(IB Times) — The Malaysian states of Penang and Malacca, which retain a colonial-era penal code criminalizing sodomy, are considering even stricter laws against the Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender communities, allowing them the authority to punish “offenders” twice.

A man or woman convicted of homosexuality could be sentenced to caning and up to 20 years in jail, according to current laws. The two states are proposing changes by which a Muslim homosexual could be punished under both federal and religious charges, meaning that jail terms could increase, a Reuters report stated.

Mohd. Ali Rustam, the chief minister of Malacca, explained that as an Islamic nation, they could not allow homosexuality in the name of human rights.

“So many people like to promote human rights, even up to the point they want to allow lesbian activities and homosexuality,” Ali told Reuters, “In Islam, we cannot do all this. It is against Islamic law,” adding that Muslim homosexuals would also be required to attend counseling.

Furthermore, the chief minister emphasized that under the proposed amendments even supporting the cause of the LGBT community could leave one open to punishment, even if there was no actual homosexual act involved.

“We want to put it in the enactment so that we can enforce it and bring them to our Sharia (Islamic law) court. Then we can charge them for promoting or supporting these illegal activities,” Ali added.