Ibrahim Falah, Parliamentary Group Leader of the People's National Congress (PNC) and Member for Inguraidhoo Constituency, dismissed media reports claiming 11 PNC members abstained from voting on amendments to the Courts Act to reduce the Supreme Court bench on Tuesday.

The bill, proposed by PNC member and Hoarafushi Constituency representative Abdul Sattar Muhammad, passed Parliament with 64 PNC votes after the party issued a three-line whip instructing members to support it.

In a post on X, MP Falah clarified that nine of the reportedly absent members were currently away from Malé on party business. He added that party leadership was investigating why two PNC members present at the session did not cast votes.

Speaking to MMTV, he criticised newspapers for reporting that 11 members had broken the whip before the PNC had released any official statement on the matter.

MP Falah confirmed that only two members who were actually in Malé failed to participate in the vote, and said he planned to meet with them to understand their reasons.