Malé, Maldives – MP for Galolhu South Constituency Meekail Ahmed Naseem at Thursday’s parliamentary sitting, said that the MDP majority of the parliament is a “cowardly supermajority of 65 parliamentary members.”
Debating on the bill on amendments to criminalize hate crimes, MP Meekail said that the bill was sent by the government following several reasons leading to it. He clarified that the purpose of the bill is to prevent the increasing number of hate crimes in the Maldives relating to religion and other areas.
MP Meekail also noted that the bill is from the government and not MP Hisaan. MP Hisaan sponsored the bill.
MP Meekail continued to say that he is ashamed by the events that followed after MP Hisaan presented the bill. He said that the state has not made any attempts to defend their own bill.
I can’t see any intention from the state to defend their own bill while people are repeatedly calling out saying this is Hisaan’s bill. They proposed to kill everyone who defended the bill, rather than standing up for it.
MP of Galolhu South Constituency Meekail Ahmed Naseem
MP Meekail further said that the “cowardly supermajority of 65 members” should not talk about the lost journalist Rilwan, murdered blogger Yameen Rasheed and Dr. Afrashim Ali.
The MDP parliamentary group at today’s sitting, decided to send back the bill on amendments to criminalize hate crimes back to the committee stage. The parliament and government is currently facing criticism following the decision.
