Parliamentary Awards 2025: VIP globetrotters, empty accounts and million-Rufiyaa gifts

The first asset disclosures of MPs from the 20th parliament  revealed indebted lawmakers declaring themselves penniless while enjoying luxury perks. In just 14 months, 76 out of 93 MPs – 87 of whom hold diplomatic passports – racked up nearly MVR 1.5 million in airport VIP lounge bills, according to data obtained by an anonymous X user from a right to information request. 

Deputy Speaker Ahmed Nazim leads the pack with a whopping 133 VIP visits. In second place, South Feydhoo MP Ibrahim Didi from the ruling People's National Congress used VIP services 97 times. Meedhoo MP Ahmed Siyam Mohamed, owner of the Sun resorts, was in third place with 78 VIP visits. According to RTI disclosures under the 19th parliament, US$ 60 was charged per head for MPs and their friends or family to use the VIP lounge. 

The financial statements published on the Majlis website meanwhile cover the one-year period after MPs took their oaths of office on May 28, 2024. A 15-day notice was issued to five MPs who failed to submit their statements by the August 31 deadline, including four PNC MPs and Maldives National Party MP Mohamed Nazim, all of whom could be suspended without pay and barred from attending sittings or committee meetings if they fail to comply.

The constitution requires lawmakers to annually submit to parliament’s secretary general “a statement of all property and monies owned by him, business interests and liabilities,” including “details of any other employment and obligations of such employment.”

The information had not been made available to the public until the 19th parliament revised the standing orders in August 2019 for the statements to be posted online. However, the rules do not require auditing by a certified professional. Verification of statements by an independent state body or external agency – along with fines and criminal prosecution for non-compliance – was among recommendations made by NGO Transparency Maldives.

According to the new statements published this week, the speaker collected nearly a million in undisclosed "gifts from well-wishers." Several MPs were paying down massive loans and credit card debt.

One MP's savings account sits MVR 200 in the red. 

Here are the 2025 Parliamentary Awards – where the math doesn't add up, but the bills certainly do.

Speaker Abdul Raheem Abdullah - MVR 958,982 in "gifts from well-wishers" to cover travel expenses and settle his credit card bill. His income from parliament during the period was MVR 658,894. There was MVR 101,698 in his savings account at the Bank of Maldives as of July 2. 

The speaker's property include a three-bedroom Rehendhi flat bought in 2017 for MVR 4.5 million, an MVR 5 million home in his native Laamu Fonadhoo, and an MVR 3.5 million boat purchased in 2006. Abdul Raheem owed US$ 3,680 on his USD credit card.

Dhuvaafaru MP Mohamed Ali – forgot to include his bank account information "by mistake."

Opposition Maldivian Democratic Party MP Ahmed Shamheed (Hulhumalé South) - US$ 43,000 plus MVR 880,000 from supporters.

Maafannu South MP Abdullah Rifau 'Bochey' - MVR 225,000 from supporters 

Dhiggaru MP Ahmed Nazim (133 VIP visits, MVR 116,099)

The Property Mogul Prize 

Villingili MP Azim Abdul Azeez - MVR 10 million as rental income.  

His assets include three cars and two motorcycles in the Maldives as well as a car in Bangkok. The MP has two bank accounts in Thailand. He owes MVR 26.8 million for loans taken from the Bank of Maldives and the Maldives Islamic Bank.

Majority Leader Ibrahim Falah - MVR 3.2 million from rental income (out of MVR 5.1 million total earnings). 

"God willing, my income will be higher than this next year," he tweeted in response to media coverage of his wealth. The registration of a plot purchased from Hulhumalé could not be completed before the asset declaration deadline, he added.  

The PNC parliamentary group leader owns three houses in Innamadhoo as well as the Maafannu Asarukuri house in Malé that he purchased for MVR 4 million. Over the past year, he paid nearly MVR 500,000 for an MVR 15.7 million loan from the Bank of Maldives. 

Baarah MP Ibrahim Shujau - an MVR 3.5 million row house from Hulhumalé as a "gift" from his workplace (presumably MP Ahmed Saleem's Red Wave supermarket chain).

He also owns a flat and plot of land in Hulhumalé in addition to a house in Baarah. Shujau earned MVR 2 million as income during the year. He owns 50 percent of Official Events, a company implicated in money laundering. His debt includes MVR 4.4 million from the Bank of Maldives and Bank of Ceylon in addition to an MVR 5 million loan taken by his events management company.

Maafannu Central MP Asma Rasheed - MVR 19 million from the sale of the Maafannu Kothanmaage house in December.

According to her statement, Asma no longer owns any land, house or apartment. But the Star Cloud building in Malé that houses the Bank of Maldives USD ATMs and several government offices was listed as belonging to her family. In addition her salary from parliament, the MP reported an income of MVR 1.1 million from business interests.