MP Fittey attacked during funeral in Male’

Hussain ‘Fittey’ Ziyad, a parliamentarian from the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), was physically assaulted on Friday while at the Aa Sahara cemetery in Male’ to attend a funeral.

A parliamentarian from MDP confirms that the Vaikaradhoo representative was attacked while at the Masjid al-Ta’aawun (Aa Sahara Mosque) to attend a funeral prayer scheduled for after Asr on Friday.

According to the source, the assailant, an elderly man, hit Fittey on his back.

“He hit him and said ‘go home to your island if you want to behave like that’… There were other MDP parliamentarians present there at the time. But given the man’s old age, Fittey decided not to make an issue out of it and hand him over to the police,” said the source.

The parliamentarian who spoke to Sun that the man in question reportedly has a hot temper.

He also said that the issue was resolved by talking to the family.

Fittey, who was elected for a second term in 2024, is among the more popular politicians in the Parliament. He is known for his use of humor and sarcasm to get his point across during debates.

Parliamentarians are entitled to special protection and privileges under Maldivian law. Serious cases where parliamentarians were targeted include the 2012 murder of then-Ungoofaaru representative Dr. Afrasheem Ali, and the 2021 assassination attempt on then-Speaker, former Maldivian president Mohamed Nasheed.