The Parliament’s Security Services (241) Committee held a closed-door meeting on Monday to address a petition signed by several parties requesting information about the number of staff employed at Muraidhooge, the official residence of the Speaker, and their salaries.

The committee convened shortly after the Parliament resumed its session following a recess. Committee chair, Eydhafushi MP Ahmed Saleem, said the petition had been submitted to the Parliament’s Secretariat, seeking details on the staffing and salaries at Muraidhooge.

During the meeting, Inguraidhoo MP Ibrahim Falah, leader of the ruling People’s National Congress (PNC)’s parliamentary group, proposed that the meeting be closed to the public. The motion was seconded by Maamigili MP Qasim Ibrahim and passed by the committee.

Speaker Abdul Raheem Abdulla moved into Muraidhooge in July following renovations. Veteran journalist Adam Haleem was appointed as Chief of Staff on July 25, and former Maldivian football star Ali Ashfaq was named Director-General. Despite these appointments, the exact number of staff and their salaries remain unknown.

Muraidhooge was designated as the Speaker’s official residence in 2021, after an assassination attempt on then-Speaker Mohamed Nasheed.