Tag: maldives

DRP Noonu Atoll wing’s leader arrested with suspected bottle of alcohol

Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) Noonu Atoll wing leader Mohamed Abbas has been arrested with possession of a bottle suspected to contain alcohol.

Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam said that three men were arrested for allegedly carrying alcohol in an empty water bottle.

”Two men have been released now,” said Shiyam. “The bottle will be brought to Male’ for the necessary examinations.”

Shiyam declined to reveal the identity of the person under arrest, however he confirmed that Abbas was one of the two persons released.

Alcohol in the Maldives is strictly controlled and restricted to ‘uninhabited’ resort islands. Maldivians, who are constitutionally-obligated to be Muslim, are prohibited from consuming it in accordance with Islamic practices.

Online newspaper based on Noonu Atoll, Velidhoo Online (VO), reported that three bottles of alcohol were discovered inside Abbas’s backpack.

VO reported that the bottles were discovered by police when they were checked following their arrival from the Ranveli Resort of Noonu Atoll.

The paper also said that people had gathered near Velidhoo police station and held demonstrations to express disapproval of Abbas.

Deputy leader of DRP, Umar Naseer, said Abbas was not the leader of DRP’s Noonu Atoll wing.

”He’s just a normal DRP member, an activist,” said Umar. ”I have idea how this happened, but I know he did not drink, because his breath-test results were negative to alcohol.”

Umar said there were no alcoholics in the opposition DRP, and claimed that there were only alcoholics in the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).

”Police should investigate the case and take necessary actions against any person who violates the law, without referring to which party he is in or what his post is,” Umar added.

Police recently discovered bottles of alcohol inside the car of MDP parliamentary group leader and MP Moosa ‘Reeko’ Manik, however the government claimed the alcohol bust was a setup.

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“Hold down the poison pen” of Haama News journalist, demands Salaf

Religious NGO Jamiyyathul Salaf has demanded the editor of local news paper ‘Haama’ take action against one of the publication’s journalists, accusing him of “insulting the ‘Kaaba’”.

The Kaaba is the most sacred site in Islam, a cube-shaped building in Mecca which all Muslims around the world must face during prayers.

Salaf has sent a letter to the newspaper claiming that the article by Mohamed Naseer violated the Sunnah of Prophet Mohamed (PBUH), “and that the article was against the consensus of the scholars of Islam.”

“Although he has written many articles critisicing the religion, those articles were not read by the scholars, and therefore he was not exposed,’’ the letter said. “The constitution of the Maldives does not allow anybody freely criticise the religion.’’

“Before the poison of his pen reaches your news agency and people who looks after Naseer, we call on you to stop his pen,’’ the NGO threatened.

Salaf also recommended Naseer “to fear God and repent.”

Editor of Haama, Saif Azhar, told Minivan News today that the author of the concerned articles “was not a staff at Haama but a freelance columnist.”

“It was mistakenly published without being approved by the editor,” said Azhar. ”We removed the article as soon as people brought it to our attention.”

Azhar said the article was on the author’s view of eating and sleeping inside the mosque, something the writer noted that Maldivians had never supported.

”We advised him not to write articles like that,” Azhar said. ”We have never supported anti-Islamic articles or anything against religion, and it was just a mistake.”

State Minister for Islamic Affairs Sheikh Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed could not be reached for comment, and Ministry Spokesperson Sheikh Ahmadulla Jameel declined to comment stating that he was not a religious scholar or political appointee.

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Sri Lanka amends constitution to remove two-term limit for Presidency

Sri Lanka’s parliament has amended its constitution to lift the two-term limit for the Presidency, a move that would effectively allow the incumbent Mahinda Rajapaksa to govern the country indefinitely if successfully elected.

The vote was past with 161 votes, 11 seats more than the two-thirds majority required to pass the amendment, after the many of the main opposition party boycotted the debate entirely, and only 17 members from the Marxist-Nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna and a Tamil minority party voted against it.

The vote, dubbed ‘the 18th Amendment’, also empowers President Rajapaksa to appoint all top judges and commissioners for independent institutions governing elections and human rights, without legal veto.

The BBC reported that critics of the amendments had described it as “an onslaught to democracy”, while a group of lawyers protesting against the move claimed it was “undemocratic” and demanded a public referendum on the matter.

Supporters of the amendment have claimed the changes will help strengthen the country damaged by 30 years of war with the LTTE.

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Islamic Foundation donates Rf111,111.11 to Pakistan relief fund

Religious NGO the Islamic Foundation of the Maldives (IFM) has donated Rf 111,111.11 (US$8646) to the Pakistan flood relief fund.

The money was handed over to the High Commissioner Akhtar Ali Sulehri in a meeting held at the High Commission of Pakistan yesterday afternoon.

IFM launched a campaign for donating money to the flood victims of Pakistan at a lecture by Sheikh Fareed held at the Artificial Beach on August 27.

The money was collected by putting up fund boxes at different locations in Male.

IFM President Ibrahim Fauzee, Vice President Mohamed Fauzee and many of its members took part in the meeting held at the Pakistani High Commission yesterday afternoon.

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Q&A: Marco Cisini, CEO of tour operator Hotelplan Italia

Hotelplan is a Swiss-based tour operator that has operated in the Maldives for 25 years and is a key player in the Italian market, bringing 20,000 tourists to the country each year. Minivan News spoke to the CEO of Hotelplan Italia, Marco Cisini, during his recent visit to the Maldives.

JJ Robinson: What is the occasion of this visit?

Marco Cisini: We are ending a 25 year long love story with Maafushivaru (in Ari Atoll) and Universal Group. We decided it was very important we come and visit before the island closed and is refurbished and upgraded. After that it will go to a new tour operator.

JJ: How has the market changed over 25 years?

MC: It has changed a lot – for a start, the number of flights arriving. A wide number of offerings have been built in last 20 years, and while there are islands at price, when the government identified the power of tourism it decided to increase the rates and taxes, for that reason a lot of deluxe hotels were built rather than four or three star properties.

The occupancy depends on the quality and quantity of clientele you can find for these products. Today the quality of the products – and the professionalism – has increased a lot. Quality in the Maldives is a target that has been reached, and while certainly some things could still be done better, generally the suppliers are well organised and it’s working very well.

We are pleased that the country is becoming much more modern and flexible in its ideas, and we remain good investors in this country because we believe in the future of this place.

At the same time we know there are new markets coming in, from Asia especially, that will absolutely give an international image to the country.

JJ: The market for tourism in the country has traditionally been very Eurocentric – have you considered broadening into these new markets?

MC: Hotelplan is an international company based in Zurich and is present in England, Switzerland, France and Italy. Obviously as the CEO of Hotelplan Italia I am looking at the Italian market, but as a company we are looking at these emerging markets.

However to sell product such as we are selling, you need to be well integrated into the [source] country and be identified as a country expert. It’s much easier to buy an existing company rather than build a new company in these emerging places. But we are absolutely watching the new potential for business.

JJ: What is unique about the Italian market?

MC: Italians like to have fun, and we try to create an atmosphere with our T-Club concept. The meaning comes from ‘tea’: the idea of it being an elegant moment in your day.

One friend brings another friend, friends bring families, and you spend time together in a group while not feeling you are in a group, doing activities that you cannot do alone.

We also try and add to the nature of a place, by bringing specialists such as astronomers, biologists – people who can really give the clients information about the environment. The aim is to have fun and to think.

JJ: The traditional image of Maldives tourism is that of a European in a beach hammock slipping a Pina Colada. Has this changed? Are tourists demanding more?

MC: I wonder. I hope. Everybody coming and lying down on the beach – that is the general mass identification. But everyone wants to be different to each other, and now people are looking for something new, a new experience, and new sensations. That’s why eco-concepts are important – thinking while travelling, and understanding where you are.

For example, you can say to someone: ‘Let’s watch a 50s movie.’ You might reply, ‘Nice, but it’s not my plan see a movie.’ But then I say ‘OK, if you do, the meeting point is at the jetty.’

So you jump on a boat, go to a real desert island with a sandy beach in middle of the sea, with a computer and a projector. All you see around you is water, and you are with 20-30 people sitting on the beach under the stars. This is a  movie you will never forget your entire life.

It’s not important what you do, but how you do it – people are looking for these types of emotions. We know people on holiday are looking for something like this, but how do you give them an experience with such strong emotions?

Think of how many hotels there are in the Maldives and all over the world. To be different you cannot just be different in style and service, because people take these things for granted – they paid for it.

JJ: What are the particular challenges of operating in the Maldives?

MC: The challenges are many. Today the major challenge is the people. We found in our suppliers a lot of good people we have worked with for 20-30 years, and helped upgrade them in terms of business know how. Over the last 20 years people have learned and studied a lot, and the quality and organisation is much better.

The challenge in the beginning was to be a pioneer. You were discovering and building a destination with all of the problems of building something in the middle of the sea.

We put in a lot of effort to help people here to be able to make all these places – how to be organised, providing know-how, information, instruments… and we found a lot of them very open to learn. This is something you don’t find in every country, especially when you start as pioneer. A lot of people don’t see the potential future.

JJ: Do you consider the Maldives a politically stable environment in which to operate?

MC: I have to say that since September 11 there are no more stable places. One of the major ways to get attention from the world is through [violent] actions, and stupid people are everywhere. That exposes any country to risk – also my own country.

JJ: The issues of labour rights and industrial disputes have surfaced recently at several resorts. Is this something you think guests are interested in? Do they want to know that resorts are treating staff fairly?

MC: What I can say is that it’s not easy to manage an international group of people from many different countries who speak different languages and have different religions, and to respect all of them. As I told you, countries must build and upgrade themselves when they face international markets, and this takes time.

On the other side, this orientation to look for money everywhere has to include respect for people and labour laws. This must be done. In our experience we have never felt this was a problem – the staff at Maafushivaru were perfect.

JJ: Do you have plans to further expand in the Maldives?

MC: We looking for new destinations and new islands. We are following new developments in the southern part of the country, and we are one of the two operators present in the Gan project. The Maldives is a target for us, and we would like to be friends with this country and follow the directions it takes. We feel the need to be present and to protect the culture of this place.

JJ: The resorts have historically been kept separate from the rest of the country – at least as far as tourism is concerned. Do you think this will continue?

MC: I think in this environment it is not easy to combine cultures – especially the beach holiday concept. But we are trying to combine these things.

JJ: Some in the industry claim that a declining demand for luxury properties is becoming offset by a lot of demand for lower star hotels. Does your experience reflect this?

MC: In winter time, you have good clients in terms of potential for five star. There is no problem with demand in Winter. But in the Summer season it is much more complicated because of the proximity of places like the Meditteranean, which are similar in terms culture and have better weather.

In Summer the European demand must be combined with demand from other markets to rebalance occupancy – such as opening the Chinese and Indian markets here. But if the [resorts] think only Europeans can afford to fill the occupancy of these hotels all year long, it’s not enough. The demand is not enough.

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Frustrated DhiFM journalist launches one man protest against housing ministry bureaucracy

DhiFM journalist Qufthaq Ajeer had spent two weeks trying to obtain the information for a piece on housing projects.

But today the frustrated reporter launched a one man protest against the Housing Ministry and bureaucratic inaction, by setting up camp in the ministry’s lobby and refusing to leave until the information was provided.

‘’I have been trying to get this information for two weeks,” he told Minivan News. “Every day they say tomorrow or the next day and it keeps going that way, so I thought I would try a new way today.”

“I decided to stay inside the office until either the police came to throw me out, or the Deputy Minister Mohamed Faiz came to provide me the information I need.”

The ambush was necessary because Faiz “never responds to calls”, he added.

When the journalist began protesting in the lobby, Housing Ministry staff tried to promise him he “would get the information tomorrow.”

“I am not confident with their ‘tomorrow’,” said Qufthaq. “I am trying a new way to see how it goes.’’

He waited inside the Housing Ministry’s lobby after the ministry closed and the staff had left the building.

An hour later, State Minister for Housing Akuram Kamluddeen arrived and disclosed the information Qufthaq had requested two weeks earlier.

Media Cordinator for the Housing Ministry, Mohamed Rashad, said he had “only learned today” that a journalist was trying to reach the deputy minister.

“The busy schedule and all must have been a reason for the long delay,’’ he said. “If the media unit had known about it before, he would have received the information he needed.’’

Bureaucratic inaction and a lack of cooperation from the civil service is the latest in a series of complaints by the Maldivian media.

Recently a Maldives National Broadcasting Corporation (MNBC) journalist was barred from entering the Criminal Court for a hearing.

A journalist from Villa Television (VTV) also complained that Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) parliamentary group leader and MP Moosa ‘Manik’ obstructed him from interviewing another MP.

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), acting on information received from the Maldives Journalist Association (MJA), earlier this week issued a statement expressing alarm at the “increasing hostile actions against independent media in the Maldives.”

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Fixed lines continue to fall in the Maldives

The total number of fixed telephone lines in the Maldives (including payphones) dropped to 48,102 at the end of July from 49,415 at the end of April, reported Telecompaper.

Telecompaper reported that the majority of lines (35,045) were in Male, Villingili, Aarah, Hulhule and Hulhumale islands, while fixed lines on other inhabited islands numbered 11,853. 980 these were on resorts, and 224 on uninhabited islands, according to figures from the Telecommunications Authority of Maldives.

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IGMH management agreement with Apollo still “yet to be decided”: Zubair

The agreement between India’s Apollo Group and the Maldives government to manage Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) has stalled, after the private healthcare giant failed to submit a required operational management agreement by the July deadline.

“We were supposed to receive a plan by the end of July,” said State Health Minister Dr Abdul Bari. “They required additional information which we have provided.”

The operations management agreement was to be submitted following a situational analysis of the hospital.

That agreement said that both parties were required to cement the deal and sign the 12 year management agreement by the end of July.

Dr Bari said the government had requested an update from Apollo, but insisted the hospital’s future was not in limbo.

Managing Director of IGMH Mohamed Zubair said the hospital was not preparing for a management change, but noted that the deal “has neither failed nor succeeded. It is yet to be decided.”

“Apollo is an expert group and would bring a lot of benefits to the people,” he said. “They have the capacity to raise the existing standards. But even if they do not come we will continue trying to improve services.”

However the delay was making “little investments” more difficult, he said.

Apollo has previously estimated that it will need to spend US$25 million to bring the hospital up to global standards.

Chairman of the privatisation committee Mahmood Razee said following announcement of the agreement in January that one of the first changes to be made by Apollo would be to management.

“The major issue was that the management structure [at IGMH] was not working properly, this led to high costs and some services and medicines not being available. The overall quality of service went down,” he said.

Apollo also signalled its intentions to make 80 percent of hospital employees Maldivian over a 15 year period, although it was unclear as to how this would be achieved given the lack of medical higher education facilities in the country.

In April, a series of alleged blunders at the hospital – including wrong injections being given, a woman who claimed to have had a vein sewn into her skin and parents of a suicidal adolescent who complained their son suffered a motorbike accident and was discharged after being given an IV – highlighted a system under pressure.

Earlier this month the victim of a stabbing told Minivan News that doctors at IGMH had stitched his wound and sent him home, “but I did not feel well. I was having difficulty breathing, but since they said I was fine, I thought I was fine,’’ he said.

“Later, I realised air was spreading inside my body and my back, chest, neck and arms were puffing up. Doctors at ADK said that I had been stabbed in the lungs and that one of my lungs had stopped functioning. They said if I had been any later the air would have reached my brain and they would not have been able to help me.”

IGMH was originally gifted to the Maldives by the government of India.

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Sri Lankan worker’s arm crushed in concrete mixer

A Sri Lankan man working at a resort under development on Vagaaru in Shaviyani Atoll has had his arm amputated after it became caught it a concrete mixing machine, reports Haveeru.

Doctors at Kulhudhuffushi Regional Hospital in Haa Dhaal Atoll amputated the 28 year-old’s right arm up to the elbow after it was crushed in the machine.

Hospital official Mohamed Abdurrahman told Haveeru that the four-hour long operation was the only option left, as the man’s bones had been crushed.

Haveeru reported that the incident occurred place on Sunday evening while the man was washing the machine.

“We suspect he caught his shirt in the machine. That is what caused the accident. Fragments of his bones were also in it,” a co-worker told the newspaper.

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