Reporting by Ismail Humaam Hamid
The Maldives Road Development Corporation (MRDC) has uprooted three newly planted areca palms in Malé today on the Housing Ministry’s orders.
The opposition dominated Malé City Council (MCC) replanted three trees this morning after masked men – believed to be police officers – chopped down 30 palm trees in the early hours of October 24.
“Today we planted three trees near the Malé City Council. However, workers from MRDC uprooted the trees moments later. They said they were acting on orders from the Housing Ministry,” Malé City Mayor Mohamed Shihab told the press today.
The police refused to help despite repeated requests, but watched the trees being removed, the mayor said.
“We requested assistance from the police as per rights afforded to local councils in the Decentralisation Act. But the police on the scene refused to help us. We have decided to lodge a complaint at the Police Integrity Commission (PIC).”
The MCC will also file a court case against MRDC for its illegal actions, the council said, arguing that the MRDC must defer to the MCC and obtain permission from the council in matters concerning Malé City.
According to newspaper Haveeru, senior members of the ruling Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM) believe the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) use the areca palm trees for black magic to curse President Abdulla Yameen with ill health.
“[They] believe that [President Yameen’s] health worsens with every palm frond that falls off the areca palm trees. And that his health would worsen further with every tree that blossoms,” an anonymous government official was quoted as saying.
The MDP-dominated city council had planted the palm trees – donated by the Indian High Commission – in October 2011 as part of efforts to make the capital greener.
Meanwhile, former President Mohamed Nasheed alleged that masked Special Operations (SO) police officers in plain clothes chopped down the palm trees with machetes.
Patrolling police officers from the Maafanu police station arrested two of the perpetrators, Nasheed told the press last week, claiming that the suspects were handed over to the SO on the orders of a senior official from the SO command.
The pair were taken to the police Iskandhar Koshi barracks in an SO vehicle, he claimed.
Commissioner of Police Hussain Waheed held a press conference last week during which he denied police involvement in the incident, dismissing the opposition leader’s allegations as “baseless”.
Speaking to the press today, Deputy Mayor Shifa Mohamed accused the government of chopping down the areca palms.
“The government is involved in the chopping down of the trees. There were a lot of SO police officers in Malé that night. However, it is unclear whether they were trying to stop the vandalism or assisting in the crime,” she said.
The council said it will lodge a complaint over MRDC’s actions with the Local Government Authority, the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives, and international organisations.
Several areca palm trees were also uprooted during protests against the MDP government in January 2012.
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@Hero
Black magic and your Yamins health.What a joke
This is so hilarious! Then again Dear Leader of PPM is a great believer in these 'sihuru haahooru' thing.
Is it also 2014 in Male ??..Black magic/voodoo/.curses,,,load of bullsh-t..Come into the real world..
if they believe black magic is real, why don't they simply just get rid of independent media, free thinkers, and all members of MDP with their own black magic?
simple truth to the matter is, black magic is real for the gullible, and useful for the people who knows how to use black magic as a tool to control the gullible.
this is just another show, praying on the uneducated fools who would believe any superstitious nonsense.
Black magic my ass!
if its true i plant from my own money as much as i can. hope it will work in secret
is there anything against the old man?
When Yameen is a really true religeous man he has nothing to fear since allah will gard him. Allah knows how to deal with any kind of black magic.
By the way does Yameen have any enemy'? That is hard to believe.
Hudu Fathun
Why does MDP so obsess with these trees... do they really belief thay can kill Yameen with their tree? Any one knows what they do they dont concern for environment other wise Nasheed would have fix garbage problem. They lose election so now try to do other way.
Sihiru and fanditha works. There a reason why Allah revealed Surah Falag.
1) Gul Auuzu bi Rabbil Falag
"Say, "I seek refuge in the Lord of daybreak"
2) Min Sharri Maa khalag
"From the evil of that which He created"
3) Wa Min Sharri ghaasigin izaa wagab
"And from the evil of darkness when it settles"
4) Wa Min Sharrin naffaassathi Fil Ugadh
"And from the evil of the blowers in knots"
5) Wa Min Sharri Haasidhin Izaa Hasadh
"And from the evil of an envier when he envies"
@Kareem
I recommend the police to investigate you.
The poor trees will curse on Yameen and he will die in three months with prostate cancer. Poor Yameen doesn’t know Karma, Karma applies on poor trees and animals. Even the mother earth hates those who disrupts ecosystem of earth and now mother earth in playing havoc against poor Yameen. Yameen…. the time is running out, please replant those trees. Your time is numbered now,
@Kashim
Unlike the empty, barren and lifeless deadland you want the world to be so you can live out your bedouin fantasies, we like planting trees because its good for our environment.
A wannabe arab like you with no education could never understand. Go back to shittistan, colonialist.
Even if you pay your buddies in the ministry of Islamic Affairs to pass a fatwa that makes planting trees illegal, we will not stop. 😀
PS: MDP didn't lose elections. The current regime is propped by the supreme porn court and the bodies of the dead.
Stolen election, stolen areca palms, hence, stolen health of the guy!
instead of planting this trees , city council should clean the trenches and prevent flooding Male' .
Today Nasheed is not the President and his orders can not executed and he can be President of Republic of Keneerege if that would give any comfort to the man.
war of the palms
@kashim
Your comments are nothing of value to any of us. Go to afganistan.
@Maldivian
I doubted you are even Muslim. Plant trees if you like but stop try to do black magic with.
I always regarded Maldivians as backward and unsophisticated but this black magic mumbo jumbo takes the biscuit!!
I would suggest the Indian Embassy donate a few more areca palms and plant them around the houses of Hero and Kashim. Also place voodoo dolls outside their front doors with a dead chicken.
God i love this miss indias comments so much.Maldivians really backward bunch of morons.Never can they do anything right.But they believe they are the chosen ones and all others except palastine are the scum of the earth
Black magic vs Water Balls
1. @Junaidh Does it mean our dear leader does not know to recite such a small surah!
2. Is PPM confirming the rumors that president has a serious medical illness and that’s the reason he goes Singapore for check-ups? Damn MDP & India for cursing our leader.
Balls!!!
@Kashim: What, now planting trees makes me a nonmuslim/black magician?
I hope the oil runs out, and your opium empire and slave-trading gig in the middle east collapses.
A fitting fate for an empire of sin such as yours.