Category: News in Brief

CSC asks Pension Office for lump sum of MVR 2.5 million for eight retired civil servants

The Civil Service Commission (CSC) has asked the Pension Office to release a lump sum of MVR 2.5 million as pension for eight civil servants who retired between 2008 and 2010, reports Sun Online.

Sun Online has obtained a letter from the CSC to the Pension Office requesting pension funds for the eight individuals from April 2011 onward.

The Pension Office has however contended that the individuals were not entitled to a government pension under the Public Finance Act.

The retired civil servants were Hussain Moosa, of Finivaage Kaashidhoo, retired on January 5, 2009 after 22 years, 11 months and 24 days (MVR90,000); former Deputy High Commissioner to the UK, Adam Hassan, of Ocean Lodge, retired on 3 June 2008 after 24 years and 22 days (MVR320,000); Mohamed Zuhair, of M. Oceania, retired from the post of Chief Executive Officer on 7 August 2008 (MVR343,000); Abdullah Shakir, of Baikan’dige Aage, retired from the post of Assistant Director on 22 September 2008 (a monthly pension of MVR2,417 monthly in addition to a lump sum of MVR120,000); Ahmed Wajeeh, of Hazaarumaage, retired from the post of Executive Director in September 2008 (MVR120,000); Abdul Haadhee Ibrahim Didi of Aasikkage, M. Muli, retired after 27 years, 9 months and 19 days (MVR114,600);  Abdullah Faroog Hassan, of Primrose, Fuvahmulah, retired from the post of Commissioner on 7 August 2008 after  39 years, 11 months and 7 days (MVR1,000,000); and Adhnan Abdullah, of Kudhimaage Haa Alif Ihavandhoo, retired on 7 June 2010 after 34 years, 2 months and 14 days (MVR219,120).

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Saudi Arabia to fund mosque construction

The Ministry of Islamic Affairs has said that an agreement was signed on Thursday for MVR 27 million (US$1.7 million) in free aid from Saudi Arabia for construction of mosques in the country.

According to a press release by the Islamic Ministry, the Maldives Ambassador to Sri Lanka Hussain Shihab and Saudi Ambassador to Maldives Abdul Azeez Jammaz signed the agreement at a ceremony that took place at the Saudi embassy in Sri Lanka.

The Islamic Ministry said a list of islands selected for mosque construction would be made public next week and that it hoped to begin the bidding process next month.

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Bank of Maldives to add 19 new ATMs

The Bank of Maldives Plc Ltd (BML) has announced plans to install 19 new ATMs across the country during the next few months.

In a press release on Thursday, BML said the ATMs were supplied by Diebold, a leading manufacturer, and were due to arrive this month.

“These state of the art machines come with world class security features and have the capability to launch new services to offer a superior customer experience,” reads the press release.

It added that the bank sought customer feedback for the project and has decided to install the new machines in existing ATM locations.

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Three injured in speedboat collision

Three passengers were injured in a collision at sea between two speedboats near the island of Fonadhoo in front of Male’.

According to police, a speedboat en route to Club Rannaalhi Resort from the airport collided with a Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC) vessel travelling from Male’ to Hulhumale’ around 10:30pm on Thursday night.

Both vessels were seriously damaged in the accident, police noted. The injured passengers were taken to ADK hospital for treatment.

At the time of the collision, 11 people were on-board the ‘Adaaran’ speedboat and 23 on the MTCC speedboat.

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MNDF marks ‘Victory Day’ with special ceremony, unveiling of memorial monument

The Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) marked ‘Victory Day’ with a special ceremony, a parade, the unveiling of a new monument and a silent drill on Friday (November 2).

The special ceremony commemorated the events of November 3, 1988 – when an attempted coup by Sri Lankan mercenaries led by a group of Maldivians was foiled with Indian military assistance .

As part of the event, a memorial monument at the southwestern side of Bandaara Koshi, the main military headquarters, was unveiled by President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan.

The southwestern corner of the military headquarters was blown up during the attack in the early hours of November 3, 1988.

The ceremony meanwhile included the screening of an animated video showing the attack on the military headquarters, a seven-gun salute, 30 seconds of silence in memorial of the fallen, a performance by the military’s ‘Pipe’ band and the launching of a book about the 1988 coup.

Military officers performed a silent drill after the ceremony.

In his address at the ceremony, Chief of Defence Forces Major General Ahmed Shiyam said that although the Maldives might not come under military attack in modern times, the “effects of ideological attacks to poison the minds of our youth and destroy our nationhood are evident all around us.”

A parade meanwhile took place across the capital this morning following dawn prayers in a large congregation of military officers.

MNDF Captain Hussain Ali told newspaper Haveeru on Thursday that an event at the Republic Square including fireworks that had originally been planned for tonight was now postponed until after November 12 due to adverse weather.

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Chris de Burgh to perform in Maldives

Singer-songwriter Chris de Burgh, famous for the 1986 love song ‘Lady in Red’, arrived in the Maldives on Wednesday for a performance in Sun Island Resort and a show in Male’ on the night of November 4.

Private broadcaster Villa TV – owned by Jumhooree Party Leader and MP Gasim Ibrahim, chairman of the Villa Group, which also operates Sun Island – reported that the show in Male’ will take place at the Galolhu stadium and tickets are available for MVR750, 550 and 400 from the seated rows.

Tickets from rows without seats are available for MVR100, according to local event manager Think Association. Tickets are being sold from Le Cute, Sea House, Oxygen Cafe’, Symphony Restaurant and Pop Joy.

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Committee approves amendment for secret ballot for second time

Parliament’s General Affairs Committee has approved for a second time an amendment proposed to the rules of procedure to conduct no-confidence motions through secret ballot.

The amendment would come into effect if it is passed by a vote at the Majlis floor.

A previous decision by the committee was declared void by the Counsellor General Fathmath Filza on the grounds that the committee meeting on October 23 where it was voted through took place in violation of the rules.

The committee meeting took place without either the chair or deputy chair in attendance.

Newspaper Haveeru reported  on Thursday that the amendment by Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP Mohamed Shifaz was approved again at a meeting Wednesday night. The former ruling party has a voting majority on the committee.

Independent MP for Dhaalu Atoll Kudahuvadhoo and Deputy Chair of the General Affairs Committee, Ahmed Amir, told the newspaper that the amendment was approved with four votes from MDP MPs and three against.

“Although the committee’s decision was overturned earlier, the decision for a secret ballot [for no-confidence motions] will be valid this time,” Amir was quoted as saying.

MDP MP Shifaz proposed the amendment last week after MP Amir withdraw a similar amendment to the house rules to conduct no-confidence motions through secret ballot.

Shifaz’s amendment however does not apply to no-confidence motions against the Speaker or Deputy Speaker of parliament.

The MDP has submitted no-confidence motions against both Home Minister Dr Mohamed Jameel Ahmed and President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik.

While a minister can be removed from his post through a simple majority of the 77 MPs in parliament, a two-thirds majority or 52 votes would be needed to impeach a sitting president.

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Committee decision on secret ballot overturned

Parliament’s Counsellor General Fathmath Filza has informed the General Affairs Committee that a decision to approve an amendment to the parliamentary rules of procedure was void as the meeting where it was voted through last week took place in violation of the rules.

An anonymous member of the committee told Sun Online yesterday that the committee meeting last week took place in the absence of both the chair and deputy chair.

The issue had to be tabled in the committee’s agenda again, the anonymous MP explained.

The meeting on October 23 was presided over by Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) MP Ali Azim while the amendment was reportedly voted through by four MPs of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).

The former ruling party has a majority on the General Affairs Committee.

The amendment to the rules of procedure to conduct no-confidence motions through secret ballot was proposed by MDP MP Mohamed Shifaz after a similar amendment was withdrawn by Independent MP Ahmed Amir, who is also deputy chair of the committee.

The committee’s chair is DRP MP Abdulla Abdul Raheem.

The amendment to parliament’s standing orders or rules of procedure would have to be approved in a vote at the Majlis floor to become official.

The MDP has submitted no-confidence motions against both Home Minister Dr Mohamed Jameel Ahmed and President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik.

While a minister can be removed from his post through a simple majority of the 77 MPs in parliament, a two-thirds majority or 52 votes would be needed to impeach the president.

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Dhiraagu disconnects phone lines from Laamu Gan Regional Hospital

Local telecom provider Dhiraagu has disconnected the phone lines of Laamu Gan Regional Hospital over an unpaid bill of MVR 600,000 (US$38,910) owed for setting up a network at the hospital’s new building, reports Haveeru.

Fathmath Barriya, head of the regional hospital, told the newspaper yesterday that the hospital was now unable to use its phone or fax and that Laamu residents were unable to call the ambulance number.

She explained that construction of the new building was completed on June 2011 and Dhiraagu had billed the hospital at the time.

Asked for help, the Health Ministry had instructed the hospital to settle the bill from its budget through monthly instalments, Barriya said. However, she added that the hospital did not have funds in its budget to pay the outstanding amount.

Dhiraagu has informed the hospital that the phone line would be connected when it submits an assurance in writing to settle the bill in monthly payments, she said.

She further noted that although the ministry made the contract with Dhiraagu, the former head of the hospital signed it. Employees involved in the project insisted that the ministry was supposed to pay for the project, she said.

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