Speaker Abdul Raheem asks that lawmakers not be called ‘bots’

Parliament Speaker Abdul Raheem Abdulla asked that lawmakers not be referred to as “bots” on Wednesday, as he rebuked a lawmaker from the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) for remarks he made during a parliamentary debate.

The remarks in question were made by South Galolhu MP Meekail Ahmed Naseem on Wednesday morning, as he debated on a resolution calling for the expedition of a bill to change Maldives’ laws to ban entries on Israeli passports that he submitted back in May.

During the debate, Meekail alleged that ruling People’s National Congress (PNC) lawmakers had been instructed not to even debate on the bill.

“You must not treat the Maldivian people as fools. And for what? We are seeing this Parliament being operated with the sole purpose of controlling members politically. Is this what the representatives of the people want? To operate here like puppets, like bots of a political party?” he said, as he voiced displeasure over the delay in work on the bill.

Speaker Abdul Raheem interrupted Meekail, and asked that he not refer to lawmakers as “bots”. He said that it violates the honor and dignity of members of the Parliament.

“Remarks implying that members of the Parliament are bots infringes on the honor and dignity of members,” he said.

President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu’s cabinet made the decision to make legislative changes to ban Israeli passports on June 2.

At the time, the Parliament had already received a bill from Meekail on May 29, seeking a blanket ban on travelers with Israeli passports.

Following the cabinet’s decision, the main ruling PNC decided to accept the bill into the Parliament, and make the changes the government wants during the committee stage.

Meekail’s bill is designed to add a clause to Article 8 of Immigration Act, which lists individuals who are barred from entering the Maldives.

It seeks to bar the entry of all Israeli passport holders, including those who have dual citizenship.

However, Attorney General Usham said that a blanket ban on all Israeli citizens could create certain “complications.” He said that his office would submit amendments to the bill.

Meekail's bill was sent to the Security Services Committee for review with a unanimous vote on 88 on June 10. But it remained stymied for the next five months, before the committee finally convened for a meeting regarding the bill on November 12. During this meeting, the committee set a February 2025 deadline to complete the review of the bill, deciding that extensive consultations with various stakeholders are required before making a decision.

Mounting outrage over the atrocities in Gaza and other occupied Palestinian territories have sparked protests in the streets of the capital, Male’ City, with Maldivians demanding that the government ban Israeli citizens from entering the country.

Israel’s current war on Gaza, which began on October 7, 2023, has killed more than 43,900 Palestinians, many of them women and children. It has also reduced much of the Palestinian territory to rubble, displaced the vast majority of residents, and resulted in widespread malnutrition. The war has now expanded to neighboring Lebanon.