Category: News in Brief

Education Ministry pledges to introduce Arabic to more schools

The Ministry of Education has pledged to introduce Arabic to more schools in the next academic year.

Speaking to the press today, Minister of Education Dr Aishath Shiham said Arabic will be available at “many” schools throughout the Maldives next year.

In addition to Arabic, the Education Ministry intends to expand civic education in the curriculum and introduce Like Skills Education as a separate subject to educate students on life skills such as conflict resolution and responsible citizenship.

The government intends to equip five schools in Malé with facilities to educate children with special needs and establish two centers in the atolls to train children with special needs, Shiham said.

The Education Ministry is still seeking 74 Quran teachers in order to ensure that all schools are able to offer Quran as a subject, Shiham also said.

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President Yameen to depart on “private visit” to Singapore tonight

President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom will depart to Singapore on a private visit tonight, local media has reported.

Officials from the President’s Office said the visit will be short, but declined to reveal when Yameen is expected to return.

Yameen will depart to India on December 22 on the invitation of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

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Condition of five Maldivians injured in India improving

The condition of five Maldivians injured in an accident while en route to Trivandrum from Agra, India is now improving reports local media.

According to local newspapers, the five Maldivians were traveling in a bus after visiting the Taj Mahal when it crashed into a gas tractor.

The Indian tour agent of the Maldivian family died in the accident.

The newspapers reported that they were all severely injured in the accident and required financial assistance to transfer them to a Trivandrum hospital in order to provide treatment under the ‘Asandha’ health insurance scheme.

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Fairoosh removed from Head of Police Intelligence

Assistant Commissioner of Police Abdulla Fairoosh has been removed from his position as head of the police’s intelligence directorate.

The dismissal is part of a “routine” change to police management, police told local media.

Fairoosh has been transferred to the position of Head of the Services Development Directorate. Fairoosh held the position of acting Commissioner of Police until a new CP was appointed in the aftermath of the ousting of former President Mohamed Nasheed in February 2012.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Ahmed Areef is now the head of intelligence.

Meanwhile, the deputy head of the Criminal Investigation Department Chief Superintendent Mohamed Riyaz has been dismissed from his position and transferred to the Divisional Operation Command.

The head of intelligence under Mohamed Nasheed, Mohamed ‘MC’ Hameed, was removed from his position after Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan assumed the presidency.

He was then dismissed from the Police Services in August 2012, but the Civil Court ordered reinstatement in September this year. The police have said they will appeal the Civil Court verdict.

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Supreme Court accepts case to disqualify MP Thasmeen

The Supreme Court has accepted a case filed by Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) council member and prominent lawyer Mohamed ‘Wadde’ Waheed regarding the disqualification of Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) Leader and MP Ahmed Thasmeen Ali from parliament.

Waheed claims Thasmeen had not paid back a MVR 1.9million (US$124,513) loan to Parliament Deputy Speaker Ahmed Nazim in accordance with a Civil Court ruling.

The Civil Court ruling required the repayment of MVR320,000 (US$20,779) each month for six consecutive months to clear the debt by April 2012, but Thasmeen only settled the debt in July 2012 after the High Court upheld the Civil Court’s ruling.

The Supreme Court in October stripped opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP Ali Azim and Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) MP Mohamed Nashiz over decreed debt. The pair were guarantors for five credit facilities worth MVR117 million (US$9 million) issued to Funadoo Tuna Products by the Bank of Maldives (BML).

The Civil Court in 2012 authorised BML to seize the assets mortgaged for the loans, which included Funadoo island, a yacht, and the Reethi Beach Resort following non-payment of the loan.

Supreme Court Justices Abdulla Saeed, Adam Mohamed Abdulla, Ali Hameed Mohamed and Dr Ahmed Abdulla Didi voted to strip Azim and Nashiz of their seats citing Article 73(c) of the constitution which states: “A person shall be disqualified from election as, a member of the People’s Majlis, or a member of the People’s Majlis immediately becomes disqualified, if he has a decreed debt which is not being paid as provided in the judgment.”

However, Chief Justice Faiz and Justice Abdulla Areef ruled that the guarantors would only have to bear responsibility if the debt could not be settled by selling the mortgaged assets.

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PPM allocates JP 30 parliament seats in upcoming race: media reports

The Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM) has allocated coalition partner Jumhooree Party (JP) 30 of the 85 parliament seats for May’s parliamentary elections, local media have reported.

According to Raajje TV and Channel News Maldives (CNM), leaders of the the two parties in a meeting on Sunday night agreed that the PPM will support any candidate put forth by the JP for 30 constituencies. The parties have not yet decided on the specific constituencies.

The PPM won the second round of the presidential elections held on November 16 with the JP’s backing. PPM offered JP 33 percent of government and a reported 35 percent of seats in local council and parliamentary elections.

On November 26, JP Leader Gasim Ibrahim stated in a party rally that they had sent a letter to the PPM’s leader and former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom asking for clarification of which constituencies the party can contest in for the local council election.

Gasim had further said then that the government had thus far failed to allocate the promised state positions to the party, adding that he believed this could be due to the government being “hectically engaged in other governance matters”.

He said that in addition to parliament and local council seats, the party had asked the PPM leader about what other state positions would be granted to them.

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President seeks Majlis approval for international treaties

President Abdulla Yameen has asked the People’s Majlis’ approval to sign three international treaties.

In a letter to the Majlis today, Yameen asked the Majlis to approve the Maritime Labor Convention and the Supplement to the United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime.

Yameen also requested Majlis’ approval to join the Organization for the Network of Aquaculture Centers in Asia and the Pacific.

The request has now been forwarded to the Majlis’ National Security Committee.

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MNDF begins recruitment drive for unspecified number of soldiers

The Maldives National Defense Forces (MNDF) has started a recruitment drive for an unspecified number of soldiers.

New recruits are to staff the Marine Corps Unit, Special Forces Unit, the Fire and Rescue Services Unit, Special Protection Group, Military Police, Medical Services Unit, Corps Engineers, Service Corps and the Coast Guard.

Speaking to the press, MNDF Spokesperson Major Hussain Ali said the MNDF will decide on how many soldiers it will recruit during the interview process.

He said the MNDF had decided to open up new positions at this time in order to recruit students who had finished their GCSE O’Level exams in November.

The MNDF recently dismissed nine senior ranking officers on charges of sowing discord within the military.

Defense Minister Mohamed Nazim has announced a new Strategic Action Plan pledging to strengthen the national security framework, establish a welfare system that does not rely on the state budget, develop infrastructure to enhance soldier’s living and working conditions and expand education and training facilities to further professionalise the army.

The MNDF is to establish a TV channel, open a day care center, and build a new 72 flat building in Bandeyri Koshi under the new strategic action plan.

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2000 cases of “hazardous” beer destroyed

The Maldives Customs Services has destroyed 2,000 cases of ‘hazardous’ Heineken Lager beer on Thursday.

The Public Health Protection Agency ruled the shipment had passed its expiry date and were badly damaged. Officials from the Customs Services and the Ministry of Defense and National Security destroyed the beer at the waste disposal area at Kaafu Atoll Thilafushi Island.

On Sunday, Customs also destroyed 95 cartons of damaged packaged fruit juice.

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