Parliament’s Government Oversight Committee has decided to summon Transport Minister Adil Saleem and Tourism Minister Dr Maryam Zulfa after the government closed five spas in five Villa company resorts and grounded Airline ‘Flyme’ operations.
Flyme operations were cleared earlier today upon completion of a security inspection.
The companies are owned by opposition Jumhoory Party (JP) Leader and MP ‘Burma’ Gasim Ibrahim.
Transport Minister Adil Saleem today told Minivan News that the parliament has not informed him about the decision and has not yet received a summons.
He said the Transport Ministry had to ask Flyme to stop operations after it received a report that a plane’s windscreen broke during a flight to Male’.
‘’I as the Transport Minister have to be responsible for the safety of the flights operating in the Maldives,’’ Adil said. ‘’We did a safety audit following the incident.’’
He said three things were noted in the audit report.
‘’They have now corrected the three things noted in the safety audit report,’’ he said. Adil said he would not like to tell the media about the three things noted in the report.
Meanwhile Maldives Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators (MATATO) voiced its extreme concern over the Tourism Ministry’s actions.
‘’The association has not been able to find the reason behind this nor see any investigation done by Tourism Ministry for such irresponsible action,’’ read MATATO’s press statement. ‘’The industry is in the midst of the business period with the new year ahead of us and sees that these actions by the ministry will have serious implications beyond repair.’’
The association noted that transfers that have been arranged for tourist arrival via ‘Flyme’ will be disrupted due to the decision to suspend the airline.
‘’The spa and wellness concept is very popular among tourists and many tourists pre-book their treatments in advance not only in Villa Resorts but across all the resorts in the Maldives,’’ the statement read. ‘’Already several international hotel chains operating in the Maldives are worried that the same could happen to them, and this will have a negative impact on investor confidence and will be a motive for businesses to take money out of the economy rather than inject it locally.’’
MATATO also urged the government to keep politics away from tourism as ‘’majority of Maldivians depend on tourism for their livelihood and it is something to be dealt with extreme caution and care.’’
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President Nasheed has turned out to be another golhabo - using every dirty trick in the book to silence his opposition. Very sad indeed.
Mr President. You are balancing on a very thin high- wire now.
A little too much, you fall headlong, and if too less, you would fail.
I know, as almost every one else, that what you are doing now is to make the Dec23 participants realize the impact of what they did. It will hurt the country bad, but if you do not take actions, it will hurt us much worse.
I despise the hypocrites in the country. Religion is much too beautiful for them to abuse it. Religion is between you and your creator.
Not violent insinuations and warnings.
Exactly. I would say he has displayed even worse autocratic tendencies than Qayyoom when his rule is truly threatened.
Qayyoom at least had a care not to destroy the nation's economy in a bid to hold on to power. Nasheed is like some high-school hall monitor. He asks for the hall pass only when people he doesn't like go outside the classroom.
I thought I very clearly saw Gasim demanding 100% Muslim-ness in this country that day.
Why I myself have heard that these spas are dens of prostitution and all sorts of carnal wickedness.
I don't see why they should not be banned.
Has anyone yet considered ensuring that our tourists wear the complete Islamic hijab while on vacation?
All the self-centred businessmen (these are also politicians) should take responsibility for this. They stand to lose most in this but they don't give a thought about what they are doing stirring up religious sentiments, hoping to score a few political points.
It remains to be seen what will really happen to the ordinary Maldivian if resorts are to stop. One thing is sure that the gap between the rich and the poor will certainly narrow...
@tsk tsk
are you suffering from dementia?
1. First, Gayoom left the Maldives bankrupt and in debt that your great great grandchildren will have to pay.
2. Second, can I remind you that the PPP led by Gayoom was very much part of the demonstration calling for the closure of spas, alcohol and pork. So what exactly were the the demonstrators demanding when they called for the banning of spas alcohol and pork? Wasn't it a call to ban alcohol pork and spas in the resorts. As far as I am aware, spas are not allowed to operate in the inhabited islands including Male' , alcohol sold only to foreigners on work visas and I am not aware that pork was allowed to be sold in inhabited islands( I stand corrected if i am wrong).
Gasim is the Chairman of the Parliament Budget Committee. Nasheed is intimating Gasim to approve the budget. Intimation of Gasim is undermining the Parliament, the making of Mugabe of Maldives.
There are Maldivian workers sleeping/eating and living in the tourist resort with the booze even in the present day.
In order to meet the demands of the protestors, the government's thought of Banning alcohol and pork nationwide including the tourist resort is the best solution. No more lies! Lets see how those who raised their voice reacts when they loose their businesses.
Coalition! I cannot believe it backfired. Lol!
@ tsk tsk: Looks like u are talking against whats been instructed in Quran and Islam when it comes to banning alcohol/pork nation wide and closing down of massage parlors/spas in Tourist Resorts particularly Qasim Ibrahim's Paradise Island, Sun Island, Fun Island, Royal Island, etc..
Dont choose Qasim Ibrahim and others over Islam and Allah (swt) if you wish prosperity in this life and the next. Wallah Aulam!
Tourism is the work of Shaitan. Maldives have other means of generating income apart from the Tourism Industry.
Tourism industry was the main income in the last 30 years. Not anymore! I'm pretty sure GST, privatization and good governance would lead our country in the right direction without the tourism industry.
Lets break down the myths, lies and distortion created by the work of Shaitan once and for all from our Nation. (Be cautious that they might have another protest calling to STOP banning alcohol/pork in the Maldives. We are witnessing such signs even in the present day). Wallah Aulam!
Hmm seems to be that Anni is also becoming a dictator. how nice!
Is the MATATO not concerned about the religious pressure groups calling for a ban on import of liquor and pork to the Maldives while these are imported for the consumption of tourists in tourist resorts? We have an all-season tourism in the Maldives; not seasonal as in Saudi Arabia for Muslims. One can argue that tourists who come here are not starved of pork and liquor. Yet these are part of their diet while they are not expected to do without this during the holiday in the Maldives. Maldives resorts offer only a limited pastime, and they have plenty of time to spare when they are on holidays. Drinking goes hand-in-hand with the only entertainment of music with dance in Maldives resorts. Although MATATO wants the spas the business of which leads to fornication which is a sin in Islam to go on in the Maldives, the religious pressure groups are ready to disrupt the peace if they are not banned and wiped out of the Maldives.
hmm, seems to me that all you people who posts comments on this website are as thick as bricks!
What we are seeing is an inexperience government.
Ban of pork and alcohol? Yes! please do. bring Sharia law. Then i will be the first to vote for you in 2013.
How dare u point your fingers at others by using 'Allah Akbar'!. Shame on you!
All fingers are actually pointed at people like u for trying to create misconceptions amongst rightfully living muslims. People know the real truth about the people participated in the religious protest. They are nowhere near truth. Instead, they only want to be the president. People like u would vote for the drug king pin, or the uneducated richie rich who changed himself to a waiter when it came to serve water to Sushmitha Sen (a miss universe and a bollywood film star) or to the feminine retard.
May us be protected from these immoral people.