Shiyam accepts Nasheed’s invite, sets date for diving excursion

PPM deputy leader Ahmed Shiyam has accepted the invitation extended to him by Speaker, former President Mohamed Nasheed to join him on a diving excursion to discuss climate change.

The two political leaders are scheduled to go diving over the last weekend of November.

Nasheed had issued the invite in the middle of a parliamentary debate on a resolution presented by Hoarafushi MP Ahmed Saleem urging climate action on November 6.

Shiyam, who serves as parliamentary representative for Naifaru constituency, had voiced concern over the threat of climate change during the debate, and highlighted on his experience working as a diving instructor.

At the end of Shiyam statement, Nasheed expressed his keenness towards going on a diving excursion with him.

“If you, honorable parliamentarian, are ready for it, then we can continue this discussion underwater,” said Nasheed.

The two had originally been scheduled to go diving on Friday, November 9, but had to delay the outing due to their pressing schedules.

Shiyam told Sun this Tuesday that he and Nasheed are scheduled to go diving on the last weekend of November.

They had re-scheduled to go diving this upcoming weekend, but had to postpone it for a second time due to the MDP internal elections which will take place this weekend.

Nasheed is running for re-election as MDP’s leader.

Shiyam’s previous career as a diving instructor spans over eight years. He has completed over 3,000 dives.

Highlighting on his time as a diving instructor during the debate on the climate action resolution, Shiyam said that he went on each dive equipped with a sack to pick up the garbage littering the country’s waters.

“I worked as a diving instructor at a local resort. I used to go diving with a huge sack. To pick up litter. I noticed that every time I surfaced from an one-hour dive, I came up holding plastic and children’s diapers,” said Shiyam.

He said that continued dialogue over climate change had failed to produce a solution to the issue, and that the more litter was being collected from the ocean and the reefs than ever before.

He stressed that the Maldivian people need to be well aware of the effects of climate change, and that no outsider would take better care of the nation’s reefs than the locals themselves.

He urged the Maldivian people to give the issue of climate change for serious thought.