Category: News in Brief

Vice president inaugurates harbour reconstruction projects

Vice President Dr Mohamed Jameel Ahmed has yesterday (March 17) inaugurated the harbour reconstruction project on Gulhi island in Malé atoll.

The vice president said that the initiation of the island’s harbor project would in turn lead to a better life for the people.

He went on to say that this government would determine the difficulties being faced by the people in carrying out its developmental projects. He also said that the government would not exclude anyone in delivering its services.

Prior to his visit to Gulhi Island, Jameel inaugurated the Kaafu Guraidhoo harbour construction project.

According to a President’s Office press statement, during his speech the vice president reiterated the government’s commitment to fulfil its pledges to the people. He remarked that the developmental endeavors of the administration ‎would ‎completely transform the country by the end of its five-year term.



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India declines invite to send observers for parliamentary polls

Due to election preparations in India itself, the country has chosen not to send a team of observers to the Maldives for the parliamentary elections scheduled for March 22.

“The Maldives Elections Commission had invited our Election Commission to observe the polls. But the Election Commission is very busy managing the current schedule, so we have declined,” the New India Express reported a senior government official from the country as having stated.

Officials at the Indian High Commission in Malé have confirmed that no observers will be sent, though it was pointed out that High Commission staff would be performing some observer functions.

Previously, India sent a high level delegation led by their former Chief Election Commissioners to the Maldives to observe 2013’s presidential election, with the first round – later annulled – given high praise by the observers.

A delegation of the European Union is currently in the country preparing to monitor the parliamentary elections.

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President replaces two members on MMA board of directors

President Abdulla Yameen has on Monday replaced two members on the board of directors of the Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA).

The representative of the Finance Ministry – the ministry’s permanent secretary – has been replaced with State Minister for Finance and Treasury Ahmed Munavvar.

Additionally, the private sector representative has also been changed. The seat formerly filled by Damas Company owner Mohamed Solih has been replaced with Inner Maldives Deputy Managing Director Abdulla Giyas Riyaz.

The remaining four positions on the board are filled by Deputy Governer Aishath Zahira, Assistant Governer Dr Azeema Adam, Minister of Youth and Sports Mohamed Maleeh Jamaal and former Minister Hussain Hilmy.

While the MMA Governor is also mandated to be part of the board, the position still remains vacant after former Governor Fazeel Najeeb resigned from his position.

Dr Azeema’s name was given to the People’s Majlis last month as President Yameen’s nominee for the governor’s post after Ibthishama Ahmed Saeed – an associate director at the Bank of Maldives – had been forwarded for the role before withdrawing her name amid suggestions she was not qualified for the role.

Today’s reshuffle is the second round of changes that the current administration has brought to the MMA board since it assumed power in November 2013.

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Three companies contracted to supply generators for 77 islands

The state utilities company Fenaka Corporation has on Monday contracted three companies to procure generators for 77 islands under the government initiative to ensure that electricity services are available in islands around the clock.

The bid was won by Chinese company Fujiya Yanan, Sri Lankan company Kelani Cables, and local company Power Engineering.

Minister of Defence Mohamed Nazim – who the government has tasked with oversight of the Fenaka Corporation – told local media that the agreement is to supply the generators by the end of July, and is estimated to be completed within a period of 80 days.

He further stated that installation of generators will proceed as the units are received.

“While this project is going on, we are also conducting other additional work. Under this, we are replacing small generators in islands with bigger ones. Additionally, electrification efforts, or work to strengthen networks, is also being conducted under the oversight of Fenaka,” Nazim is quoted as saying in local media.

While Nazim did not reveal which islands have been selected to receive the generators, he stated that the islands will be chosen after a survey is done to assess needs.

“We are acquiring generators of three different sizes. So we will discuss with suppliers, and announce islands as we receive generators,” he stated.

The generators will include 40 units of 160 to 200 kilowatt power, 24 units of 250 to 200 kilowatt power, and 13 units of 500 to 1000 kilowatt power.

The Chinese company is contracted to procure the generators for Us$5.9 million, while the Sri Lankan company will supply cables at US$2.2 million, and the Maldivian company will supply distribution boxes at US$1.1 million.

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Groom arrested for being in possession of narcotics

A man who had travelled to Hoarafushi in Haa Alif atoll to get married was arrested during his visit to the atoll for being in possession of narcotics.

The man – who was under island arrest in Malé under the state’s drug rehabilitation program – had gone to the island with a special permit from court for the purposes of getting married.

Police revealed that the 27 year old man was arrested in a boat travellling from Hoarafushi to Nolhivaram in Haa Dhaal Atoll.

The man is currently in custody at the Kulhudhuffushi police station, with the island’s magistrate court having extended his detention by 15 days.

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Quilliam states female genital mutilation has “no Islamic sanction”

A press statement by the Quilliam Foundation has contested the comments made by Dr Mohamed Iyaz Abdul Latheef that endorsed female genital mutilation (FGM), arguing that it has “no Islamic sanction.”

The statement – released on March 14 – asserted that FGM is symbolic of the “archaic forms of religious conservatism” that threatens to undermine “fundamental human rights.”

According to their website, Quilliam is “the world’s first counter-extremism think tank set up to address the unique challenges of citizenship, identity, and belonging in a globalised world.”

The statement comes after the Vice President of the Figh Academy, Dr Mohamed Iyaz Abdul Latheef has endorsed female genital mutilation in response to a question posed by a reader on mvislamqa.com. Latheef argued that several credible hadiths from the Prophet Mohamed demonstrated female circumcision is obligatory in Islam, and stated that circumcision “applies to both men and women.”

Quilliam’s Senior Researcher in Islamic Studies, Dr Usama Hasan, said: “FGM has no Islamic sanction – there are just two traditions on the subject, both of which are strongly disputed, with many jurists throughout history discounting them as having nothing to do with the Prophet of Islam, but, like the blasphemy and apostasy laws of medieval Islam, FGM became a theoretical juristic position even though it was rarely practiced. Contemporary Muslim scholars are increasingly opposed to and dismissive of FGM”.

There have been recent uncorroborated reports of the rise of FGM in the Maldives, however, Minivan News has been unable to verify the extent to which the practise has grown in recent years.

Thilmeeza Hussain from the local NGO Voice of Women commented that they were “extremely concerned” by the comments made by Iyaz, but they did not have any data on the extent to which FGM is practised in the Maldives.

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Taxi driver arrested for sexual assault

A 56-year-old taxi driver was taken into police custody last night after allegedly attempting to sexually assault a 21-year-old female passenger.

According to police, the 21-year-old hailed the taxi near the Social Centre in Male’ around 7:30pm.

A family member of the victim told Sun Online that the same taxi driver had tried to molest the woman on Thursday.

“My sister said he was referring to himself as brother. Where can brother take you, he said, and he tried to touch her. She told him to immediately stop the car. That’s when my sister got out,” the family member was quoted as saying.

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Three Maldivians arrested in Malaysia

Three Maldivian have been arrested in Malaysia from the Future Music Festival Asia on Thursday (March 13), local media reports.

The Foreign Ministry has confirmed that the three were arrested during the music show at Cheras, Kuala Lumpur.

According to Malaysian daily The Star Online, 22 people in possession of illegal narcotics were arrested at the festival, including three foreigners and seven Malaysians.

Malaysian media reported that six people died of methamphetamine overdoses at the festival.

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Man injured in STO oil tanker fire dies

Local media has reported that the man injured in an STO oil tanker fire incident has died, after receiving treatment in an Indian hospital.

Adam Gasim, 61 of Kulhudhufushi in Haa Dhaalu Atoll is reported to have passed away on Friday (March 14).

Newspaper Sun Online quoted STO Managing Director Adam Azim as saying that the man was admitted to one of the best hospitals in India to treat his injuries, with the STO covering all the costs of his treatment.

Sun had reported that the fire incident occurred while Adam Gasim was welding on the deck of the oil tanker.

MD Azim was reported at the time of the accident as describing the incident as “not very dangerous”.

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