Tag: minivan

Stranded container ship in Male’ refloated: MNDF

A container ship was yesterday (Janaury 7) stranded in waters on the eastern side of Male’ for three hours before tug boats were able to successfully refloat the vessel, local media has reported.

Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) Spokesperson Colonel Abdul Raheem told Minivan News last night that the ship, called Auguste Schulte, sailed under a Liberian flag.

The MNDF told local media that while the ship itself did not suffer much damage from the incident, investigations would be carried out on the reef where the boat had been stuck.

Should any damage be found on the reef, a fine of MVR 85,000 (US$ 5508) per square metre of damaged reef will be imposed, an official from the Transport Authority told the Sun Online news agency.

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Government submits sexual harassment bill to Majlis

Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) MP Rozaina Adam has submitted a bill to parliament on behalf of the government of President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik aiming to define and outlaw sexual harassment across Maldivian society.

The decision forms part of a wider government strategy to submit twelve separate bills to the Majlis after an amendment to parliament regulations was approved in October.  The amendment to the People’s Majlis’ Rules of Procedure enabled the current government to submit bills to the legislature despite President Waheed’s Gaumee Ittihad Party (GIP) having no elected representatives in parliament.

DRP MP Rozaina Adam was not responding to calls at time of press.

The government has stated that the objective of the sexual harassment bill is to ensure gender discrimination is made illegal at workplaces, educational institutes, and other service providers such as hospitals.

The bill defines sexual harassment as “any sexual act committed against, or towards, a person without their consent”.  It states that a sexual act is defined as words which are spoken, or written, a sound that is made, a picture or a drawing that is shown, a physical action or gesture that is made, or any other action which could be perceived, believed or known by the recipient to be done with a sexual intention.

Details are also included on the specific actions by employers, employees and service providers which would be outlawed should the bill be passed.

Employers are also required to refrain from implying through actions or words that acceptance of sexual advances is a guarantee of securing advancement at work or additional opportunities.

The bill also governs institutions mandated with taking care of persons, including children, the elderly and persons with special needs. The bill specifically prohibits sexual harassment against any persons under the care of such institutions.

As per the bill, each organisation must have a committee mandated with oversight of the issue of sexual harassment.  The committee should consist of ten members, of which the majority is to be female. The bill also defines the procedures the committee must follow when handling complaints.

The bill is yet to be scheduled for debate on the parliament floor and comes after CSC President Mohamed Fahmy was voted out of his post on November 20, 2012 under allegations of sexual harassment against an employee.

The Supreme Court has since ordered the parliament to halt appointing a new member to his post, until the court comes to a ruling on whether Fahmy’s rights had been infringed upon through his dismissal.

Meanwhile, Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) MP Abdulla Yaamin has submitted a motion to Parliament’s Independent Commissions Oversight Committee, asking it to investigate allegations of sexual harassment against a member of the Elections Commission.

The full bill submitted to the Majlis can be read here.  (Dhivehi)

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Photography pioneer dismisses claims development has spoiled Maldives “paradise” potential

Photographer Michael Friedel, one of the most prominent names associated with capturing images of the Maldives over the last forty years, has dismissed criticism that rapid national development has ultimately spoiled the destination’s “paradise” mystique.

German national Friedel has spent forty years photographing the changing societal and architectural landscape of the Maldives since the inception of its tourism industry back in the 1970s.

Speaking to Minivan News at the opening of a special exhibition in Male’ this week dedicated to his photography, Friedel conceded that the impact of his work had attracted criticism due to some “bad developments” intense global publicity brought to the country.

“There are people who have said I spoiled paradise, but the country has always been involved in the global market. The country has to sell something to get something and rice doesn’t grow here,” he said yesterday (January 6).

Friedel, who first arrived in the Maldives in the 1970s, is described by exhibition organisers as a major pioneer in capturing images of the country for intentional media.

His photography has been published in international magazines and newspapers, as well as being found locally on postcards and five different stamps that have been sold in the country.

“Most of the bad developments in the beginning did come from the outside, but the country has got it under control now,” Friedel claimed. “In the early days, Italians would just shoot fish with spear guns just to show how many they had caught, not to eat and people were also hunting turtles just to sell the shells. But after two years, these things were banned.”

When Friedel first arrived in the Maldives in the early 1970s, he said the country was relatively unknown to rest of the world.  However, after pictures he had taken of the country were published in Germany’s Stern magazine, he said major press organisations around the world wanted copies.

“Most countries in the world were well known in the 70s, but Maldives was not. So when I first took these pictures, I was lucky to have so much interest from international publications,” he said.

Friedel argued that while the whole world had changed over the last 40 years, the scope of these developments was far more noticeable in the Maldives.

“This used to be a country where nobody came to and it was extremely isolated. The British had an agreement here, and they had one officer stationed on a little island. Most other countries were influenced by colonialism, but the Maldives were not,” he said.

“The whole world has changed in 40 years, but here it was more because the country was untouched.”

Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Ahmed Adheeb, who officially opened the exhibition at the National Art Gallery in Male’, praised Friedel as a “pioneer”. He added that his work helped introduce the Maldives to glossy international magazines and travel media, defining the image by which the destination is still sold to this day.

“Michael has been one of the key players to promote the Maldives and through his pictures he brought the country into the lime light,” Adheeb claimed. “This all started back in 70s and 80s when our tourism budget was zero. We appreciate everything he has done, through his pictures we see where we were then to where we are now.”

The exhibition at the National Art Gallery in Male’ showcases 58 of Friedel’s photographs taken in the Maldives from between 1973 to 1977 as part of celebrations marking 40 years of tourism in the country.

The exhibition will run from January 6 to January 13.

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Container ship “stuck” in Male’ waters, MNDF confirms

A Liberian container ship called the ‘Auguste Schulte’ has this evening become stuck within waters surrounding Male’, Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) Spokesperson Colonel Abdul Raheem has confirmed.

According to Colonel Raheem, the carrier ship, situated directly off the coast of the Raalhugandu area in Male’, was being assisted by MNDF coastguard vessels in order to get the boat moving.

Raheem stated that he is yet to receive any information on how the ship became stuck.

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MNDF military hospital to provide medical services to immigration department

The Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) military hospital is to begin to provide medical services to employees of the Department of Immigration and Emigration.

Defence Minister Colonel Mohamed Nazim was quoted in local media as saying that all services of the military hospital are now available under Aasandha to the employees of the immigration department.

“Employees of Immigration Department and their families can obtain medical treatment under Aasandha from the military hospital. This includes their husbands and wives. We are trying to provide the best medical services to our employees,” he told Sun Online.

The Department of Immigration and Emigration was recently transferred from the under the Ministry of Home Affairs to the Ministry of Defence.

According to the President’s Office, the decision to transfer the department was taken to make administration of the country’s immigration system more efficient.

The opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) last week questioned the legality of the decision to transfer control of the Department of Immigration and Emigration to the Defence Ministry.

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Parliament Speaker Abdulla Shahid on official visit to Angola

Parliamentary Speaker Abdulla Shahid has commenced a three day visit Angola today in order to reinforce inter-parliamentary cooperative ties between the two countries, an African news service has said.

During his stay in the country, Shahid will meet with his Angolan counterpart, Fernando Da Piedade Dias dos Santos as well as heads of parliamentary groups of the national assembly.

According to a press note from the Angolan national assembly, the agenda includes official talks between the parliamentary delegations of Angola and Maldives, and an official dinner offered by the Angolan speaker of the national assembly.

The press note reads that Shahid will also visit the new city of Kilamba in Luanda, in order to learn about the national housing boosting programme.

Shahid is to return on January 9, according to the African news source.

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Club Faru resort to be closed within two months: Tourism Minister

Tourism Minister Ahmed Adheeb has revealed that the Club Faru resort is to be closed down within two months after the government took over the property this weekend.

On Saturday (January 5), the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture said it had assumed control of Club Faru after the resort’s operators were said to have failed to hand over the property following the expiry of their lease agreement.

Adheeb told Minivan News that the resort would be closed as part of the government’s plans to begin the second phase of “reclaiming” Hulhumale’ this year.

“The resort is to be operated by a government company for two months and it will then be closed down and reclaimed,” he said.  “It was a seven year lease that expired on November 15. Now the government has decided to reclaim that part of Hulhumale’,” he said today.

The proposed closure has been described as “interesting” by the former secretary general of the Maldives Association of Tourism Industry (MATI), who expressed hope that the government would treat all resort operators equally going forward.

Adheeb today maintained that his ministry would not favour certain resort operators over others in terms of their treatment.

According to the tourism minister, the government offered other companies the chance to temporarily manage Club Faru after the first phase of reclaiming Hulhumale’ was completed.

However, Adheeb claimed that after the expiry of a seven-year lease on November 15, 2012, the resort’s operators had gone to court on two separate occasions to try and extend their lease.  He added that the operators had been unsuccessful on both attempts to obtain an injunction against the government.

Despite the lease termination deadline expiring last year and the subsequent takeover on Saturday, Club Faru’s website – when accessed at the time of press – displayed a pop-up sign dismissing rumours that the resort will be closed or temporarily shut down for renovation between November 1 to April 31.

“Attention!!! Against different phrased rumours that seem to circulate in the internet and in certain travel agencies: Fihalhohi and/or Club Faru will neither be closed nor will there be any renovation from November 1 to April 31 that could lead to disturbance. This info is valid for Fihalhohi and Club Faru. Both Islands continue as is,” the pop-up statement reads.

Management at Club Faru resort were not responding to calls from Minivan News at time of press.

Speaking to local media, Adheeb claimed that the handover had gone “smoothly” when he visited the resort yesterday (January 5).

“Everything went quite smoothly. The Finance Ministry’s financial controller, tourism’s permanent secretary, and legal officials of the ministry along with me came to the resort and took over,” he said.

“We will oversee the operations of the island as the [tourism] ministry has reclaimed ownership of this resort,” Adheeb told local newspaper Haveeru.

Local media reports have claimed that the government had assumed ownership of the island property while tourists were still holidaying at the resort.

According to Adheeb, an Italian company called Club Med had originally invested in the resort. However, after Club Faru was designated part of the Hulhumale’ reclamation plan seven years ago, Club Med was given another island as compensation.

Local media reported that the government leased the island for a period of five years on November 16 1995, after a delay in the second phase of reclaiming Hulhumale’. Following the expiry of the five year lease, it was then extended on an annual basis.

All resort operators treated the same: Adheeb

When contacted today, Former Secretary General of MATI ‘Sim’ Mohamed Ibrahim described the Club Faru handover as “interesting”, adding that no operators should be favoured when it comes to breaching legal contracts.

“While it is important that legal contracts are kept to and enforced, it is also important that individual resort operators are treated the same and not differently.  It appears that Club Faru has taken precedence over others, especially as Hulhumale’ is earmarked for development,” Sim told Minivan News.

Responding to the comments, Adheeb said that the tourism ministry did not favour any resort operator over another.

While there are no other resorts in the Maldives where an operating licence has been cancelled, Adheeb claimed that when dealing with rent payments, each resort will always have to pay or face a termination notice.

The tourism minister claimed that when he first took up his position following February’s controversial transfer of power, there were 12 resorts found to be not paying rent at the time. However, through flexibility on the interest rates, he maintained there were now “no resorts not paying rent”.

“We are not tolerating resorts who do not pay rent, any operating resort has to pay. Those who are not paying already have the termination notice. This culture has to go, by the end of this year all resorts will be paying and it will become a more stable industry,” Adheeb said.

At a press conference held on December 31, 2012, Adheeb said that resort operator Yacht Tours had been sent termination notices for both Alidhoo and Kudarah resorts, with a seven day period for handover.

He added that while the ministry had come to a payment system agreement with a number of other companies, Yacht Tours had sent no official written communication in regard to the payment of outstanding rents.

Following the termination notice, Yacht Tours, a company owned by opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP Abdulla Jabir, said it will take the government to court over the dispute.  The company has alleged that the Tourism Ministry had failed to responded to correspondence it had sent on the matter of rent payments.

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80 years to save country should Adhaalath Party be dissolved: Sheikh Imran

Adhaalath Party Leader Sheikh Imran Abdulla has warned it could take “80 years” to save the country should the religious conservative party be dissolved under new regulations passed by the Majlis.

If signed into law, the Political Parties Bill passed last month would require a party in the Maldives to have a minimum of 10,000 registered members.

Speaking at a rally held at Ghiyasuddin School Thursday (January 3), local media quoted Sheikh Imran as saying it was compulsory for all citizens to ensure Adhaalath Party was not dissolved.

“It would not be wrong to say that it will take 80 years to save the country and for it to revert to the present situation if Adhaalath Party is dissolved in the current political circumstances.

“Thus it is compulsory upon you to ensure that Adhaalath Party isn’t dissolved. It is compulsory upon all citizens,” he said.

Sheikh Imran claimed that efforts to limit the number of political parties in the Maldives indicated attempts to return the country to an autocratic regime.

“Social values have been torn apart. Conflicts, assault and arguments within parties have become commonplace. Things have gone so far that and mothers and children don’t speak to each other, and mothers ask children to leave their homes. So what I have to say is that a solution has to be sought to the problem of political parties,” Imran was quoted as saying in Sun Online.

Imran encouraged educated people from all over the country to join the party, adding that he would lead the campaign to dissolve political parties if people fail to establish a system by which they can coexist.

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No casualties reported in Kaafu Atoll fish processing plant blaze

Authorities have said there have been no reported casualties following a fire at a fish processing plant on the island of Hinmafushi in Kaafu Atoll today.

Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) Spokesperson Colonel Abdul Raheem told Minivan News that no one had been seriously hurt in the blaze, which had been brought under control by fire-fighters earlier today.  Colonel Raheem added that the suspected cause of the fire was presently unknown.

The Maldives Police Service also confirmed that it had not been informed of any casualties as a result of the fire.  However, Police Spokesperson Sub-Inspector Hassan Haneef said he could not provide further details on the incident at present as investigations were continuing.

According to local media, the factory, which is used to process fish products such as yellow fin tuna, was severely damaged during today’s blaze, resulting in the site being declared inoperable.

The Sun Online news service reported that authorities had first been notified of the fire this morning, with Hinmafushi Council President Shaan Ibrahim claiming that diesel barrels in the nearby area were believed to have been the cause of the blaze.

The councillor was reported as claiming that islanders, as well as local police and staff from a nearby resort, had attempted to try and control the fire before MNDF officers arrived about an hour after the blaze had been reported.

The factory itself is operated by a company called Maldives Quality Seafood Pvt Ltd.

Attempts by Minivan News to contact the company through details provided on its website were unsuccessful at time of press.

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