Parliament’s Gavaaidhu Committee has passed to slash members salaries by half if they do not attend half of a month’s sittings without a valid reason.

The committee on making guidelines the People’s Majlis must run under, passed the amendment during a meeting on Sunday.

Highlighting that their salaries will be slashed if they do not attend sittings without a valid reason, such as annual leaves and sick leaves.

This will only be implemented if the Parliament passes this amendment.

Members receive a salary of MVR 42,000 per month with a housing allowance of MVR 20,000 and a committee allowance of MVR 20,000. Members will only receive the committee allowance if they attend committee meetings regularly.

It has also been revealed that although members are on sick leave, they will receive their housing allowances.

Committee member and MP for Hanimaadhoo constituency, Abdul Ghafoor Moosa had revealed that the committee's regulation draft will include 260 items.

The draft will be sent for review on Monday, said MP Ghafoor.

The 11-member committee is currently working to draft the regulations and members had, during a sitting on 29 May, passed for them to complete the set of regulations within 30 days.

The Maldives constitution states that the parliament shall “determine and control its administrative arrangements, hiring and firing of employees, determination of salaries of employees, and manage all matters concerning the sittings of the People’s Majlis.”