MDP MP Shaheem says flat list had irregularities

Henveiru South MP Hussain Shaheem from the opposition MDP on Tuesday alleged irregularities in preparing the list of 4,000 flats awarded by the MDP government in the last few days of its tenure.

MDP MP Meekail Naseem on Tuesday moved an emergency motion in parliament calling for the handover of flats and land titles to be expedited, saying the new government's policy on land and flats vacated by the previous government is unclear.

Speaking during the debate on the issue, Shaheem levelled allegations against the then housing minister Mohamed Aslam and state minister for housing Akram Kamaluddin who was in charge of the flat list.

Expressing concern over the way the flat list was compiled, Shaheem said he had received a number of complaints from many people in his constituency. Based on the complaints and what is visible, it has not been done properly, he said.

According to Shaheem:

"It was done by a state minister and a minister in a government of the party I belong to, but it was not done properly. It is extremely worrying," he said.

"If one of two houses gets a flat and the other doesn't in my constituency, I shouldn’t have to explain to the people how they got more points. They know that if one has five children living in the same room, but the flat was awarded to the one who did not even have one child”.

Noting that he had clarified matters regarding the flat list complaints with the former government as well, Shaheem said:

"They said they didn't have time to look at all the applications. But, the people gave us a five-year term. Not a day less... The ministers and deputy ministers in charge at the end of the government should have done this fairly," he said, noting that he was not against handing flats over to those on the list who truly deserved.

Shaheem called on the government to look into the matter more closely as there is a fear that the deserving people will not get the flats.

“There are people who should get it and I would like this government to check the list again,” Shaheem said.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) twice asked the ministry to stop allocating flats, citing irregularities in the handover process.

The ministry said it had stopped allocating flats following the order now. However, the ministry handed over the flat agreements to the recipients of 4,000 flats nearing completion on the last day of the government.