Jabir named for disruptive behavior; refuses to leave

The Parliament decided to treat Kaashidhoo MP Abdulla Jabir as absent on Tuesday, after the eccentric lawmaker refused to leave the chamber, despite being named by the Speaker for disruptive behavior.

The first item on the agenda for Tuesday’s sitting was the questioning of Economic Minister Mohamed Saeed. But Jabir began raising his voice even before the sitting began.

He continued to raise his voice, and confronted Saeed as he sat in his designated seat, yelling profanities at him.

Jabir appeared unhappy about the travel ban imposed on him in 2021, and the MMPRC graft scandal – which broke out during former President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom’s administration.

He accused Saeed, who had also served as economic minister during Yameen’s administration, of complicity in the MMPRC case.

“I remember how my passport was suspended. And what about the money he [Saeed] stole from MMPRC while serving as economic minister?” said Jabir, after raising a point of order which was rejected by Speaker Mohamed Aslam.

He continued to disrupt the sitting, preventing other lawmakers from speaking.

Jabir later sat on the floor in front of the speaker’s desk, even as Aslam repeatedly named him for disruptive behavior and asked him to leave the chamber.

“Following Honorable Kaashidhoo MP Abdulla Jabir’s refusal to leave the Parliament floor despite him being named, I will continue the sitting by treating the Honorable MP as absent, in accordance with Article 65 (g) of the Parliament’s Standing Orders,” said Aslam.