President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has defended four major bills submitted to Parliament by the government, describing them as carefully researched legislative reforms intended to introduce significant changes to the country’s legal and administrative systems.
Speaking at a press conference at the President’s Office on Monday, Muizzu said the proposed legislation covering capital punishment, immigration restrictions, defamation and real estate regulation had been developed following detailed technical assessments rather than rushed through the drafting process.
The four proposals comprise a bill governing the determination and enforcement of capital punishment, a new immigration bill prohibiting entry to the Maldives on Israeli passports, a bill addressing the protection of reputation and a bill regulating the real estate business.
The President said each proposal had been formulated in accordance with the administration’s policies and its wider programme of systemic reforms, expressing confidence that the changes would deliver positive outcomes.
Addressing the proposed Real Estate Business Bill, Muizzu said the legislation was intended to establish a transparent regulatory framework for the sector while ensuring that real estate activities complied with Islamic principles.
He described the bill as an important step towards improving the regulation of property-related businesses, saying it had been drafted with the objective of securing the greatest possible benefit for the Maldives.
The President also addressed the proposed legislation governing capital punishment, reaffirming his administration’s intention to enforce the death penalty once the necessary legal and Shariah requirements had been fulfilled.
Muizzu described the bill as an important legislative measure and said he would not hesitate to implement capital punishment after the relevant procedures and requirements had been completed.
The proposed legislation comes amid longstanding debate in the Maldives over the enforcement of death sentences. Although capital punishment remains part of the country’s legal framework, executions have not been carried out for decades.
On the proposed defamation legislation, the President said protecting personal dignity and reputation was particularly important in an Islamic society.
He explained that the bill would treat defamation as a civil offence, with the aim of providing legal protection against harm to individuals’ reputations and good names.
The legislation seeks to establish a framework for addressing reputational disputes through civil proceedings rather than criminal prosecution, according to the President’s description.
The fourth proposal concerns immigration restrictions on Israeli passport holders, with the government seeking to establish an unconditional prohibition on their entry into the Maldives.
Muizzu said the proposed immigration law would remove the conditions associated with the existing restriction, ensuring that the prohibition would not depend on future developments in Gaza.
The Maldives already bars entry on Israeli passports under an amendment to its immigration legislation, but the President has said the new bill is intended to make that restriction indefinite and unconditional.
The four bills cover distinct areas of law, ranging from criminal justice and individual rights to immigration policy and commercial regulation.
Muizzu maintained that the proposals were the result of technical research and careful consideration, rejecting suggestions that the government had rushed their preparation.
The bills will now be subject to parliamentary scrutiny as lawmakers consider the proposed changes to the country’s legal framework.
