Tag: maldives

MCSA calls off strike, to submit a petition instead

Maldives Civil Servants’ Association (MCSA) has called off the nationwide civil servants’ strike planned for April 20, deciding instead to submit a petition with its concerns, Vnews has reported today.

Quoting MCSA President, the report said the decision was made to prevent any difficulties it may cause to the public after consulting with senior members of the association and relevant government offices.

The petition which is being signed through social media website Facebook, is reported to have already received the signatures of fifty percent government employees.

It is expected to be submitted to the relevant offices on April 20 – the date previously set for the strike.

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Pakistan donates 47 computer systems to police service

The Government of Pakistan has donated 47 computer systems to the Maldives Police Service (MPS).

Home Minister Umar Naseer accepted the gift from Pakistan High Commissioner Mohamed Saeed Khan during a special function held yesterday.

Naseer expressed his gratitude for the gift, noting that it would be sure to improve the police’s service.

Speaking at the 81st anniversary celebrations of the MPS last month, Police Commissioner Hussain Waheed noted that the service faced a severe lack of resources, stating that basic equipment such as computers was lacking on many islands.

Earlier this month it was announced that 20 MPS officers would travel to Beijing in order to take part in a seminar with their Chinese counterparts.

Waheed expressed hope that the seminar would bring the standards of the Maldivian participants up to those of Chinese officers.

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Authorities pass responsibility for decision to destroy confiscated animals

Confusion surrounds the decision to destroy over 120 animals confiscated by authorities last weekend, with both police and the Maldives National Defence Forces (MNDF) denying responsibility for the move.

With initial media reports today suggesting that the Maldives Police Service (MPS) had “executed” the animals, an official spokesman revealed that custody of the animals had been handed to the MNDF on Sunday, just hours after their seizure.

MNDF Captain Ali Ihusaan subsequently confirmed that all of the animals had been put down on the request of the MPS.

“The animals that were being handed over to the Ministry of Defence and National Security were being handed over in order to get rid of them, and we have established procedures and processes that we go through in order to take care of them and we have gone through that process on the day they were handed over to MNDF,” said Ihusaan.

These claims were promptly rejected by the police, however, who denied having asked the MNDF to terminate the animals.

“The information you have received is not right, we didn’t actually request from the MNDF to put them down,” said a police spokesperson who said he had been unable to contact his MNDF counterpart to clarify the conflicting account.

The spokesman went on to suggest that the responsibility for the transfer of the animals lay with the customs department, stating that the legal rationale for the decision could be explained by customs authorities.

“What we did was was request customs to take over those confiscated animals, to take the animals under their custody. So they requested us to hand over those animals to the MNDF,” said the MPS spokesman.

“Under customs regulations it is not allowed to bring those animals to Maldives. We requested them to take over the case, to take these animals to their custody”.

“I think it is because customs is run under Ministry of Defence, which might explain that decision”.

Minivan News was unable to contact customs officials at the time of press.

EPA deeply concerned

Meanwhile, news of the animals’ termination has prompted an outcry, with groups reportedly gathering outside of the Environment Ministry.

A group of protesters have assembled outside the children’s park in Malé – home to a captive crocodile – in opposition to the move, with one placard reading:  “Stop killing animals against the law and regulations”.

Former President Mohamed Nasheed has taken to Twitter to denounce the decision.

“People’s beloved pets should not be killed just like that. Necessary regulations could be made,” tweeted Nasheed.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), whom the police have previously said were being consulted on the animal’s care, have expressed concern.

“As an organisation responsible for the protection and well being of all these creatures, we are not happy with killing or doing anything lethal to any of the animals. That is something that we are deeply concerned about,” said Director General of the EPA Ibrahim Naeem.

Naeem denied having been consulted over the care and maintenance of the confiscated animals.

The animals – including 11 iguanas, a snake, a sugar glider (possum), an owl, a squirrel, and 105 rats – were taken by police in an operation to tackle the number of illegal pets last weekend.

The scale of the problem has become apparent as the police have embarked on a campaign to tackle the nation’s endemic narcotics problems, with a series of exotic creatures increasingly featuring in the lists of items seized during raids.

In a joint operation with multiple branches of the government, the police revealed that animals were to be confiscated “so that the legality of their presence in the country can be assessed,” read a police statement.

Customs regulations list dogs and dangerous animals as prohibited from import, while other live animals entering the country are required to have valid sanitary certificates.

The regulation on importing live animals specifies that the procedure for handling animals considered wild or dangerous includes consultation with the Fisheries Ministry and the MNDF, as well as the production of a report, before repatriation or extermination.

When asked if the police had allowed relevant time for owners to produce the necessary certificates before the animals were destroyed, Minivan News was again referred to the customs department.

The EPA’s Ibrahim also condemned those who bring such animals into the country, saying that they should share some of the blame for the animals’ fate.

“We don’t expect these animals in the Maldives. I condemn those who import those who import them to Maldives, they should actually take the responsibility.”

Authorities have confirmed that the endangered slow loris – confiscated during an earlier police operation – was not amongst the destroyed animals. The EPA is currently discussing the potential repatriation of the animal with interested parties.

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Taxi drivers protest against implementation of new regulations

Taxi drivers in Malé are today protesting against what they regard as “strict” and unfair new regulations which were to be implemented today.

Key concerns raised by participants included the issue of ‘taxi-top’ vacancy signs, and not having similar legislation for all land transport, including lorries and pickups.

Many held placards with statements such as ‘Insurance is useless’, ‘Establish equal policies for all land transport’, ‘Stop making medical reports of drivers, stop requesting police records of drivers’, and ‘Stop enslaving drivers’.

State Minister for Transport Ahmed Zubair has argued that drivers and taxi centers were consulted throughout the process and that their concerns were addressed.

Protesters demanded a change the regulation and called for the Transport Minister Ameen Ibrahim’s resignation.

The protest began this morning as a strike, and later turned in to a protest march with taxi drivers taking to voice their concerns.

Some taxi drivers who maintain the regulations are reasonable, refused to take part in the protest – continuing their service through out the day – were threatened by the protesters.

The Maldives Police Service confirmed reports of threats to taxi centers, and said that two people were arrested from the protest – one for trying to attack a police officer and obstructing police, the other person for stopping a taxi on the street.

Concerns

A general statement written by protesters said the purpose of the protest was to oppose “the creation of strict regulations to make things difficult particularly for taxi drivers, and forcing to follow such regulations.”

Some drivers argued that the ministry should ensure the vacancy boards that fit their standards are available in the Maldives, noting that attaching such a board requires drilling a hole on top of the cars.

State Minister Zubair today said that the implementation of the whole regulation will not be delayed any further, saying that the ministry was not specifically targeting the taxi drivers, but was planning to introduce similar regulations for bus services and another for resolving the issue of parking.

Responding to the complaints about the vacancy signs, the minister said that magnetic boards were available and that, in order to give more time for taxis, the ministry has given another month (till May 15) to fix the boards.

He said the regulation would also allow for the penalisation of those taxis who do not provide the service.

Police today announced that action will be taken against those violating the new regulations – with the exception of the vacancy board placement – starting today.

Meanwhile Maldivian Red Crescent has announced that their medical emergency vehicles will be available for emergency transport during the taxi drivers’ strike. MRC transport contact number is 7917009.

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98 percent of tourists would recommend Maldives to others, visitor survey reveals

With additional reporting by Daniel Bosley

The Maldives Visitor Survey 2014 has revealed that 98 percent of tourists would recommend the Maldives as a holiday destination to others.

The survey was conducted by the Ministry of Tourism and other industry stakeholders from March 18 to April 5, the results of which were released yesterday (April 14) at the Nasandhura Palace Hotel.

Results of the survey showed that a significant percent (31%) of tourists to the Maldives are repeat visitors. The majority of the tourists visit the Maldives with either a partner (55%) or with family (28%).

A separate survey earlier in the year, conducted by online reservations group Agoda, revealed the Maldives to be regarded as the ideal honeymoon destination by those surveyed.

Of the significant nationalities represented in this month’s survey, more Japanese and Indian visitors were on their honeymoon than any other group, with the rest citing rest and relaxation as their main reason for visiting.

The prominent role the internet plays in the industry – as the media for source of information and travel booking – was further revealed in the recent survey, as 25 percent of the respondents said they learnt about the Maldives via the internet and 53 percent said they booked their holiday online.

The Maldives’ natural environment which includes underwater, beach and the weather were the main (52%) motivators for visits to the Maldives.

More Japanese and Chinese visitors cited the country’s reputation as the reason for their visit than any other national group, while Russian and Indian respondents were the most interested in the privacy provided.

85 percent of those surveyed stayed in one of the country’s 105 single island resorts, which still dwarf the size of the safari boat (numbering 160) and the, quickly growing, guest house sectors (79).

The visitor survey was conducted at the departure terminal of Ibrahim Nasir International Airport from 18th February to 5th March 2014. Questionnaires were prepared in 7 languages, with a sample size of 1,800.

45 percent of respondents reported travelling by speedboat to their resort, with 80 percent reaching their destination within an hour – figures which highlight the concentration of resorts in the central atolls, a situation the government has been urged to amend in favour of development in the out atolls.

Continued growth in the tourism industry was revealed by authorities in February, with tourist arrivals growing by 17 percent between 2012 and 2013 – surpassing one million visitors for the first time.

Statistics from the Tourism Ministry show that 331,719 Chinese tourists visited the Maldives last year, which was a 44.5 percent increase from the previous year.

Chinese tourists accounted for 29.5 percent of all tourist arrivals in 2013, with the industry’s contribution to national GDP estimated to be as high as 80 percent.

The current government hopes to expand bed capacity in order to achieve the current Tourism Masterplan’s projection of 1.75 million arrivals by 2021.

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City council pass resolution opposing development of a resort on Kuda Bandos

Malé City Council has today passed a resolution against a decision made by the government to develop Kuda Bandos as a resort and to request that the government leave it is as a picnic island.

Today after passing the resolution Malé City Council Mayor Mohamed Shihab held a meeting with the press and said that it was very important that Kuda Bandos was left as it is as a picnic island for locals as there was no other picnic island near the capital.

Despite long term plans to distribute resorts across the atolls, the majority of tourist resorts remain concentrated in the central atolls – in close proximity to the one third of Maldivians who reside in the crowded capital.

Shihab said that the council believes that Kuda Bandos should be left as an island where people living in Malé could go on picnics.

He noted that everyone living in Malé cannot afford to go to tourist resort during their holidays and that there were many uninhabited islands in different parts of the country where tourist resorts could be developed.

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Lawyer of Shifan murder suspect says witness statements contradictory

The lawyer of Abdulla Thimeez – charged with the murder of Ali Shifan – has argued in court that the witness statements given to the Criminal Court were inconsistent with on another.

According to local media present at the High Court today, Thilmeez’s lawyer Shaheem Ahmed said that two witnesses reported seeing Thlimeez near West Park restaurant, where Shifan was murdered, while the others have said they did not see Thilmeez at the murder scene.

Lawyer Shaheem said that, as the witnesses were inconsistent, some must have been lying, also noting that murder cases can be proven only if there is enough evidence to rule a person guilty without doubt.

Shifan was attacked around on April 1, 2012, outside the West Park restaurant on Boduthakurufaanu Magu – the outer ring road of Male’.

He was stabbed multiple times in the back and arms by a group of men on motorbikes as he stepped out of the restaurant to meet a friend, police reported.

In March, 2013, the Criminal Court ruled that all six suspects arrested in connection with the stabbing murder of Ali Shifan are innocent and ordered their release.

The judge ruled that there was not enough evidence to convict, reported local media, despite the DNA of the victim being found under the fingernail of one of the suspects.

Although the state had produced five witnesses to the court, their statements to police were contradictory said the judge at the time.

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119 cases of Hand, foot, and mouth disease reported since January

A total 119 cases of hand, foot, and mouth disease has been reported across the country since January this year, the Health Protection Agency has said today.

According to the HPA, cases have been reported in the Malé area as well as Gaafu Dhaalu, Gaafu Alif, Baa, Haa Alif, and Haa Dhaalu atolls

An official from the HPA said that the disease has been seen more frequently in the Malé area lately in comparison with January, at which time it was concentrated more in the atolls.

The official also said exact figures on cases reported in Malé were unavailable due to some difficulties in acquiring the information from Indhira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH).

In a statement alerting the public to the situation, which requested greater caution, the agency said children between 1 – 5 years are most vulnerable to this disease, warning that is is likely to spread among students in preschool and primary grades 1- 2.

Hand, foot, and mouth disease – while not always serious – is contagious. According to the HPA, it can easily spread through close contact by means of saliva, nasal mucus, feces, and blister fluid.

Early signs of the disease include fever, reduced appetite, feeling tired, body aches, and sores in the mouth.

The HPA has requested all members of the public to take the following precautionary matters to control the disease:

  • Do not send children infected children to school
  • Keep infected children separate from others and do not taking them to public gatherings
  • Thoroughly clean objects such as plates, towels, and toys used by children with the disease before allowing other children to use them
  • Pay extra attention to hygiene of children and their surroundings, particularly toilets
  • Wash hands with soap before eating and after changing diapers, cleaning or going to toilet
  • If the disease is discovered at a school, suspend all activities involving the use of sand
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Police clear roads to address parking problems

The Traffic Police Department of the Maldives Police Service has carried out a special operation in Malé to address the difficulties in parking.

The operation, which was carried out on April 10, involved clearing the roads and parking areas of unwanted items such pallets and litter.

This operation cleared over 100 unwanted pallets from the streets, and was part of a wider initiative by the police to address parking difficulties.

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