Keserwan MP Salim Sayegh called for firm state action to restore law and order in the coastal area of Maameltein, warning that the region has become a hub of moral and social decay. 

Speaking in light of a recent crime that renewed concerns over rising lawlessness in the area, Sayegh told kataeb.org that Interior Minister Ahmad Hajjar is “fully aware of the seriousness of the situation” and had expressed readiness to act.

“During my visit to the minister after the Maameltein crime, I urged him to strike with an iron fist and to prepare a sustainable security plan for the Keserwan-Ftouh coast. The state must reassert its authority across the district,” Sayegh said. “The minister responded positively; he already understands the gravity of the matter.”

In July, a man and his wife were found murdered in their home in the Maameltein area of Ghazir, in what is suspected to be a robbery.

Commenting on a recent protest by area residents to condemn the heinous crime, Sayegh said he had supported the movement from the beginning.

“We stood with them at the demonstration and made our voices heard. Lawlessness is unacceptable,” he said, calling on newly elected municipal councils to strictly enforce national laws to protect people and property.

He warned that the recent crime in Maameltein is not an isolated case. “We all hope it will be the last,” he said. “We have full confidence in our security forces.”

Asked why he was the first MP from Keserwan to publicly address the violations in Maameltein, Sayegh said the area has devolved into “a hotbed of corruption and moral and human degradation,” warning that the behaviors and activities taking root there are “alien to the identity and values of the region’s people.”

“This is not the image we want for our area, especially as we work tirelessly to promote tourism and revive activity at the Jounieh Port,” he added. “We reject any attempt to turn the area into a version of Zaitunay Bay. Is this the picture we want to present to foreign tourists?”

Sayegh stressed that Keserwan was once known for its luxury hotels, high-quality restaurants, and clean coastline.

“That’s the Keserwan we remember and the Keserwan we want to restore,” he said.

He revealed that efforts are underway with relevant authorities to install a new wastewater treatment plant, while coordination continues with security agencies to rein in violations and recover the area’s true identity.

“The criminal networks now running the street are not from the region,” he noted.

Sayegh concluded by linking the state’s failure to a broader national issue.

“The process of state-building and restoring public institutions began with the election of President Joseph Aoun. That process must start in Keserwan-Ftouh and extend across all of Lebanon. The people of this region have rights, and it is the government’s duty to uphold them.”