Inmates in Maafushi jail have sent a petition to President Mohamed Nasheed complaining that conditions in the prison have deteriorated to the point where few inmates can sleep.
The petition signed by 236 prisoners claimed that inmates now allocate time to sleep, one after another, on the floor without bedsheets or pillows. The petition also claimed that the inmates do not have good medical facility or a safe environment in which to live.
“Only a few inmates can sleep when it rains,’’ said the petition. ‘’The capacity of the units is for 35 men, but we note that 90-100 inmates are kept in each unit.’’
The prisoner’s petition lists benefits discontinued after the government came to power.
The list of complaints sent by the inmates includes:
Inmates are not given the opportunity to conduct the five prayers, or the Friday prayers.
An increase in the number of issues related to hygiene.
Two doctors working in the prison system are writing prescriptions without identifying the disease.
The government used to provide religious books but this has come to a halt.
Inmates were not receiving 3-7 grams of milk daily that had been allocated.
TVs and radios on which to watch the news and entertain the inmates have been restricted.
Pillows, mattress and bed-sheets were not provided, and were instead appropriated by jail officers claiming that the government could not afford to provide them.
Lightbulb, fans and other electrical products were are restricted and inmates are in pitch darkness at night.
The petition also claimed that the prison still contains inmates convicted for actions which are not crimes under the current constitution, such as several who participated in an anti-government riot in 2003.
On May 13, families of inmates claimed the jail was “in chaos”, with neither the inmates nor jail officers reportedly in charge.
A person familiar with Maafushi jail told Minivan News that the situation was deteriorating daily due to unfulfilled pledges the government made to inmates, and that fights between inmates and jail officers was a daily occurrence.
“Inmates in the cells are demanding fulfillment of the pledges President Mohamed Nasheed made, and the jail officers claim they do not have the budget or power they demand.”
Moreover, he said, inmates were claiming that their parents and family had voted for President Nasheed because of the pledges he made during the presidential elections.
”They claim that half of Nasheed’s votes came from inmates’ families, who voted for the pledge that they will give parole and clemency to inmates,” he said.
Shortly after the new government came to power, Special Envoy to the President Ibrahim Hussein Zaki visited the jail.
”He came and told all the inmates to think that they all were free now,” he said. ”He said that within weeks everyone will be free.”
He added that inmates were very happy about the news but “after days there was no sign of them and inmates became disheartened.”
In protest, inmates staged a hunger strike in December 2008.
”The State Minister [for Home Affairs, Ahmed Shafeeq] visited the inmates, bringing a document signed by the president and told everyone to calm down,” he said. “Then again our families, kids and spouses were happy with the news.”
In October, rioting inmates set Maafushi jail on fire, resulting in violent clashes between inmates and prison guards.
”All the inmates were divided into the damaged cells without even cleaning the place,” he said.
With my own ears, I’ve heard more than one Maldivian long for death’s release. And the chills that ran down my spine the first time I heard it reside in me still, slowly corroding my hope for a better national future.
Recently – amidst the political turmoil that has dominated everyone’s consciousness – there was a spectacular suicide that captured us for the briefest of moments. A wayward youth, giving in to his inner turmoil, flung himself from the air traffic control tower – departing this world, not by meeting the ground below, but rather by meeting a hangman’s noose. His body left dangling, silently screaming his frustration and his surrender.
Did the abuse he endured in life end with his death? Was the respect and dignity he so desired afforded him after he passed from this world? No.
Accused of apostasy, people have called him a showoff for his ever-so-public last testament. A lunatic. Someone unworthy of sympathy. They have taunted him and scarred his memory and even gone to such as extent as to suggest that he should not be given his due burial rights. That he was not God’s creature and that his alleged disbelief in God meant he is somehow less than human.
With this poor soul, we have failed. Failed in offering alternatives to troubled youth. Failed in addressing the intolerance in our society. And we have failed in our duties as human beings.
Social Negligence
As a nation we have developed a culture of neglect. While being among the nosiest of peoples, constantly sticking our noses where they don’t belong, we have not taken the next step: actually caring about those around us and the plight of others.
The social ills we face are greater than I have seen in any other non-war-torn nation. Soaring sexual and drug abuse rates have become the widely accepted bane of our society. And those who are left with significant psychological damage are left without avenues for help. Those who have entered into depression, who feel their very soul being eaten away, and who no longer believe in the value of their lives, have no avenue for help. While physical abuses have only just started to be addressed, mental abuses of all denominations have been forgotten.
This culture of neglect must end. We have to encourage more therapists, psychologists and psychiatrists to come to this country. We have to convince government and private institutions that we cannot heal our nation if the souls of our nation remain in tatters. And we cannot continue to pretend that the local Imam is all knowing and qualified to deal with all manner of mental problems.
Ideologies of Intolerance
We especially have to stop pretending that neo-salafi ideologies based in the Hanbali school of Islamic Jurisprudence are competent enough to deal with this world’s problems and issues. I believe Islamic counseling has a place in our society; that it helps bring people fulfillment and that it is an integral (not primary) part of efforts such as drug counseling. However, the recent global trend towards the propagation of neo-salafi ideologies is something I cannot accept.
Not only is neo-salafism fundamentally against Maldivian culture and heritage, it is also the most intolerant of all the classical Islamic schools of jurisprudence. It does not allow the scholars of this ideology to relate to victims of mental abuse. It does not allow for varying thoughts to exist, which is necessary to help in the process of healing. Instead, this ideology calls for the strict imposition of their beliefs, wiping out whatever was there before – removing all traces of the person who once existed.
Would be Saviors
They see all the world as sinners, and themselves as the would be saviors of our nation. The salafis and all their ilk would save our society from all of our ills. They will bring us to heaven’s gate and lead us hand and foot into the Creator’s embrace, with never a moment’s consideration that such action would leave ours meaningless.
“We can talk about there being no compulsion in religion till we lose our voices, but conservatives will not care, and this will not lessen the number women being abused, or the number of atrocities being committed in our religion’s name,” Tariq Ramadan, Islamic scholar at Oxford University and grandson of the Islamic Brotherhood founder Hassan Al-Bana, told me at a conference on Islam and democracy in April.
I do not believe in secularism in the Maldives. But I do not accept neo-salafism as the only answer to it.
The Result of Conservatism
This poor soul, Ismail Mohamed Didi, was pushed to the edge as a result of the conservative ideologies present in our society. Those who knew him well have all attested that he was “a nice guy” who did not impose his atheism in others. The problem was that some who knew of his beliefs were offended by the fact that he had them to begin with, hence the official complaint and investigation. It is pure and simple: blatant intolerance is surpassing our need to have love for our fellow Maldivians.
Maldivians are becoming fanatical in their beliefs and the world has started to notice. We are importing Saudi-based neo-salafi ideologies rooted in the Hanbali School of Islamic jurisprudence. Out of the 1.5 billion Muslims on earth, only 10 percent of the Islamic world agrees with this interpretation. An interpretation, mind you, which refuses to accept the validity of any of the other classical forms of Islamic jurisprudence.
Religion is not something you wear on your sleeve, or with a long beard or Arabian dress. The growing norm in Maldivian culture is a complete eradication of it, because today in Maldives to be a better Muslim, you need to be a better Arab. Forget Indonesia, Malaysia, and even Egypt, because those are apparently not real Muslims. They are not educated enough. And even though many of their scholars have a lifetime of learning behind them, they do not see the truth.
Really?
Our Choice
Social negligence, which has existed for time immemorial, mixed with the newly institutionalised ideologies of intolerance have proven to be in this instance a fatal concoction. And this darkness has spread through our nation.
We all have a choice to make. We either chose to stand in the light, or to recede further into darkness. We each need to take responsibility for our actions and inaction. We each need to take responsibility for our society and the ills we see in it. We need to stand up for what is right; turning away from ignorance, hatred, intolerance and complete societal degradation. It starts with each and every one of us.
All comment pieces are the sole view of the author and do not reflect the editorial policy of Minivan News. If you would like to write an opinion piece, please send proposals to [email protected]
Dengue fever is on the rise across the Maldives, especially in Male’, and children are the main victims, according to the Maldivian Centre for Community Health and Disease Control (CHDC).
Official records show 473 cases have been reported for 2010 up to the first week of July, and children aged between one and nine years are the most effected by the virus. “There have been no fatalities reported so far,” says the CHDC.
“In January, we had 24 cases of dengue, and in April it climbed to 28,” says Zeenath Ali Habeeb, media co-ordinator for Indhira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH). Figures from IGMH show that cases almost doubled in May to 50, and by June they reached 57.
Each year with the onset of the monsoon, there is an increase in the number of people with dengue, according to Dr Solah, senior medical officer at CHDC. Rain water in containers of any kind can become mosquito breeding grounds, and this is the main reason for the increased incidence of dengue.
The vector control unit carries out regular programmes to ensure mosquito breeding grounds are controlled, says Dr Solah, who has confidence in the capacity of the country’s hospitals to handle dengue cases even though there is no specific cure.
“Hospitals can only give supportive treatment, like providing lots of fluids,” he explains. “The decline in fatalities over the years shows that our expertise has improved in handling dengue.”
Despite the regular occurrence of dengue, health authorities say it cannot be prevented. “We are managing it as best as possible,” claims Dr Solah, “with regular inspections by the vector control unit, and advising islands and atolls to destroy mosquito breeding grounds.”
Efforts to eradicate dengue are hampered by “the absence of any laws” to penalise people and owners of buildings who habitually refuse to clean out water containers that are fertile breeding grounds for mosquitoes, according to Dr Solah.
Few cases of dengue have been officially reported in the islands. Most of the known cases are in the capital. Numerous construction sites and congested living conditions mean the inhabitants of the capital are more likely to suffer from dengue, Dr Solah believes. “Lack of human resources to tackle the issue is another problem,” he says. Monitoring and constant surveillance of the situation requires trained entomologists.
“Collective efforts at the individual, social and government level are needed to tackle this public health issue.”
Shocking Global Dengue Infection Rates
The World Health Organisation estimates that each year 50 million adults and children are infected with dengue, although other estimates place the figure as high as 100 million. Deaths from the disease are estimated at 25,000 per year. It is endemic in more than 100 countries.
Dengue is a disease of urban and semi-urban environments – those favoured by its main mosquito vectors Aedes aegypti and the Aedes albopictus, both of which feed during daylight or when dwellings have their lights switched on. There are four dengue viruses and nearly 2.5 billion people, 40 percent of the world’s population, are at risk of infection.
The official statistics, relying on diagnoses by doctors at hospitals, only hint at the extent of the problem. In Africa, dengue infection and death rates are hidden by lack of statistical reporting, and the situation is similar in India.
In the Philippines this year nearly 26,000 cases have been treated in the country’s hospitals and 190 people have been killed by the virus. The province of Davao del Sur has been declared a “state of calamity”.
Malaysia is experiencing a resurgence of dengue with over 23,500 official cases so far this year and eight deaths. For the whole of 2009, there were 24,817 people diagnosed with the disease.
In Thailand, official statistics show over 26,000 dengue infection cases nationwide and 30 fatalities between January and June this year, with 6 deaths during a week in June.
Sri Lanka has had nearly 25,000 dengue victims and 132 deaths this year. On 15 July, Sri Lanka’s Education Ministry issued a circular to schools making it compulsory for every school to reserve half an hour for two days each week to clean school grounds and class rooms.
In Burma, there are reports of more than 900 people infected with six deaths in the Rangoon district, and outbreaks of plague and dengue fever spreading through military units in Naypyidaw, the Burmese military regime’s seat of government.
Vietnam has reported over 5,000 cases this year.
Statistics are scarce for India, but Bangalore city, which has spent millions of rupees on prevention campaigns, reports 159 dengue cases so far. In Delhi, there are concerns about spread of dengue when the city hosts the Commonwealth Games in October, a month when there is a high prevalence of vector-borne diseases.
Dengue infections are rising in Yemen and dozens of people have been killed there this year.
“I receive calls on a daily basis from patients and relatives of the dead seeking help… many people died at home as they were unable to cover the cost of treatment in hospitals,” said Abdulbari Dughaish, a member of parliament (MP) from the Aden, in a report from UN’s IRIN website.
In Central and South America, dengue epidemics are raging, with hundreds of deaths.
Brazil had nearly 750,000 official cases of dengue and 321 deaths from the disease in the first five months of 2010. Colombia has been reporting thousands of new cases each week. In Venezuela, nearly 50,000 people have caught dengue this year.
Other countries in that region are also experiencing severe dengue infection rates. Honduras reports over 15,000 cases with 19 deaths – a state of emergency due to dengue was declared in June. Guatemala – 4,400 cases. Martinique – 5,300 cases since the end of February. Dominican Republic – 4700 dengue cases with 24 deaths. French Guiana – 6300 cases, and Paraguay – nearly 11,000.
Ismail Mohamed Didi, the 25 year-old air traffic controller who was found hanged from the control tower of Male International Airport at 4:00am on Tuesday morning in an apparent suicide, was seeking asylum in the UK for fear of persecution over his lack of religious belief.
Islamic website Raajjeislam reported yesterday that Ismail “was a person inclined to atheism” and had “declared his atheism to his friends.”
The website alleged that Ismail had refused to follow religious sermons.
“This is an issue that a Muslim government should consider,” the website said. “Because when these types of people die, they are buried in the same [cemetery] where Muslims are buried. Their funeral prayers and body washing are also conducted as for Muslims. It is questionable as to whether this is allowed according to Islam.”
Over two emails sent to an international humanitarian organisation on June 23 and 25, obtained by Minivan News, Ismail admits he is an atheist and desperately requests assistance for his asylum application, after claiming to have received several anonymous threats on June 22.
In the emails, he says he “foolishly admitted my stance on religion” to work colleagues, word of which had “spread like wildfire.”
“A lot of my close friends and girlfriend have been prohibited from seeing me by their parents. I have even received a couple of anonymous phone calls threatening violence if I do not repent and start practising Islam,” he said.
“Maldivians are proud of their religious homogeneity and I am learning the hard way that there is no place for non-Muslim Maldivians in this society.”
Ismail claimed he had been “trying for some time to seek employment abroad, but have not yet succeeded. I would already have left the country if I was sure I could meet the required burden of proof in an asylum claim.”
“I cannot bring myself to pretend to be I am something I am not, as I am a staunch believer in human rights. I am afraid for my life here and know no one inside the country who can help me.”
———- Forwarded message ———-
From: ismail mohamed <[email protected]>
Date: 25 June 2010 09:30
Subject: a plea for help
Dear sir,
I’m a 25 year-old Maldivian living in Male’. I have been working as an Air Traffic Controller at Male’ International Airport for almost 7 years now.
I started becoming disenchanted with Islam around 5 years ago and am now an atheist. During my transformation, and even now, I am quite the idealist, and when i was confronted about two years back by a couple of my colleagues about my aversion from the daily practices of Islam, i somewhat foolishly admitted my stance on religion.
I had asked them to keep it a secret from the rest of our workforce at ATC, although i now realize i should have known better. It did not take long for everybody at work to find out and since then, i have faced constant harassment in my work environment.
An atheist is not a common feature at all among Maldivians and the word has spread like wildfire since then. It has now come to the point where everyone I know, including my family, have become aware of my lack of belief.
In a society that has always been proud of their religious homogeneity, you can imagine what i am being put through. I have been subjected to numerous consultations with religious scholars and even my closest friends are not allowed to see me.
My company has already begun investigating a complaint regarding me, collecting testimony from fellow workers about my apostasy.
Just 3 days ago, i received two anonymous phone calls threatening violence if i do not start openly practicing Islam.
I am at my wit’s end now. I have been trying for sometime to secure employment abroad, but have not yet succeeded.
The only other alternative i can think of is to flee the country to seek asylum elsewhere. I have already written an e-mail to your organization, and am anxiously waiting for a reply. I found your e-mail address on facebook. I am in dire need of assistance and know of no one inside the country who can guide me.
I would have already left the country if i was sure i could meet the required burden of proof in an asylum claim. I would like to know if you would be able to help me in anyway should i travel to the U.K to seek asylum and what my chances are of making a successful claim.
Thank you for your consideration
Ismail Mohamed Didi
Mohamed Ibrahim, Managing Director of the Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL), confirmed that Ismail was the subject of an internal investigation last month regarding his professed apostasy.
“I believe his family were also concerned, and tried to give him counselling through religious leaders,” Ibrahim said.
“Management decided it was outside our mandate and referred the matter to the Ministry of Islamic Affairs – we haven’t got a reply. Professionally we took no action – he was a good worker.”
A colleague of Ismail’s told Minivan News on condition of anonymity that his colleagues had learned he was an atheist “more than a year ago”, and while they did not care whether or not he believed in God, “some became irritated at the way he openly insulted God.”
“A complaint was made to the airport company’s human resources department. Based on their report – I saw a copy of the final version a month ago – they found that although he was an atheist, he was not propagating his belief in the workplace and so no action would be taken.”
The source insisted that Ismail was never mistreated by his colleagues about his religious position, “although they were sometimes irritated by the way he addressed God. He was treated as a normal controller and suffered no discrimination,” the source said, explaining that the air traffic controllers were a close-knit bunch who “lived and played together. Everybody was crying and misses him.”
Ismail was part of a large family from the island of Thinadhoo in Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll, the source explained.
“The family is very humble and religious. His mother tried sending him to religious classes and a couple of months back he said he went to see Sheikh Illyas, but just argued with him about religion and stormed out. That’s what he said – I don’t know what was said in person. But it is possible his friends may have distanced themselves.”
Minivan News was unable to confirm whether Ismail visited Sheikh Illyas prior to his death, as the Sheikh was not responding to calls. However Islamic Minister Dr Abdul Majeed Abdul Bari said he was aware that Ismail’s parents had sought religious counselling for their son “because of some problems he was facing in his religious beliefs.”
“They asked for counselling but I think they met a scholar while they were in our office. I was not at the Ministry – this was during the period of [Cabinet’s] resignation. I heard he was not a ministry scholar – I don’t think it was Sheikh Illyas this time. I think he saw [Sheikh Hassan] Moosa Fikry,” Dr Bari said.
Sheikh Fikry, who is the Vice-President of religious NGO Jamiyyathul Salaf, was not responding to calls at time of press. Salaf’s President, Sheikh Abdulla Bin Mohamed Ibrahim, also could not be contacted.
Last moments
Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam said Ismail’s body showed no sign of physical injuries.
“Police have taken samples for forensic investigation, we are seeking more information about him to try and determine how this happened,” Shiyam said.
Ismail’s colleague said the 25-year-old had returned from leave shortly before the day he died.
“It seemed like he came to work fully prepared to die,” he said. “Ismail normally took the 6:00am-8:00am shift, but on this day he requested the supervisor give him the 3:00am-5:00am shift.”
“During this time there are no air traffic movements and the tower can be staffed by one person, before operations begin at 5:30am. It seems he wanted the quiet time alone,” he said.
“His mother said she called him in the morning at 5:30am to tell him to pray, but there was no answer. They found his cigarette lighter on the balcony.”
An air traffic controller at Male’ International Airport was found dead at 4:00am this morning after apparently hanging himself from the control tower.
The man, identified by newspaper Haveeru as 26 year-old Ismail Mohamed Didi, was discovered after airport workers received no response from the tower’s phone.
The case was reported to police around 5:00am. Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam confirmed the body was found hanging from the tower but said it was too early to confirm whether the death was a suicide.
“His body was first taken to Hulhumale’ hospital and now he is in Indira Gandi Memorial Hospital (IGMH),” he said. “We are investigating the case.”
Spokesperson for the Maldives Airports Company (MACL) Rahmathulla Ashraf told Haveeru that the company could only comment once the police investigation was concluded.
“We are also waiting for the findings of the investigation,” he said.
Rahmathulla claimed the incident did not disrupt the operations of the control tower.
A source familiar with the victim said Didi was a junior air traffic controller who performed his job well.
The source said Didi had been an air traffic controller for 6-7 years and had recently worked at Kaadedhoo airport in Huvadhu atoll.
“He went up the control tower around 3:00am, a quiet time when there is no air traffic,” said the source.
“People at the airport received no response from the tower, so they went up to check and found him hanging there.”
The Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP), Peoples Alliance party (PA), Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP) and Jumhoory Party (JP) last night held a joint rally to deliver what they promised yesterday would be “a shocking message” to the government.
DRP leader Ahmed Thasmeen Ali told the assembled crowd that this was the first step of the opposition to change the administration.
“The government has recently on different occasions attempted to smear [the name of] independent institutions and commissions of the state,” said Thasmeen. “The government fist attempted to influence and smear the Civil Service Commission (CSC) first, then the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), now parliament and the judiciary as well.”
Thasmeen accused the government of attempting to retain power by “misusing” the armed forces.
“The government has attempted to threaten and hold the media captive,” he alleged, “and has been trying to influence the state media.”
PA leader Abdulla Yameen, who along with JP leader Gasim Ibrahim was recently released from house arrest by the Supreme Court following allegations of corruption and treason against the two high-profile businessmen, said the government had “sold everything the country owns except the national flag located in Jumhoory Maidhaan.”
“Recently we have witnessed the government trying to assassinate opposition leaders and hold the constitution in contempt,” Yameen alleged. “The president has threatened the opposition leaders and people of the country.”
Yamin said the Supreme Court’s ruling “proves the independence and fairness of the judiciary.”
Gasim meanwhile apologized to the people for his work bringing the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) to administration.
“Without the sacrifices made by the JP and DQP, this government would not have been able to win the last presidential election. Every Maldivian will understand that,” said Gasim. “I thought President Nasheed would be a sincere man, but it turned out that it was all sour poison.”
Gasim also said that he did not wish to run for the presidency anymore.
“But when the government is trying to sell the assets of the nation, I cannot wait patiently,” he said.
DQP leader Dr Hassan Saeed, who represented Gasim in court, was not present at the rally but Deputy leader of DQP Dr Ahmed Jameel spoke on behalf of the party.
The crowd dispersed peacefully following the rally, making the event rather more more muted than the ‘Red Notice’ protests DRP recently led against rising electricity prices. Police presence was light and the absence of MNDF personnel suggested the government had revised its predictions of clashes following the conclusion of the World Cup.
Which means she will face a life sentence in prison. Which also means her little son will be orphaned in a sense. Much worse, he will grow up in the arms of a woman who is very likely to hate the offspring of her own son’s murderer. What will become of the child in a few years time? What led her to stab the man to death?
Possible cause?
Family and friends confirm that Hassan Shahid (the deceased) used to be married to Mariyam Nazaha (the accused) and had continued harassment and violence against her even after the couple separated. Nazaha was reportedly harassed and threatened over the phone, in her house, and severely beaten in her home and place of work in the presence of several witnesses.
Steps taken by the victim to stop the violence?
Nazaha filed several reports of harassment and violence by Shahid with the Maldives Police Service.
Result: Nothing. Not a single witness was called for investigation.
Nazaha also filed a case of violence by Shahid, at the Gender Department at the Ministry of Health and Family.
Result: Nothing happened.
What could have been done?
The Maldives Police Service could have carried out a thorough investigation, and forwarded their findings to the Prosecutor General for prosecution, which would likely have resulted in the Criminal Court removing this violent man from society.
The Gender Department could have moved their backs rather than sit on the complaint, and at least worked towards a restraining order so that a violent man did not have the opportunity to bother his ex-wife and also did not have access to a young child.
The State and the System missed several opportunities to protect both the deceased and the accused and prevent this sad outcome.
Conclusion?
The State has failed miserably in this instance. Domestic violence, child abuse and violence in general is rampant on every island, and it seems that the State simply has more important issues to handle.
All comment pieces are the sole view of the author and do not reflect the editorial policy of Minivan News. If you would like to write an opinion piece, please send proposals to [email protected]
The GMR-Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB) consortium that recently won the controversial bid to develop Male’ International Airport will spend US$373 million on the upgrade, MAHB has reported.
Speaking at the opening of the cavernous Delhi Terminal 3 last week, GMR Manager P Sripathi told Maldivian journalists that physical work would begin on the airport towards the end of this year.
“The first phase is organising the finances and transitioning the airport from a government-run enterprise to a privately-run enterprise,” he explained.
“The transition will be a new thing [for the Maldives] and we will be there to help with that. We have done such things in other places, and we know how to go about it,” he said.
“There are over 100 various items have to be agreed and signed off between the [incumbent] Maldives Airport Company Limited (MACL) board and ourselves, but we expect to see work start on the new terminal 9-10 months from now.”
Impression of the new airport at night
Sripathi said that within six months GMR would upgrade existing facilities at Male’ International Airport “to a level that international passengers and tourists may [expect]. We will deal with the ‘pinch points’ that are there today.”
Ultimately the development will involve 45,000 square metres of new terminal, repair and expansion of the runway, parking and taxiing space, and a turning point so more flights can be landed in the space of an hour.
The infrastructure giant’s ‘brownfields’ approach – refurbishing an active airport, as opposed to a ‘greenfields’ or ‘from scratch’ project – mirrors that of its much larger airport development in Dehli. The old terminal was upgraded prior to the opening of the new one last week, which is now expected to cater to 90 percent of the airport’s passengers, with capacity of 34 million per annum upgradable to 100 million.
Sripathi acknowledged that while nothing of similar scope was going to be built in the Maldives – Male’ International Airport currently handles 800,000 passengers per annum (each way), “[Dehli] is definitely in the vein we are planning.”
Representing a company about to plow US$400 million into Hulhule, Sripathi is unsurprisingly unconcerned about rising sea levels: “Worried? Absolutely not. Land that has been there for 2500 years is not going to disappear in 25 years,” he chuckled.
Local controversy regarding privatisation and the recent political upheaval have given equally little pause to the infrastructure juggernaut – but its recent entertainment of the Maldives press pack suggest it is sensitive to domestic public opinion.
“We are not worried, because we are out of the fold. We are here to do a job,” Sripathi said.
The debate [over privatisation] has obviously been there for a long time, and is perhaps coming to an end, that we leave to [the politicians]. We are only here to do our bit.”
Accusations by opposition parties about the transparency of the bidding process were not something in which GMR saw itself involved, Sripathi said.
“Let me distinguish our role from the government’s role,” he said. “Whatever the political debate that goes on in the country, we shouldn’t be interfering – that is not our duty. That is between the executive and the [opposition]. In this particular instance, if there is opposition to privatisation then this debate has taken place over many years. Otherwise government wouldn’t have initiated this privatisation program in the first place.
Natural lighting in the new terminal building
“The World Bank IFC has [monitored] this exercise and given a very good report, and that is where this should stop,” he said.
The government’s calculations acknowledge that the strength of GMR’s bid came from its US$78 million upfront payment (compared with US$27 million from the second-highest bidder) and in particular, its 27 percent sharing of fuel revenue.
Based on GMR’s forecast, the government anticipates that 60 percent of government revenue from the airport deal will derive from fuel – $74.25 million annually between 2015-2020, increasing to US$128.7 a year from 2025-2035. This in turn was the most significant element of the final ‘net-present-value’ calculations to determine the winning bid.
The Turkish-French consortium TAV-ADPM, who expressed dissatisfaction with the bid evaluation process to newspaper Haveeru and requested a “re-evaluation of the bids”, expressed disbelief that the GMR-MAHB consortium would be able to offer such a high percentage of the fuel trade to the government “without facing any loss.” TAV-ADPM had offered 16.5 percent, warning that pushing prices higher would drive buyers away.
Sripathi claimed 27 percent was “absolutely reasonable. We have done our homework, otherwise we would not have made the bid.”
“In Male [airport] there are two types of fuel trade going on: MACL sells directly to airlines, and in another kind of sale, parties buy from MACL and then sell to airlines,” he explained. “We looked at the margins of both lines of business, kept the same percentages, and calculated what we could offer the government if we took over all this and amalgamated it under one umbrella. The margin we can give to the government? 27 percent.”
Quizzed as to whether it was reasonable to estimate a revenue share by forecasting fuel prices over the lifespan of a 25 year agreement, Sripathi replied “everybody predicts. There are international agencies that predict the way fuel prices will go up and down.”
“I’m talking about the top line,” he said. “Bottom line, if the fuel prices go up, similarly everywhere will go up and the selling prices will also go up. We have to put a margin in there.”
At its airport in Hyderabad, GMR allows five independent fuel suppliers to compete to offer the most competitive price to the airlines.
In Male, “the volume does not support that. In India there are refineries and many fuel companies operating, and fuel companies can sell directly to the airlines,” Sripathi noted. “But in the Maldives fuel is imported, and the volumes are such that not many people come and buy fuel – the model is different.”
While its fuel figures are undoubtedly one of the major reasons behind GMR’s winning bid, a simple fuel monopoly is unlikely to recoup the consortium’s US$400 million investment.
Either GMR anticipates that global growth in the fuel trade is worth the risk, or it is taking a hit on the fuel price for the sake of offering a much lower 10 percent share of gross airport revenue, as compared to the other bids (TAV-ADPM offered almost 30 percent). The only figures available to the government in estimating this revenue (a staid US$20.43 million by 2025-2035) will have derived from the existing commercial revenue from the airport.
Compared to the glittering Gucci-lined corridors of airports in tourist cities such as Dubai, Male’ International’s 4-5 meagre departure lounge shops and dilapidated eateries look positively downtown in comparison – a striking missed opportunity, given the bulging wallet of the average visitor to the Maldives.
Sripathi indicated that the consortium is very interested in the well-heeled concourse traffic – sufficiently interested for the infrastructure giant to invest a sum equal to almost half the country’s entire GDP.
“It’s a lovely project. The type of tourists coming are from the very high-end tourism market, therefore the business opportunities are plenty,” Sripathi hinted.
“I would say the airport is naturally located to advance a lot aspects, like cargo. For example, many people would be surprised to know just how much cargo goes through the airport, because of the number of international connections and wide body aircraft using the airport. People are transiting air freight through the Maldives from places like Colombo – this means there is niche value out there.”
Some investment will be recovered through a US$25 airport development tax, set by the government for all bidders to be levied only on international travellers at time of departure and added to ticket prices.
Inside the concourse
Sweetners
Many longer term “vision” projects associated with the airport seem designed to appeal to government planners. The airport will be unlocking 50 acres of land and will develop “what we envision will become the Maldives’ financial district,” Sripathi said. “That’s from our vision document. [The government] asked what can be done, and we used our expertise and experts from the US, and this is one of the things we have proposed.”
The company also runs a social responsibility foundation, GMR Varalakshmi, that funds schools and vocational training in areas where it operates. The company took the Maldivian media on a tour of its centre near Hyderabad, which included a residential technical training college running free courses for 500 young people in trades ranging from air-conditioning and electronics to IT, sewing and hotel management – often in conjunction with the group’s partners and suppliers. Guides emphasised the importance given to instilling discipline and professionalism in students, as well as technical training.
Regarding salaries and employment of existing airport staff in Male’ – a key point of contention among the opposition parties critical of the deal – Sripathi commented that the company was “not about to bring Indian standards [of employment] to Maldives – income levels and expenses are dependent on place – it is independent.”
Ground handling, currently outsourced to Island Aviation, will be taken over by the new airport company, Sripathi confirmed.
“Whether we need more than one ground handling company depends on the size of business,” he said. “If size of business allows it, then we can [involve another company], otherwise there will be single party doing it to international standard.”
For other airport staff – aside from security, immigration and air traffic control, which will continue to run by the government as per other international airports – the 1500 people currently working at the airport “will become part of the privatisation process. We are in talks MACL board members,” Sripathi said.
“We are looking at their concerns and anxieties – ultimately people think somebody is coming into the country to take over the airport. But we are here to help develop the airport’s assets and show people its full potential,” he continued.
“But what is important keep in mind is that investment in an airport is a heavy investment – US$400 million is a heavy investment. These sorts of numbers must be returned to us – and the government – otherwise we both cannot survive.”
Disclosure: Minivan News and 10 other representatives of the Maldivian media recently toured Hyderabad airport and attended the opening of Dehli Terminal 3 as guests of GMR.
Correction: A previous version of this article erroneously referred to ‘Malaysia Airlines (MAHB)’ in one instance, where it should have read ‘Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB)’. This has been corrected.
The Criminal Court has suspended two officers who spoke in court on behalf of the police during hearings concerning two opposition leaders.
Jumhoree Party (JP) leader Gasim Ibrahim and People’s Alliance (PA) leader Abdulla Yameen, both also high-profile businessmen, were detained last week on charges of treason and bribery.
Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam identified the two officers as Inspector Mohamed Riyaz of Special Investigations and Superintendent Mohamed Jinah, Head of Drug Enforcement. Both officers have been suspended from appearing in court on behalf of police until December 2010.
When Minivan News contacted Jinah seeking to clarify the matter, he requested Minivan News contact Shiyam for information.
Shiyam claimed that police have been unable to determine the specific reason for the suspension of the two officers.
”The Criminal Court sent a letter signed by the Chief Judge of the court to Police Commissioner Ahmed Faseeh,” said Shiyam. ”The letter did not mention any specific reason [for the suspensions], only ‘ethical grounds’.”
Spokesperson of the Criminal Court Ahmed Riffath said that as police was not revealing details of the matter, the Criminal Court also did not wish to do so.
”There is a code of conduct that people representing in court should follow,” said Riffath. ”They were suspended due to a case relating to this code of ethics. It is for more than one reason.”
”This is the only information we can provide and I believe that it would be enough for co-operating with the media,” he added.
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