MPs clash over pay cut

by Ahmed Naish, Minivan News

A meeting between MPs on pay cuts ended in a heated argument on Thursday after members of opposing parties accused each other’s governments of economic mismanagement.

The informal meeting was held in response to a letter from President Mohamed Nasheed requesting all MPs take a pay cut to their Rf62,500 (US$4,800) salaries, in line with the government’s austerity measures.

But while two MPs told Minivan News that most were against taking pay cuts, MP for Madaveli Mohamed Nazim from the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) insisted that most members of his party supported the request.

“I would say 80 or 90 per cent were against it,” said Gemanafushi MP Ilham Ahmed from the main opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP), adding that MPs from his party did not believe the austerity measures were warranted.

“We don’t believe the country is in special economic circumstances. The government needs to define it,” he said.

Likewise, independent MP for Kulhudhufushi South Mohamed Nasheed said “MDP and DRP alike” were opposed to taking pay cuts.

In June, MPs voted against a proposal by Nasheed to review and reduce their salaries. Out of 67 MPs in attendance, 47 voted against proceeding with the bill, 14 voted in favour and six abstained.

But, speaking to Minivan News today both Nazim and Nasheed said they were prepared to take pay cuts.

“My objection isn’t about the pay cut. It has to be cut. But my issue is with the aggressive manner in which he [President Mohamed Nasheed] has set about going to do it,” said Nasheed, referring to the language used in the letter.

He added that at the meeting, MPs argued that the government had strong-armed the civil service commission into accepting pay cuts for civil servants.

Special circumstances

Ilham said that while he supported the spirit of the pay cut, he was not convinced of the government’s “special economic circumstances”.

In August, the government introduced a package of cost-cutting measures to alleviate the budget deficit, including reductions in salaries of up to 20 per cent for all civil servants and political appointees ranked deputy minister and above.

The following month, both the president and the vice president took pay cuts of 20 per cent to their salaries; a move that was repeated by the ex-President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom in October for both his monthly state benefits and living allowance.

But, said Ilham, despite claiming financial difficulties the government continued to make political appointments and was extravagant with its spending.

“There’s a lot of wasteful expenditure like that underwater cabinet meeting and the democracy fair. So it doesn’t add up,” he said.

Responding to the allegations of profligacy, Nazim accused the previous government of having more political appointees than the current administration and defended the recent appointment of ambassadors.

“How can a country operate without ambassadors?” he said.

He added the government had vowed to reverse the pay cuts once it increased its revenue beyond Rf7 billion (US$544 million).

Last month, the president said that civil servants’ pay cuts were a temporary measure and would return to their former levels once the economy recovered.

Bankers

Both Ilham and Nasheed said that in the meeting, MPs referred to the financial assistance they were obliged to give to their constituents as a reason against reductions to their salaries.

“MPs said they had commitments to constituents asking for money. You have to do it, even in Male’,” said Nasheed. “You can’t say no because of the pressure. Everybody considers their MPs as their bankers.”

All three MPs said the meeting ended after Reeko Moosa Manik, MDP parliamentary group leader, accused the former  government of embezzling state funds for the 30 years they were in power.

In response, DRP MP for Thohdhoo Ali Waheed blamed the current economic crisis on the government’s mismanagement.

Nazim said he left the meeting after he realised they would not reach a consensus. “They don’t have the interest of the country at heart,” he said.

Mohamed Zuhair, president’s office press secretary, said the president would be meeting with MPs from his party tonight to try and persuade them to push for a pay cut.

“He will be speaking from a position of strength. Even Gayoom has taken a pay cut,” he said.

Related Articles:

• DRP-PA demands justification for pay cuts
• Pay cuts only temporary, says president
• Parliament heeds government calls to cut costs
• All state institutions should share the load, says CSC
• Cabinet decides to take pay cut
• MPs vote against pay cut

LiveJournal Tags: Maldives Economy,Minivan News,Dhivehi Observer,Maldives Parliament,Maldives,Salary Cut

Kulhudhufushi school makes veil mandatory

by Ahmed Naish, Minivan News

A school in Kulhudhufushi has introduced the mandatory wearing of the veil for all girls grade five and above without prior approval from the ministry of education.

But, the Atoll Education Centre’s lack of consultation with stakeholders has caused disquiet among some parents as well as the ministry of education.

Parents were concerned about the imposition on two fronts, said independent MP for Kulhudhufushi South Mohamed Nasheed to Minivan News today.

Some argued the expense involved in buying new school uniforms at such short notice was too much to bear, he said. In addition to veils, the new uniform will include trousers for girls and long trousers for boys.

A second concern, said Nasheed, was the lack of consultation with parents. He said the decision was made by the school board on a “particular day when there was not much representation from the parents side.”

“They feel that if somebody wants their child to wear a veil that’s acceptable...but imposed on everybody alike, that’s objectionable,” he said.

A mother of a boy in grade one, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told Minivan News that the decision was put to a vote at a parent-teacher meeting two weeks ago and a majority of parents voted in favour of the new uniform.

She said parents were asked whether they supported the proposal to introduce long trousers for boys from grades one to four and the veil for girls from grade five to seven.

“They gave parents a piece of paper to tick if we supported it. I voted against it because I thought it would be difficult for boys that young to wear trousers,” she said.

The ministry of education has informed the school that if they wish to change the school uniform they must obtain permission from the ministry and a process of consultation must be undertaken.

“We have told the school that they should not go beyond the limitations set down by the ministry. There’s already guidelines regarding uniform with the possibility of wearing the buruga (veil),” said Shifa Mohamed, deputy minister for education.

Shifa said under the ministry’s guidelines girls could wear the buruga provided it was in a manner that clearly showed the school badge and tie.

“These children have a syllabus to cover and it’s important for them to have a uniform which they are comfortable in,” she said.

The school’s principal told Minivan News he did not wish to comment.

Sheikh Shaheem Ali Saeed, state minister for Islamic affairs, said the decision to make the veils a mandatory part of the school uniform was up to the education ministry and the school board.

“What we have always been saying is there should be a choice. In the past, there was no choice in the Maldives. The girls who wanted to wear burugas were not able to. In the past, you wouldn’t see girls with burugas in the MNDF or Television Maldives,” said Shaheem.

But, he added, if students and parents in a school agreed to introduce the veil as part of the uniform, the ministry would welcome the decision.

“We shouldn’t try and stop it as long as they want it. It is a good thing they want to do. Something that is called for in our religion,” he said.

LiveJournal Tags: Minivan News,Dhivehi Observer,Maldives,Islam in the Maldives,Fundamentalists,Kulhudhuffushi

‘Beer’ or ‘Brown Sugar’?

“Ahmed was a bright boy but suddenly he befriended a group from his class and lost interest in studying. He started spending more and more time outside with his friends and stopped going to school just as he completed grade 9. He started being a recluse at home and before we knew it, he was arrested and put in jail at just 15 years of age. Almost 15 years have passed since and he is still in and out of jail. He did volunteer and join the drug rehabilitation program for 2 years. After his release from the rehab, he only survived ‘normally’ for just a few weeks and began hanging out with the ‘wrong crowd’. Two months after the so called rehabilitation program, he started using drugs and got himself arrest once again. Even today, at the age of 30, he has no sense of direction and is serving a life sentence in Maafushi jail,” a man described the plight of his brother.

Many of us can personally relate to such accounts but cannot do anything about it.

This is going to be a very controversial discussion but it is a discussion that will have ramifications for thousands of Maldivians affected by the rapid increase in the use and abuse of substances in the country today.

Here is the deal. Our children, sisters, brothers, cousins and friends are deeply marred in the drug culture created by the ousted dictator. That is a fact and those who argue against it are living in a world of their own. A whole generation has been wasted as a result and every other week we hear reports of suicide and drug related violence, including murders. It has got to the point where people dismiss the use of hard drugs as being just a social disposition. It has got to the point where hard drugs such as brown sugar (low grade heroine) use are much more acceptable than the consumption of alcohol. It is certainly less demonised or tabooed now than ever before.

Drug use is an issue in many countries but it is hardly as widespread as it is in our country today. The ousted dictator and his cronies deliberately ignored the ramifications of the drug abuse purposely so that they can benefit from the business and purposely to reduce the number of youth they would have to train and educate so that they have more public money to fund their lavish lifestyle. Thousands of Maldivian youths have wasted their lives and are unable to re-start a normal life. Many of us can witness to this with personal accounts and sad ordeals.

We are today faced with a stark and difficult choice as we bring up our own children and deal with problems facing our family members, neighbours and friends. Thousands are addicted and many are in jail for either committing a crime under the influence of drugs and to feed their habits or simply for using it. It is widely proven that addiction is an illness and the failure of the previous government to treat them properly has meant that they become bigger criminals and get deeper into their addiction as they grow older.

Today, we live in a society directly influenced by the outside world. Drinking and getting high is a behaviour that is introduced to our culture via direct and indirect means. Young Maldivians serve tourists in resorts and see them enjoy themselves whilst others see all that in films. Although some don’t want to try it, many do and that is a fact that we have to accept, despite our religious background and faith.

Many youngsters are easily hooked on hard drugs like heroine in the Maldives because of its wide availability. However, a few opt for alcohol as a means of getting high despite its strict availability and price. This group tends to be trying to stay away from hard drugs as a result of the experiences they had dealing with addicts, who were family members or friends. Of course there is also the group that will take anything to get a high and into a good party mood, if there is such a thing. There is also the group that will not try any of it and be faithful to their religion, which forbids it. Nevertheless, the reality is that some of us are opting to use something to get a kick or get into a specific mood and kids today are increasingly being exposed to such situations. So, the question before us is, what would you rather they have, beer or brown sugar?

If they must, I would rather my kids get into a good mood with a few beers rather than a few shots of low grade heroine, infamously known as ‘brown sugar’.

Alcohol is legal in the vast majority of the countries and the great majority of the world population consumes it sensibly. Perhaps there is something we can learn from that.

What is heroine?
Heroin comes from the dried milk of the opium poppy, which is also used to create the class of painkillers called narcotics — medicines like codeine and morphine. Heroin can range from a white to dark brown powder to a sticky, tar-like substance. Heroin is extremely addictive and easy to overdose on (which can cause death). Withdrawal is intense and symptoms include insomnia, vomiting, and muscle pain. It is highly addictive, and as a result, the drug, not the user, calls the shots. Even after one use, cocaine and crack can create both physical and psychological cravings that make it very, very difficult for users to stop.

What is alcohol?
Alcohol is created when grains, fruits, or vegetables are fermented. Fermentation is a process that uses yeast or bacteria to change the sugars in the food into alcohol. Fermentation is used to produce many necessary items — everything from cheese to medications. Alcohol has different forms and can be used as a cleaner, an antiseptic, or a sedative. Alcohol addiction is not uncommon but it is reportedly not as severe as addiction to class A drugs such as heroine. Also, addiction to alcohol often occurs due to heavy and prolonged usage.

LiveJournal Tags: Beer,Brown Sugar,Dhivehi Observer,Maldives Drug Addiction,Rehabilitation,Maldives,Alcohol in the Maldives

President requests ruling on non-Muslim worship

by Ahmed Naish, Minivan News

P resident Mohamed Nasheed said yesterday he would seek advice from religious scholars on Islam’s position on allowing non-Muslims to worship in an Islamic community.

In his radio weekly address, the president said the constitution was "very clear" that laws contrary to Islam could not be made or enacted.

"It has become very important for me to find out what Islamic sharia says about not allowing foreigners who want to worship other religions in the Maldives," he said.

"When this bill comes from the People's Majlis for the president to ratify, the question before me will be what is the ruling in Islamic sharia on people of other religions living in an Islamic community to worship?"

The president said he needed an answer to the question before ratifying the bill. "When I know, it will be easier for me to make a decision on ratify the bill before it becomes law," he said.

Banned

Last week, a bill proposed by independent MP Ibrahim Muttalib Fares-Maathoda on outlawing places of worship for non-Muslims was sent to committee for further review with unanimous consent of all MPs who participated in the vote.

At the sitting, Muttalib said he learned that inquiries had been made with the government on establishing places of worship for expatriates and there was no law to forbid it.

“The other thing we have to think about today is that the government is considering establishing wedding tourism in the country and this will indirectly set up churches in the country,” he said.

While the bill states that foreigners or expatriates will be allowed to worship in the privacy of their homes, involving Maldivians or encouraging them to participate will be an offence.

The bill specifies a jail term of three to five years or a fine of between Rf36,000 (US$2,800) and Rf60,000 (US$4,669) for those in violation of the law.

Several MPs called for longer jail terms and higher fines, while others said foreigners in violation of the law should be deported.

But, some MPs argued the law was unnecessary as the constitution states that Islam shall be the basis of all laws and non-Muslims cannot be citizens.

Most MPs said laws were needed to seal off all avenues to freedom of religion being established in the Maldives.

Rights for Muslims

Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed, state minister for Islamic affairs, told Minivan News today the president's office had not officially asked for the ministry’s advice.

"But the matter has been sent to the Fiqh academy and they will issue a decree on it," he said. Shaheem said he believed laws should be made to protect Islam and strengthen Maldivians' faith.

"Right now, Muslims aren't getting their rights," he said. "For example, there's no way for students to pray at schools, you can't get some jobs if you wear the burqa and there are some jobs where you can't grow beards."

He added the ministry had drafted regulations under the Religious Unity Act of 1994 together with the police and sent it to the president's office.

The regulations will be published in the government gazette next week, he continued, and would provide a legal framework to protect Islam.

Speaking to Minivan News today, Abdullah bin Mohamed Ibrahim, president of religious NGO Salaf Jamiyya, said he believed the bill was necessary to safeguard Islam.

"What the president said doesn't match what was in the bill," he said. "The bill is about making it illegal to build places of worship for non-Muslims. It doesn't make it illegal for foreigners to pray in their rooms or houses."

Abdullah said the association had information that Christian missionaries were trying to infiltrate the country and proselytize in the Maldives.

"I believe the bill is essential because the constitution does not forbid building places of worship," he said.

Related Articles:

• MPs approve bill to outlaw places of worship for non-Muslims

LiveJournal Tags: Minivan News,Dhivehi Observer,Maldives,Muslims,Fundamentalists,Islamic Extremism

Rental bill calls for tenant rights

by JJ Robinson, Minivan News

A controversial bill governing rental agreements between tenants and landlords was submitted to parliament on Wednesday.

The bill calls for the establishment of a tenancies tribunal and the appointment of a commissioner of tenancies to administer the law under the minister for housing.

It also proposes the creation of a tenancy deposit scheme, with deposits made at the start of a tenancy to be held by the government rather than individual landlords.

Those deposits would be limited to a maximum of two months' rent, while tenants would also have the right to appeal against 'unfair' rents under the terms of their contract.

Independent MP Mohamed Nasheed, who put forward the bill, said while the bill "is indeed controversial and will have a huge lobby against it," much of it was based on the Residential Tenancies Act (1987) of New South Wales, Australia.

"This is a new area for the country currently and completely unregulated," Nasheed said. "There is currently no legislation that considers tenant's rights, and even if they want to recognise tenancy rights, no party would want to touch this."

The bill is necessary, he argues, because in a congested and overpopulated city such as Male the demand for accommodation dramatically outstrips supply, leaving tenants vulnerable to unscrupulous landlords.

"If someone finds employment and needs to live in Male’, it's absolutely necessary that they find accommodation even if it is 75 per cent of their income. This is where the landlord commands undue influence, and this is where I want to regulate to try and balance it. The rest I leave to the gymnastics of parliament."

Under Nasheed's proposal, tenants would have the right to lodge a complaint with the tenancies tribunal against 'high or unreasonable rent', which would then have the power to determine a 'reasonable' rent for the property and adjust it accordingly.

This is likely to be one of the bills most controversial features, Nasheed admitted, "however there are people who say rents should be controlled, but I've deliberately kept it without a formula. The controversy comes from the basic fact that the concept of 'unfair contract terms' is new [for the Maldives]."

The proposed tenancy deposit protection scheme is also likely to cause heated debate.

Currently a landlord "can ask for two months, six months, even a year's rent as a deposit.

Once given that money is very difficult to get back - the leaser will always find some repairs," Nasheed explained.

"The leaser can take the landlord to court, but they have to pay for a lawyer and the advantage is with the landlord."

The interest generated from the accumulated tenancy bonds would go into the government's treasury, he said.

"I borrowed the same principal from a similar scheme we have for expat staff, who are required to have the price of a return ticket deposited with the government to guarantee their safe return at the end of their contract," Nasheed said.

He accepted that the bill was likely to be criticised for state interference in the rental market, and could trigger a surge in 'black market' landlords. "But compare the two evils: a black market with [the current] totally unregulated, unarbitrated model," he said.

The bill also limits the ability of tenants to sub-lease the property without approval from landlords. "If a tenant sub-leases the property to a third party without approval, the innocent third party is protected," Nasheed explained. "The obligation between the landlord and the [original] lessee will remain until the end of the contract."

Opinion

Nasheed's bill met criticism from the two most dominant political parties. Abdullah Mausoon, secretary general of the main opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP), said that beyond standards for specifications like fire safety, "rent, like any other business, should be left [by government] where possible to market forces. Market variables will take care of it nicely."

"Male’ is a very dense living situation and a hotspot for rental tenancy business. With a business opportunity like that, a law of contract should be enough," he said, adding that

landlords were also under pressure as many of them had built houses with loans they had secured.

As for a tenancy deposit protection scheme, he said, "I wouldn't agree that any money should go to the government as I don't trust the government to take care of the funds."

MDP MP Hamid Abdulghafoor also expressed reservations about the bill.

"I think people who are [renting out] properties will treat it with a certain reservation, while tenants will like it," he said. "It's a very populist bill, I think. Landlords have to recover loans and playing around with the market rate has to be done in a sensitive manner."

Hamid agreed that there was a power imbalance between landlords and tenants in Male, with "a lot of complaints being made from people renting that landlords hike up the rent whenever they feel like it. Landlords have had a free hand which tenants have not liked; they've only had contract law."

The country's rental market, he said, "has been totally unregulated which has affected a lot of people, but this bill is trying to put a square peg in a round hole. These are untested waters, and the concepts are new. We are trying to figure out what kind of economy me have - a coordinated, centralised economy or a liberal economy with some aspects left to wild capitalism."

Nasheed expressed doubt that the bill would be passed in its current state, "but if they retain 75 per cent of it then I've achieved my objective," he said.

Male's housing crisis

With a growing population of over 100,000, Male is among the most densely populated cities on the planet. Last year, a damning report by the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HCRM) found that 68% of families in the capital were living in accommodation that "qualifies as slums by UN definitions".

Furthermore, "survey participants spend a staggering 85 percent of their income on rent and utilities in Male' and Villingili." Landlords in some cases had been found to be increasing rent "at will", and forcibly evicting tenants if they were unable to meet ever-increasing demands.

During his campaign season, President Mohamed Nasheed made affordable housing a priority and proposed decentralisation as a possible solution. "The problem of high rent is that there is a shortage," he said.

MDP pledged decentralisation of education, medical facilities and government services to encourage migrants to return to their home islands, and take some pressure off the capital.

LiveJournal Tags: Minivan News,Dhivehi Observer,Maldives,Rental Bill,Maldives Parliament