MP Hassan Shiyan (Thoddoo) made racist remarks aimed at Chinese people in Majlis.
MP Shiyan made these remarks during a debate over motion regarding the establishment of social centres in Malé City.
During the discussion, MP Mohamed Saeed (Maavah) criticised the Lonuziyaaraiy Park, built and opened recently by the government. MP Saeed mentioned in passing that children were barred from playing on the grass in that park.
MP Shiyan responded to MP Saeed and claimed that he was “twisting the facts”.
He said that he himself had taken his two children to Lonuziyaaraiy Park, and they were able to play on the grass. He responded that the Rasrani Bageecha Park, built by the previous administration, had been full of “fake plastic trees from China”.
“[Rasrani Bageecha] had been filled with fake, plastic trees. Who are you trying to fool? Don’t try to show our children the things are shown to small-eyed people from China”, said MP Shiyan.
The presiding Speaker, Vice President Eva Abdullah, stopped MP Shiyan’s tirade and chided him for making remarks that were disrespectful to people of other countries.