MPs clashed yesterday on a resolution proposed by Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) MP Ahmed Mahloof to scrap a controversial MVR 20,000-a-month committee allowance.
During a heated debate at Tuesday’s sitting of parliament, several MPs questioned the sincerity of the PPM MPs’ proposal, with some claiming that the Galolhu South MP had not attended committee meetings for the past five months.
Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP Mohamed Thoriq noted that Mahloof was being paid MVR 500,000 by the state as pay for several months for which he did not do any work. Fellow MDP MP Mohamed Riyaz meanwhile noted that MPs who do not attend committee meetings would not be eligible for the allowance.
Presenting the resolution, MP Mahloof said he had not discussed the matter with the PPM parliamentary group before submitting the proposal.
PPM MP Abdul Raheem Abdulla said he could not support the resolution in its current form, claiming that he would support a proposal to cut the entire salary of MPs and force them to work pro bono.
He added that the 17th parliament was the most productive in Maldivian history as it had passed the most number of bills during the past three years.
Almost all of the 12 MPs who spoke during the debate opposed the resolution. However, a consensus developed around creating a Pay Commission to streamline the state’s pay scale or structure.
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That these Members ofParliment are being paid huge sums of money that a small country such as ours could I'll afford is the opinion of perhaps every single adult Citizen of this country.
That for the most part these people spend their energy to sit on their backs whilst putting huge amounts under their stomachs is also a fact that few Maldivians would deny.
What many concerned citizens would note is that whilst debating another hefty allowance running to tens of thousands of Ruffias these (despicable) luminaries have failed to pass the legislations necessary to get Maldives rid of the Gangs - some 30 of them operating in 2 sq Kms.
The most pressing problem facing the country is crimes relating to drugs and violence by Gangs. All observers of the problem agree that Maldives need to pass in urgence the laws necessary to deal with Gangs and the culture of violence they engender. Can the honourable (my foot!) members first attend to these urgent matters concerning Gangs before they pay themselves another hefty allowance from our money.