Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP Mohamed Musthafa has said that protesters against MPs committee allowance have invaded the privacy of MPs and violated MPs privileges, after the protesters put up posters of photos of MPs with their personal mobile phone numbers.
“MPs have been subjected to disturbances from citizens that hate them, and publishing the personal mobile number of MPs invades the privacy and privileges of MPs,” Musthafa said. “They have invaded our personal life by doing that.”
Musthafa said he had asked Speaker Abdulla Shahid to look into the matter, and said he was looking forward to hearing from the parliament.
“I think the parliament will issue a press release today, I am looking forward to it,” he said. “Shahid is currently abroad on an official trip so I sent him a text message to bring it to his attention.”
Musthafa said that some MPs have said they are unable to use their numbers any longer.
“One MP told me that he had been using his number for 12 years and the number was used for international relations as well, but he said now he has no other choice but to throw it away and get a new number,” he said. “How the NGOs acted on this matter is very disappointing, they could have done it a better way.”
He alleged that were “senior figures” behind the NGOs.
“MPs are members representing constituencies and become an MP with the consent of their constituency, so people should have at least some respect for them,” Musthafa said.
In the text message sent to Speaker Shahid, Musthafa said that it was very concerning that MPs personal contact numbers had been published on a poster with their photo in Majeedee Magu.
He told Shahid that the personal details of MPs could not be published without their consent, alleging that culprits had asked people to call and disturb the MPs.
“It is the legal duty of the parliament to find out the culprits, and they should be prosecuted and action should be taken,” Musthafa said.
Project Coordinator of Transparency Maldives Aiman Rasheed’s mobile phone and landline was not reachable and he was unavailable for comment.
Parliament meanwhile issued a press statement today noting that the constitution protected the privacy of individuals.
“Matters should be brought to MPs’ attention responsibly in a way that does not undermine their dignity and reputation or create difficulties in their personal lives,” it reads, adding that making MPs photos and contact information public “as a nusisance to them” was a “matter of concern.”
Noting that MPs had special privileges under the law, it continues, “any action that undermines MPs’ dignity can be seen as violating MPs’ privileges.”
The statement concludes by urging the public not to violate “social norms” in contacting MPs.
A Majlis media official confirmed to Minivan News today that only 19 of 77 MPs have written requesting that the lump sum of Rf140,000 not be desposited with their salaries. They include 16 MDP MPs, Independent MP ‘Kutti’ Mohamed Nasheed and Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) Leader Ahmed Thasmeen Ali and his wife MP Visam Ali.
Last Monday Aiman told Minivan News that the campaign against the committee allowance will continue and there was hope for success.
“Today we presented the Finance Ministry 1365 letters signed by concerned citizens and eight cabinet members, plus high-profile people across the country,” he said at the time.
“We have made plans to continue the letter campaign and to make the citizens aware of the impacts of this committee allowance.”
MP salaries have increased 18-fold since 2004, according to a graph released by the NGO.
The committee allowance was Rf18 million, Rasheed said. “In comparison, the budget to combat drugs is Rf 14 million, the budget subsiding the fishing industry is Rf12 million, medical services Rf18 million and the budget for small and medium businesses is Rf16 million,” he said, adding that these areas would be impacted by the increased expenditure on MPs.
(0)Dislikes
(0)Related Posts
Quarter of chamber absent as MPs approve themselves Rf20,000 in committee allowances
JP to sue three MPs for switching parties
Unknown pills discovered inside Majlis coffee machine 
JSC meetings with Fahmy in attendance “not valid,” concedes Attorney General
Parliament could force journalists to reveal sources under new Privileges Act, warn police, MJA
“We have been off the streets for some time – now we are back”: MDP
Nonsense! How else are people supposed to reach them? They don't have office hours, mail addresses or email addresses. PLUS their salaries include a phone allowance. Meaning phone costs to be used for work purposes are paid for by the State. Or do they not consider speaking to concerned citizens as part of work? Shameless!
MPs think that public contact is an invasion of privacy? 🙂
In most resorts, management and other important people are provided mobile phones by the company and a fixed month of money is normally allocated for phone use. So normally most top resortworkers will have a private and a company provided phone at all times. Our parliamentarians receive far bigger amount of money as telephone expenses and yet they seem to say their private and business phones are the same, which is very strange!
Anyways we fully support this initiative by the NGOs and we shall keep up the pressure on the majlis members. We voted for change and we will continue to work for change as long as is required.
Dear Hon. Mustafa, I wish to state that you have promoted yourself from a hanky-panky businessman to the status of “Parliamentarian”. That means you are public figure and the citizen of your constituency and in general the Maldivian public have the rights to know all the information including your private life and personal contact numbers.
If you wish to have a quite life; then you will have to give up your political career.
what a great idea to publish their phone numbers.
i have no sympathy for these greedy cockroaches.
MPs have acted above the law for two years. About time we had some citizens' justice meted out to them!
“MPs are members representing constituencies and become an MP with the consent of their constituency, so people should have at least some respect for them,” Musthafa said.
And to the honorable Musthafa we the people say that you have forgotten that all you MPs got that job with the "consent of their constituency" as you so eloquently put it, and that you should perhaps try and respect the people to earn the people's respect. Robbing the state coffers for unnecessary monies for something you were elected to do, against the people's wishes is definitely not respecting the people.
“any action that undermines MPs’ dignity can be seen as violating MPs’ privileges.”
And what about undermining the people's dignity? Does that not violate our privileges as citizens? Is not the parliament's mandate given by the consent of the people? Or is the parliament a law unto itself?
The statement concludes by urging the public not to violate “social norms” in contacting MPs.
And we urge our honorable MPs not to violate those same "social norms" by ignoring our concerns.
BTW Mr Musthafa, you and your colleagues are in public service. That means you were elected by the people and are not just representatives, but the employees of the people. So when you muck up, we actually do get to criticize you. That's what it means to be work for the public. If you don't like it, quit and go back to your private lives. But as long as you are an MP, you do not get to whine about your privacy when it comes to issues of state.
What a LOL moment! Musthafa is getting funnier by the minute.
yes, dance, monkey, dance. this way maybe we can justify paying you the 20,000 as a "rayyithun munifoohifiluvaidhey allowance"
Dear Servants, All 77 of you!
I don't have even an iota of respect for you. Because back in the day when we had values, when i was a kid, i was told that respect has to be earned. "give respect if you wanna get respect". so you see, i don't see that happening here. therefore don't expect me to respect you. i wont. in fact, I despise you and wish you unimaginable ill fortune. I even respect some blood sucking parasites that feed on me, mosquitoes. But not you lot. Nope. Because you have been unable to earn it. I don't think you are even capable of that. i often wonder if you all really have souls or are capable of human emotions.
I pray that bad things will happen to you and anyone who use the stolen money. horrible things. But i wont depend too much on just prayers, so i will do all i can to make sure that none of you get elected a second time. Because you have failed us miserably. And so, i hope you will fail miserably in your life. Every single one of you. Remember, this rage will last that long.
And i wont forget, i wont forgive next elections. I may be just one angry citizen, but remember there are more people than you think, who are frustrated by all this. More frustrated than you are about putting up your posters on wall. Posters and Graffiti will fill these walls. Because you have built a wall between us and you "honorable" characters. And shame on you for thinking that we should not be able to contact you, because you are nothing but our servants and should be accountable to us. Don't use the phone allowance WE give for your private number. You werent elected to sit around being "honorable", you were elected to work...for us!
You should be responsible for the delays in bringing the necessary laws to keep this box cutter wielding gangs off the roads. For not taking up the issues of the failures of the executive in keeping them locked. for not supporting judicial reform and...well for not giving a damn about our safety and well being. The blood of the victims of murder, of violence, rape and abuse is on your hands. i hope you will feel what the ordinary citizens have to go through. i pray for that. Amen.
So just shut your frigging pie holes and do your damn job. Dont forget who is master who is servant. dont forget you is 77 and who is lakhs. Also dont forget the fact that with every passing day, you are creating more angry citizens.
Curses,
An Angry Citizen of Maldives.
PS. I Hate Your Guts!
Mr MP, you are worried about the invasion of your peronal life or your privacy when you idiots are sucking the blood of we fellow ordinary Maldivians. You guys don't deserve a privacy after what you have all done. Bastards.
good work protestors ! Give em hell
The posts so far eloquently reflect the feeling of the citizens. It is quite clear that these so-called MPs have lost sight of reality altogether.
It's about time, someone gave them a doze of reality. Publishing their ugly photos and putting their phone numbers up the least that could have been done! Well done to whoever carried that out.
These bastards have no shame whatsover sitting in the Majlis with their fat lardy arses!
our MPs' are nothing but broad daylight robbers. i don't know how on earth these cronies expect to be respected. even though the people knows that these thugs are robbing the states fund, sadly our people get deceived by them and they are being elected over and over gain.we should take the responsibility of it as we are the people who voted them put them in their seats. everyone of us should ask our self that are we taking our responsibility in casting our vote. if we don't then we shouldn't expect a better future. so first of all if we wana bring a real sincere change first of all we have to change our self and take our responsibility.
if we blindly trust some robbers and gives the keys of the state coffers, we shouldn't expect them to take care of our assets. if you put garbage in then don't expect gold as the output will be garbage.
every one should take the individual responsibility rather than criticizing others and and make Maldives a better place to live.
well done protesters! You deserve a reward. ' Mustafa !' you and your fellow culprits in the parliement should be prosecuted for sucking the blood of people. ' Greedy Mosquitoes ! ' When will your fat, ugly stomaches will be filled ?
7778844
Give him hell guys
If we make a purchase of an expensive item, we have a reasonable amount of time to take it back to the place we bought it if it does not come up to our expectations, in fact we often get a guarantee. We did not even get a limited promise of any service whatsoever from these lame opportunists and this guy is not only the worst he is without doubt the most stupid.
We do not care a damn for any new rules you bring into play you miscreant, you are a cheating monkey, not an honourable member and you days are being counted quicker than you can think.
Most of you so called members have little or no chance of being remembered as anything but the lying, lazy, cheating scumbags you have become, on our time and money, shame on you.
Let's call for a national referendum on what we think our public servants should and should not have and then let's sack the lot, as they are our servants, not the other way round. Under the constitution we have rights, let's amend if necessary to sack crooked and useless members if they do not perform in their first 100 days. Also when one of these individuals changes to another party then the one they stood for when campaigning, let's ensure they have to have a local by-election, as they have changed their polarity.
Fed up of seeing MP's get fat rich by switching sides, when in some cases it says they were lying to get elected or lying now, either way the seat should be tested in public. Let's make our country proud with a working political system instead of this crap we have now, hold them all accountable.
FACT: MPs had it coming.