The ruling party's supermajority in parliament pushed through constitutional amendments to hold presidential and parliamentary elections on the same date, in the face of opposition lawmakers protesting over limited consultation and the rushed process. Speaker Abdul Raheem ordered the eviction of MDP MPs Mauroof Zakir, Hussain Ziyad, Meekail Naseem and Mohamed Niushad, who objected vociferously and disrupted the debate. The amendments, which would shorten the current parliamentary term to end in December 2028, would require approval in a public referendum, which is expected to be held alongside the local council elections on April 4. The timeframe is inadequate to properly inform the public, MDP MPs contended, as former MDP chairman Fayyaz Ismail alleged a hidden scheme to consolidate power for an "unpopular incumbent government" rather than strengthen democracy or reduce costs.
The Maldives scored 39 out of 100 in the Corruption Perception Index and ranked 91 among 182 countries. The annual index by Transparency International uses a scale of zero to 100, where zero is highly corrupt and 100 is very clean. The persistent low scores reflect "systemic vulnerabilities to corruption that undermine public trust, weaken institutions, and limit citizens’ access to justice and essential services," Transparency Maldives observed. The Anti-Corruption Commission disputed the accuracy of the score. It was based on only three sources – Global Insight Country Risk Ratings, World Bank Country Policy and Institutional Assessment, and Varieties of Democracy – which do not directly measure corruption levels but rather perception-based assessments, the watchdog said, highlighting ongoing efforts to develop a National Anti-Corruption Policy with UNODC support.
Fahi Dhiriulhun Corporation warned it will begin fining residents of the 4,000 social housing flats in Hulhumalé for dumping waste in corridors, stairwells and around towers, after clearing 460 tonnes of rubbish – about 27 dump truck loads – from the 13 towers in Hulhumalé Phase 2. Residents moving into the flats have been piling furniture packaging, construction debris and household waste in common areas and near lifts. A recent rubbish fire at one tower damaged water pipes. FDC managing director Hamdhan Shakeel told Mihaaru that removing bulky and moving waste is the residents' responsibility under their agreements. But people keep dumping as fast as the corporation clears, he said. Residents have complained that disposal costs are high and there is nowhere to store waste while renovation work is ongoing. Hamdhan posted photos on Monday showing that areas cleared on Saturday had already been filled with waste, calling the dumping "uncivilised" and alien to Islam and Maldivian culture, and warning that enforcement action would follow.
The first petition launched through the parliament’s newly introduced e-petition system called for stricter legal action against foreigners and tourists wearing bikinis and revealing clothing in public on inhabited islands. Such attire undermines Islamic values and Maldivian culture, negatively impacts children, the petition contended, urging the authorities to enforce existing regulations more strictly and introduce additional laws with legal penalties to address the issue. The appeal has gathered over 1,000 signatures. A second petition called for a social media ban for teenagers and a complete smartphone ban in schools.
Disruptions to the cooking gas supply would be fully resolved next week, STO told the media, after its subsidiary Maldives Gas began rationing cylinders due to stock shortages. Ten-kilogram cylinders are currently being filled with only 7kg, and larger cylinders at half capacity. The measures began last week after STO faced import difficulties. The privately-owned Villa Hakatha stepped in to supply Maldives Gas late last month. STO spokesman Yousuf Shah said rationing between the two importers was standard practice during supply disruptions and assured there would be no shortage ahead of Ramadan.
The Criminal Court sentenced Immigration officer Ibrahim Ahmed to 11 months in prison after he pleaded guilty to abuse of official position, fraud, and unlawful exercise of authority against foreigners in exchange for illegal benefits. The court imposed a total sentence combining prison time and fines of MVR 255,600 (US$ 16,575), in addition to compensation of MVR 50,000 and US$ 3,500 to the affected foreign nationals. The case involves multiple Immigration officers, including former Controller Mohamed Shamaan, who is accused of extorting over MVR 500,000 from a detained foreigner.
In more details shared with the media about the sea cucumber auction, police said 1,438kg of sea cucumbers worth MVR 2 million (US$ 130,000) were stolen from a Thilafushi warehouse on December 29 through fraud and deception, and recovered from two houses in Malé. The haul included 787kg of species banned from export. Both the person who reported the theft and the suspect have claimed ownership, and since the rightful owner cannot be determined, the Prosecutor General's Office advised police to auction the perishable stock and hold the proceeds until the case is resolved. The suspect had separately asked the Criminal Court to release the seized goods, but the court ruled they should remain in police custody pending the investigation.
The Criminal Court sentenced a man to 50 years in prison on two drug trafficking charges after 130 grams of cannabis and 79 grams of mephedrone were found in his apartment. Yoosuf Riza denied the charges, but the court ruled the drugs were in his possession. He was sentenced to 25 years on each count and fined a total of MVR 200,000.
A man was fined MVR 115,200 for a 2018 speeding accident on Malé's ring road that left another motorcyclist with a fractured skull. Ali Mohamed of Kulhudhuffushi pleaded guilty under a plea agreement that converted a prison sentence of one year, seven months and six days into the fine, payable over 24 months.
The government proposed amendments to the employment law to extend paid nursing breaks for civil servants from one year to two, allowing parents two daily 30-minute breaks until a child turns two instead of the current one-year limit. The government also submitted a bill to empower the cabinet to waive foreign worker quota fees for certain businesses. The fee is currently set at a minimum of MVR 2,000 per worker per year. The amendment targets small and medium enterprises. The cabinet will be required to consider criteria including reducing the gap between SMEs and larger businesses and fostering competition and innovation.
During his official visit to Germany, President Muizzu sought investments at a Maldives-Germany Business Roundtable and attended an official reception to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.
The tourism ministry invited creative agencies and professionals to bid for the "Visit Maldives Year 2027" branding project.
A delegation from the Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcast Development, led by Chief Executive Officer Philomena Gnanapragasam, arrived in the Maldives for a five-day visit to discuss preparations for the 21st Asia Media Summit. The summit, organised jointly by AIBD and Public Service Media, will be held in the Maldives for the first time after being announced as the host country during the 2025 handover ceremony.
