad.

She was responding to a question from Bukit Gelugor MP Ramkarpal Singh who asked if the government was planning to criminalise marital rape.

However, Nancy said if a husband injures his wife for sex, it is still a crime under Section 375A of the Penal Code which came into force on September 7, 2007.

The offence carries a jail term of up to five years.