Category: News in Brief

Immigration ceases issuing quotas for foreign farmers, tailors, and barbers

The department of immigration and emigration has temporarily ceased issuing quotas to employment agencies to bring in foreign workers for farming, tailoring and barbershops.

The department said in a press release yesterday (August 11) that the freeze was enforced on August 7 and would continue till October 30.

The move was intended to assist efforts to deport undocumented workers, reduce the influx of expatriate labour, and provide job opportunities for Maldivians, the department explained.

The immigration department deported 6,400 undocumented workers between January and July this year.

A special operation to deport undocumented workers was announced on April 24, with Minister of Defence and National Security Mohamed Nazim – also in charge of the immigration department – promising “the whole Malé will be cleaned [of migrant workers]” within three weeks.

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Majlis approves president’s nominees for Police Integrity Commission

President Abdulla Yameen’s nominees to replace three members of the Police Integrity Commission (PIC) at the expiration of their five-year terms were approved at today’s sitting of parliament.

The three new members of the police watchdog body are Fathmath Sareera Ali Shareef, of special registry number 1320, Mohamed Farhad, of Seenu Meedhoo Hasankaarige, and Ali Nadheem, of Henveiru Gloriosa.

While Sareera and Nadheem were approved with 73 votes in favour and none against, Farhad was approved with 56 votes in favour and 18 against.

The president’s nominee to replace a fourth member on the PIC – who had resigned – was meanwhile rejected today. Adam Zahir, of Maafanu Kurolhi, was rejected with 61 against, five votes in favour, and three abstentions.

The People’s Majlis also passed government-sponsored amendments to the Lagan, Derelict, Flotsam and Jetsam Ownership Act of 1998 with 74 votes in favour and none against.

Amendments to the Police Act of 2008 was meanwhile accepted and sent to committee for further review with 74 votes in favour.

Both amendments were proposed by the government to make minor revisions to remove inconsistencies with the new constitution adopted in August 2008.

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Majlis approves new ambassador to China and public representative to JSC

The People’s Majlis today approved Dr Faisal Saeed as the new ambassador to China with 70 votes in favour and four abstentions.

Abdul Hannan Ahmed was meanwhile approved as the public representative on the 10-member Judicial Service Commission with 44 votes in favour and 18 against. Hannan is reportedly a lawyer for the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives.

The five-year term of current public member Shuaib Abdul Rahman is due to expire at the end of August.

Also at today’s sitting, amendments submitted on behalf of the government to the Anti-Corruption Act were accepted with unanimous consent of 72 MPs and sent to committee for further review.

The revisions to the law enacted in 2000 was part of a raft of bills proposed by the government to bring outdated laws in line with the new constitution adopted in August 2008.

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Thulusdhoo murder an act of revenge, reveals police

The chief suspect arrested in connection with the fatal stabbing of a 35-year-old man on the island of Thulusdhoo in Kaafu atoll has confessed to murdering the victim in an act of revenge, Chief Inspector Abdulla Satheeh told the press yesterday.

Mohamed Niyaz, 34, confessed to investigators that the victim, Ali Shiham, had accused him of stealing from a construction site under the latter’s supervision, Satheeh explained.

Satheeh noted that Niyaz had previously been arrested 10 times in relation to theft and drug abuse offences.

Niyaz had voluntarily submitted to police on the night of the murder. Satheeh said police have wrapped up the investigation and forwarded the case to the Prosecutor General’s Office.

Briefing press on the fatal stabbing of an 18-year-old man in Malé on August 2, Satheeh said that the victim – Mohamed Mazin, of Dhiggamaage in Noonu Miladhoo – had no connection to gangs in the capital.

Of the four suspects connection with the murder, Satheeh said a 22-year-old suspect was arrested from Vilifushi in Thaa atoll, noting that all four had criminal records for assault.

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Census taking underway for Maldivians in Trivandrum

A special programme has been launched for census taking of the Maldivian diaspora in Trivandrum, India, reports newspaper Haveeru.

The census started on Saturday and  78 census forms had been filled so far, according to Ibrahim Nadheeh, president of Maldivian Social Community (MSC).

MCS was founded by the Maldives Consulate in Trivandrum and Maldivians living in Trivandrum. About 3,000 Maldivians reside in the southernmost Indian city.

Nadheeh said that he expected the census to be completed within a week and noted that proper records of Maldivians living in the city would be helpful in the future.

“In addition to this, we have plans to teach Quran, Islam and Dhivehi here. With the completion of the census, we can find out the number of children who live here,” he was quoted as saying.

In late 2012, the government announced that a national census would be conducted in 2014. The last census was conducted in 2006 by the Ministry of Planning and Development, which found the population to be 298,968.

In March 2013, the department of national planning announced that the census would be conducted in September next year under the slogan “count me in.”

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French ambassador officially opens Ungoofaru and Manadhoo harbours

Harbours constructed in Raa Ungoofaru and Noonu Manadhoo with loan assistance from the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) was officially opened by French ambassador Jean-Paul Monchau on Thursday (August 7).

Contracts for the harbour construction project was signed with the Maldives Transport and Contracting Company in August 2011, according to local media.

While the Ungoofaru harbour was completed in May 2014 at a cost of US$2.7 million, the Manadhoo harbour was completed in October 2013 at a cost of US$3.9 million.

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Ali Fahmy Ahmed wins MDP Feydhoo by-election primary

Ali Fahmy Ahmed, of Aafahi in Feydhoo, has won the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party’s (MDP) primary to contest for a vacant seat on the Addu City Council.

Fahmy won the primary with 208 votes while his closest contender, Ibrahim Khaleel, received 141 votes. Five candidates contested in the primary held on Friday (August 8 ) and voting took place both in the capital Malé as well as the Feydhoo ward of Addu City.

A total of 628 ballots were cast, according to the results announced by the party yesterday.

The primary comes after Addu City councillor for the Feydhoo constituency, Abdulla Aswan, died of a heart attack on July 8.

The Elections Commission has since announced that a by-election for the vacant seat would take place on September 20. A by-election has also been scheduled for the same day for a vacant seat on the Noonu Velidhoo island council.

In January, MDP candidates won all six seats in the Addu City Council as well as a majority in the Velidhoo council.

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Dharubaaruge reopens after renovation

The Ministry of Housing and Infrastructure reopened the Dharubaaruge convention centre in Malé on Thursday (August 7) following renovation and repair work.

Housing Minister Dr Mohamed Muiz told the press at an opening ceremony that the project had cost MVR5 million (US$324,254).

Muiz explained that extensive repair work was needed for the convention centre as the roof leaked when it rained, the stairs were dilapidated, and the walls were crumbling.

In addition to repair work and a new paint job, Muiz said glass panels, wall fabrics, and carpets have been replaced.

The ministry has also decided to make changes to rental prices for leasing Dharubaaruge halls for private functions, Muiz continued, while food and drink would not be allowed in the Rannabadheyri, Hiriya, and Hakura halls.

In May, following a long-running dispute over jurisdiction and ownership, the housing ministry took over Dharubaaruge from the Malé City Council, with police deployed to change locks.

The convention centre was constructed ahead of the SAARC summit held in Maldives in 1990.

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Medical camp for heart diseases underway in Malé

Health Minister Dr Mariyam Shakeela inaugurated a three-day medical camp offering free treatment for heart diseases in the capital Malé on Saturday (August 9).

The medical camp with Dr Vivek Gupta, a specialist from the Asiri Surgical Hospital in Sri Lanka, is taking place at the Dhamana Veshi urban primary health centre in the Thalassemia centre on Majeedhee Magu.

The camp was jointly organised by government-run Dhamana Veshi and the Corona Sunrise International Pvt Ltd security firm.

Speaking at an opening ceremony, Dr Shakeela reportedly said that treatment of heart diseases was a “major challenge” facing the Maldives.

Two patients selected at the camp would be offered free treatment at the Asiri Surgical Hospital funded by Sunrise Corona, she added.

The health minister noted that the Maldives has the highest incidence of fatalities from non-contagious diseases in the South Asia region.

According to the health ministry, a survey conducted by the World Health Organisation from 2004 to 2012 found that 47 percent of Maldivians were overweight and 18.8 percent were smokers.

The most common heart diseases in the Maldives include blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, ischemic heart disease, and myocardial infarction or heart attacks.

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