Minister of State for Homeland Security and Technology Ahmed Siddeeq confirmed that President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu's decision to return the Ninth Amendment Bill to the Maldives Land Act for reconsideration was necessary to prevent the halting of other government-led initiatives.
The bill, which establishes criteria for allocating residential land within three months of publishing the permanent list of recipients in the gazette, was seen as potentially detrimental to ongoing projects.
The amendment was proposed by Parliamentarian Meekail Ahmed Naseem in December 2023 and passed by Parliament on April 29, before being sent to the President for approval on May 2. Significant public concern arose over the bill's timing, coinciding with the end of the Maldives Democratic Party's (MDP) presidential term and its supermajority in Parliament.
Moreover, President Muizzu returned the bill under Article 91(a) of the Constitution, allowing him to send legislation back to Parliament for further consideration.
Speaking on a program aired on PSM News, State Minister Siddeeq emphasised that approving the bill would have resulted in several negative consequences for the public, aligning with President Muizzu’s directive to prioritize the well-being of residents.
The bill required land to be allocated within six months of the gazette date, with recipients on the gazette list receiving land plots within three months of the bill’s enactment. Siddeeq further suggested that the bill was politically motivated, introduced at the end of the previous government’s term to obstruct the new administration’s policies.
Additionally, he noted that the amendment lacked sufficient discussion in Parliament and did not consider public opinion. Approving the bill would have redirected focus from other government initiatives to land allocation, hindering overall progress.
The previous administration had gazette 9,000 land plots for Male’ residents, but over 7,000 of these were in unreclaimed areas, effectively non-existent lands. The current government has inherited this responsibility, with President Muizzu prioritizing the handover of land plots.
The new administration notably aims to resolve issues related to land provision by establishing new regulations and consulting relevant institutions and the public. Among the nine bills introduced in Week 14 were Land Act Bill and as well Social Housing Bill.
The government announced that it would draft the bill after consulting with relevant institutions and the public.