House debates government’s reply to proposals
Manama : MPs yesterday reviewed in their regular weekly session the replies of the Government to 20 proposals they submitted during the past few months.
The proposals included cutting all commercial and diplomatic ties and air traffic with the Islamic Republic of Iran, in addition to banning citizens from travelling to Iran, banning music concerts and Halloween parties and developing the traffic lights systems used in Bahrain.
Other proposals were: Providing commercial attachés at the Kingdom’s missions abroad and increasing the numbers of employees working in these missions; coordinating with fellow GCC countries to support the distressed Rohingya people in Myanmar; implementing prisoners transfer programmes in coordination with certain countries that has large communities living n Bahrain; establishing a museum in Muharraq; installing fingerprint and eye scanners at the Kingdom’s entry points; banning bachelor foreign workers from living in families’ residential areas and more proposals.
Iran
During the discussion, MP Majid Al Majid commended on the Government’s decision to cut all relations with the Iranian regime, describing it as a “well-taken sovereign decision”.
However, Al Majid rejected the idea of imposing a travel ban on Bahraini citizens travelling to Iran. He said, “There are many who travel to Iran for tourism, health treatment and to visit places of religious value in Iran.”
“Sunnis and Shiites in Bahrain have family relations with the people of Iran. We trust that all citizens’ allegiance is for their homeland, wherever they may be. This is important for the people of Bahrain and we thank the Government for not approving the request of imposing a ban on Bahraini citizens travelling to Iran,” Al Majid said
On the other side, MP Nabeel Al Balooshi commented, “Bahrain has been one of the first countries that exposed the practices of the Iranian regime and its continuous interference in the internal affairs of many countries in the region, including our country. The Kingdom has suffered from these practices for a long period of time. The entire world has recently realised the dangers of this interference and warned from it. We thank our leadership for exposing this terrorist regime.
Foreign bachelors
One of the replies of the government that consumed much of the discussion yesterday was banning the residences of bachelor foreign workers in families residential areas.
Former Muharraq Municipal Council Member and Representatives of Arad MP Ali Al Muqla demanded the Government to adopt more effective solutions to the issue.
Al Muqla said, “The Government in its reply said that a team has been formed in each of the four governorates of the Kingdom to tackle the issue. But, more official efforts are required to end this problem. All areas in Bahrain are full of foreign bachelors living in residential areas. This phenomenon was only reported in old areas at a point of time. But it has expanded now to newly established areas. Villas are rented in these areas for approximately BD500 and 70 to 100 bachelor workers would live in them.”
MP Mohammed Al Ahmad shared a similar opinion, saying, “The bachelor foreign workers living in residential areas is an old, renewed and inflated issue, especially in the constituency I represent in Isa Town.”
“The Government doesn’t hear the complaints of citizens from bachelors living in residential areas across Bahrain. Each neighbourhood in Bahrain has at least one or two houses that accommodate 20 to 30 bachelor Asian workers, who harm the families living near them. There is a lack of coordination between official authorities to tackle this issue, which has grown to become a fruitful business for some who purchase houses in residential areas and rent them to bachelors,” Al Ahmad said.
He expressed further, “We have seen the international reports stating that Bahrain is the most favourite destination and haven for expats. I say the lenient regulations and lack of supervision we have here led to this. We want Bahrain to become the first haven for citizens before foreigners. In these houses, the traditions of the people of Bahrain are violated, and even prostitution exists in some of them.”
Al Ahmad also highlighted the issue of the lack of parking space. He said, “If the house is rented to over 30 individuals, who pay approximately BD10 for rent and park their cars in neighbourhoods, this will create crisis such as the ones we are currently witnessing in residential areas.
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