By the end of last year, roughly MVR 100 million in public money had gone toward health insurance premiums for Members of Parliament. Sitting MPs currently enjoy a package worth about MVR 1.3 million a year that covers themselves, their spouses and their children under 18. Former MPs get the same deal for life.
That is the core of a growing public petition that has now collected 6,939 signatures, with only eight days left to push the number higher. The campaign is calling for an end to this special arrangement and for MPs to use the same national schemes ordinary Maldivians rely on.
What the Law Actually Says
Under the People’s Majlis Privileges and Powers Act (Law No. 5/2013), every sitting MP, spouse and child under 18 must be enrolled in a medical insurance plan that covers treatment in the Maldives plus SAARC and ASEAN countries. Article 8 extends the same coverage to every former MP for life.
In practice that means access to care across 19 countries. Recent additions by PNC members have expanded the list further to include Turkey, Oman and the UAE. Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore were already on it.
Between 2015 and 2025 the premiums alone cost taxpayers around MVR 100 million. Because the benefit continues after an MP leaves office, the annual bill keeps rising.
How Other Countries Handle It
Most larger economies do not hand former lawmakers a lifelong premium plan funded entirely by the public. In the United States, serving members of Congress receive some healthcare assistance but must contribute themselves; once they leave, the special arrangement ends. Japan puts both serving and former parliamentarians on the same national health insurance used by everyone else. Germany offers a subsidy for only 18 months after leaving office. The United Kingdom relies on the National Health Service available to all citizens.
Even among the world’s ten biggest economies, the Maldives stands out for guaranteeing former MPs a superior, taxpayer-funded package that ordinary people cannot access.
Two Systems, One Country
Ordinary Maldivians depend on Aasandha and NSPA. MPs and their families receive a far more extensive plan paid for by those same taxpayers. The argument often heard is that elected representatives need better care so they can do their jobs. The counter is simple: if the people who write the health laws never experience the queues, shortages or coverage gaps that everyone else faces, the incentive to fix the system shrinks.
Basic state-funded healthcare should operate on the same rules for everyone. Holding office should not automatically unlock a better package paid for by the public.
What the Petition Demands
The petition asks Parliament to scrap the premium insurance for current and former MPs and their families, amend the relevant laws, and place elected representatives on the same Aasandha and NSPA schemes used by the rest of the population. It also seeks to remove any special healthcare privileges that set MPs apart from ordinary citizens.
Thousands have already signed. With eight days remaining, organisers are urging more people to add their names and share the link with friends, family and colleagues.
You can read the full petition and sign here: https://epetition.majlis.gov.mv/petitions/d996985f-8128-4957-82c1-8bf719001203
Background article: https://midhuam.com/en/articles/end-taxpayer-funded-for-mps
