RAMADAN 7, 1439 AH WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 2018 Max 42º 28 Pages Min 24º 150 Fils Established 1961 ISSUE NO: 17539 The First Daily in the Arabian Gulf www.kuwaittimes.net EMI Music Publishing and The miraculous rise of Nigeria’s 15 Sony seal $1.9 billion deal 24 football club Mountain Top FC IMSAK 03:11 FAJR 03:21 DHUHR 11:45 ASR 15:20 MAGHRIB 18:38 ISHA 20:06 SUPPLEMENT INSIDE More expats, more unemployed citizens: NA committee reveals MPs want probe into alleged government payments By B Izzak statements for the 2017/2018 fiscal year. ments by MP Ahmad Al-Fadhl that the gov- Later, opposition MP Riyadh Al- Lawmakers have been pressing the gov- ernment will pay MPs before the summer. Adasani threatened to grill the prime Ramadan Kareem KUWAIT: The National Assembly budg- ernment to speed up replacing expatri- The statements were exposed in a video minister unless the government issues a ets committee said yesterday that the num- ate employees in government jobs to posted on social media and shows Fadhl statement explaining the issue. The ber of residence permits granted to expa- create jobs for nationals. The Assembly telling someone the government will be statement was issued on Monday follow- A slice of Ramadan triates had increased which resulted in a has even set up a special committee to making the payments before the summer. ing the Cabinet weekly meeting in which rise in the number of unemployed Kuwaitis. study such issues. Fadhl had acknowledged making the the government distanced itself from By Mariam-Joyce DSouza The panel said the conclusion was reached In another development, seven lawmak- remarks but explained that the payments paying to lawmakers and insisting that by a field survey on the numbers of man- ers signed a letter to the National were intended for needy Kuwaitis in which any aid to citizens is done through legal y way of introduction, the 30 days of this power in the country conducted by the Assembly calling for an official probe into lawmakers act as middlemen to secure the channels. Adasani said yesterday that he beautiful, glorious and bountiful month called Central Statistics Department. alleged government payments to MPs. The financial assistance. He also said that many would support any move to investigate B‘Ramadan’ are divided into three parts - each The committee made the remarks letter wants the National Assembly to Kuwaiti lawmakers regularly do the same the issue by the Anti-Corruption comprising of ten days. The first ten days are the while discussing the 2018/2019 budget inform the Anti-Corruption Authority to and secure payments from various govern- Authority but he also called for the Audit days of Mercy; the middle ten days are the days of for the Manpower Authority and its final launch an official investigation into state- ment bodies to their voters. Bureau to probe the issue. Forgiveness; and the last ten days are the days of Salvation. This article refers to the first ten days of mercy. My dear readers, it’s the most wonderful time of the year and a great opportunity to make Worker Rights’ Issues in Kuwait has and establish resolutions. Kuwait urged issued a report on the status of migrant This is a special month because it symbolizes the workers in Kuwait during the first third of spirit of worship, sacrifice and most challenging of to cancel the 2018, in which they discussed the legal all - God consciousness - all leading to becoming changes that targeted the workers and merciful ourselves thus resulting in receiving God’s the impact of these changes at the local blessings of mercy. Hence, I take this opportunity to kafeel system and international level. urge you to seek opportunities to be merciful. The report talked about the activa- Show leniency, clemency and compassion. Be KUWAIT: The Kuwait Society for tion of administrative innovations that graceful, tender-hearted, generous and kind. Human Rights (KSHR) called on the state protect the status of workers in their Practice pity, charity and forgiveness. Exercise to cancel the sponsorship (or kafeel) workplaces, control the labor market, humanity, humaneness, forbearance, soft-hearted- system and transfer the spon- and oblige employers to ness and tolerance. Maintain mildness of character, sorship to the government. In See Page 3 implement the provisions of sympathy, empathy and benevolence. a report released yesterday the Labor Law, besides So in these ten days (and hopefully always), on the condition of labor forces in addressing the violations against work- attach your name to at least one of these traits. This Kuwait, KSHR also called for updating ers, postpone of the application of the is a special quote for those readers who house the labor legislation and criminalize its viola- decision that prevents the employment books of hadiths on their bookshelf: Allah created tors, and ensuring decent work for of workers under 30 years with univer- mercy in one hundred parts and sent down to earth laborers, especially domestic labor. sity qualifications, and workers’ benefit only one part. Because of this one part, there is Furthermore, KSHR demanded an end directly from His Highness the Crown mutual love amongst creation, so much so that an to administrative deportation, avoid task- Prince, which included detainees in pris- ing expats’ remittances and stop discrimi- ons, especially those detained on finan- animal will lift up its hoof from its young one, fear- KUWAIT: Shoppers buy fruits and vegetables at a market in Kuwait City during the nation against foreigners living in Kuwait. cial issues. ing that it might harm it. Allah has reserved the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat remaining ninety-nine parts of this mercy to favor The Unit of Monitoring and Following-up Continued on Page 24 His believing servants on the Day of Judgment. The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) as recorded in Bukhari and Muslim, Book #037, Hadith #6631. to counter terrorism, Minister of State I would like to share this little story I recently Kuwait Defense for Housing Affairs and Minister of State read. And so as most stories begin, once upon a for Services Affairs Jenan Boushehri said time, in a small rural village, there lived a young after the meeting. orphan boy with his paternal relatives. Due to the Minister chairs The gathering also focused on a scarcity of water in the village, the young boy memorandum on the economic develop- awoke early every morning, carried his pot and SCPD’s meeting ment committee’s view regarding Jaber headed for the stream with the aim of fetching hospital, Boushehri, also Acting Minister water for the family. KUWAIT: First Deputy Prime Minister of Social Affairs and Labor, and Minister Sadly for him, he alone had this task as a routine and Defense Minister Sheikh Nasser of State for Economic Affairs, added. A every morning and evening while his cousins were Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah presided visual presentation was showcased dur- given other lenient tasks. Yet, the young boy bore over the 11th meeting of the Supreme ing the meeting on the plan of institu- no grudge against his family. He continued to love Council for Planning and Development tions and bodies belonging to the (SCPD) yesterday. The council discussed Ministry of Commerce and Industry so them and carried out his task, diligently. However, KUWAIT: First Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Sheikh Nasser Sabah items listed on the agenda that included as to achieve the desired development in on his way back from the stream, with a pot filled to Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah presides over the 11th meeting of the Supreme Council for a memorandum of the media and general line with the vision of His Highness the the brim with water, he usually encountered some Planning and Development (SCPD) — KUNA individuals who invariably were thirsty. Despite policies committee’s view on a strategy Amir, she noted. — KUNA knowing that his aunt would berate him (often get a beating too) for fetching half-filled pots, this boy would stop and offer water to these individuals. Iraq, located between Sunni-ruled Saudi influence in Iraq, Riyadh should resist the in 27 years, and the resumption of commer- One day, he couldn’t bear the scolding from his Saudi urged not Arabia and predominantly Shiite Iran, could temptation to transform the country into cial flights. In March, Saudi King Salman aunt, so he swore never to give anyone water. But on undergo political change following an upset the latest battleground in a cold war with promised Iraq to finance the construction a one particular day on his way back, he met a strange to turn Iraq into election victory by cleric Moqtada Sadr. Tehran,” the ICG said in a report. football stadium with a capacity of up to looking man who begged him for water. The strange The key populist Shiite leader, seen as While Saudi Arabia supported Iraq in its 100,000 people. man lay by the road side with an injury. The young resisting Iran’s influence in Iraq, made a war with Iran during the 1980s, Riyadh was “Saudi Arabia’s renewed interest in boy remembered his vow - never to give anyone ‘cold war’ front surprise visit to Riyadh last year. on the frontline against Saddam Hussein’s engaging with Iraq overtly derives from a water - but contemplated for a moment. His heart But a group of Iran allies won second 1990 invasion of Kuwait. Relations have desire to counter Iranian influence,” said filled with mercy for the stranger and so he gave the DUBAI: Saudi Arabia should avoid turning place in last week’s polls, raising fears of a warmed between Saudi Arabia and post- the ICG.