Letter on airport cronyism

When I arrived today (February 16, 2011) at the GRM Male’ International Airport on flight IC 966, I saw Mr Hareef wearing a ‘Customer Service’ uniform and it was the first time I saw such a high level staff at the apron to welcome the arrivals. I took it as a positive sign and as a proof of GMR’s commitment to improve customer service at the airport.

From the flight we went direct to the Immigration Counter. When the Immigration Officer signaled for our turn, Mr Hareef intervened and handed over five Maldivian passports to him. He instructed not to take our passports but to process passports of his friends who were behind the queue. Those friends included Mr Ilyas Ibrahim, a man who has squeezed Maldivian blood for 30 years.

When the airport was handed over to the GMR, we celebrated it with great pride because it was the day airport got ‘freedom’ from the cronies and thugs of the 30-year dictatorship. As you may be aware, Mr Ilyas is the brother in-law of Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, one of the world’s most brutal dictators and Ilyas’s influence at the airport is a proof that our beloved airport is still not free from the cronies of the dictator.

Ilyas’ close ally Hareef is an official who played a key role in deals at the Male’ international airport during Gayoom’s 30-year rule. It is a shame on GMR to employ such thugs and destroy the reputation of our international airport.

As a customer I expect you to take appropriate action against Hareef because discrimination is a crime in our constitution and he continues to practice his power similar to the years of the dictator.

-GMR Customer

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11 thoughts on “Letter on airport cronyism”

  1. GMR must see if the writer is telling about something that took place, GMR must take appropriate action against Hareef. No doubt, Hareef is notorious for such ill-habits at Male' International Airport...None of the Maldivians expect GMR to let him continue the CRIMES he he was committing for the sake of pleasing Gayyoom's brother-in-law for ages

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  2. DPL passports are being given their status outside of the country and not in the country of issuance.
    Mr.Hareef should know these things and should be able to handle things differently.

    In major airports First Class, Business Class and DPL and Official passports are handled by a different immigration counter.It is called Fast Track and Airlines pay the Immigration for this service for the First and Business Class Passengers.
    Maybe it is time that GMR introduced this in Male International Airport too.

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  3. So what is Hareef's job now? Is this part of VIP service or facilitation? I have certainly never heard of him wearing a vest before.
    Still Ilyas's servant I see. Old habits die hard... Or maybe they never die at all.

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  4. From some support staff to some higher offical level the Dictators influnce is still very much in place. Quiet hard to get ride of this bunch of lunatics still.. GMR must do something about it..

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  5. It is not only Hareef who breaks the rules. Mega Maldives so far have forced GMR every time to give their desired slots and GMR gives first priority to Mega crew and passengers in customer service.
    These are also facts we Maldivians should know.

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  6. Your ryt bodu, Mr. Hareef tema includes, Mr. Landhoo Azee, Riyaz, Hayyu, Isse, Yaadh, Iyaa...

    And these days Mr. Ibrahim ( Dhona ) and Ali Rasheed is also promoting Mr. Hareef.

    Mr. Dhona is following Mr. Hareef's instruction to run Passenger Services Section. Dhona n Ayya please stop favoring him in front of Company's top ppl. We r not going to accept him at any circumstances.

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  7. i think GMR must train their staff, especially staff like the Manager Passenger Services....I talked to the most senior Maldivian guy working at the Passenger Services as some women fell down on the Escalator for the Departures...Family of the Passenger who fell on Escalator with her little child were really worried and concerned because the Circulating Belt on the right side was not moving and that she fell down...But this man was telling to the family, they corrected the fault and he cannot keep someone there on duty....a senior person like him could have commented thinking in view of the sad situation but not giving a Defensive Attack to the victim where as it was the Passenger's fault neither

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  8. i dont think this is an issue to make news.
    no where in the world it would be.. GMR soon will realize what they got into by taking over the airport operations in our country. 🙂

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