A Maldives feature film has won a bronze award at a SAARC film festival held in Sri Lanka in May.
The film titled, Insaanaa (Human), was directed by veteran actor Ali Seezan. It won the bronze medal against 18 other films from the region.
A second Maldivian film, Hulhudhaan, was also featured in the festival.
Maldives also won the bronze medal the previous year for Ravee Faroog’s Ingili (Finger).
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(0)The Maldives will hold a second investment forum in China’s capital Beijing in September, the economic development minister has said.
“Beijing will be a perfect place for Maldivian businesses to promote their businesses and networking,” minister Mohamed Saeed said in a tweet.
Maldives Investment Forum #MIF2015, set 2 be in Beijing this September. A perfect place 4 Maldivian biz's 2 do their promo's n networking.
— Mohamed Saeed (@em_saeed) May 27, 2015
The first investment forum was held in Singapore in April 2014.
At the time, President Abdulla Yameen had sought investors for the ‘I-havan’ project to develop a port in the north, oil exploration, the development of Hulhumale and relocation of the business port to Thilafushi Island, and the development of the Ibrahim Nasir International Airport.
In November 2014, the president declared a foreign policy shift to the East, after denouncing “Western colonial powers.”
The China and Maldives have signed several MOU’s to increase cooperation in the military and health sectors, and the Maldives is now a partner in China’s maritime silk route.
Chinese experts are currently conducting a feasibility study for a bridge between Malé and Hulhumalé.
(0)Dislikes(0)President Abdulla Yameen visited Meemu Dhiggaru today to campaign for the ruling party candidate ahead of the upcoming by-election for the constituency’s vacant parliament seat.
“There will be a 145 kilowatt generator in Dhiggaru before the start of Ramadan,” he said at a campaign event, according to president’s office spokesperson Ibrahim Muaz Ali.
“Anna roadha mas fushumuge kurin dhihgaruga 145KW ge genarator eh hunnaane” – Raees pic.twitter.com/UkVtEUInGF
— Ibrahim Muaz Ali (@SpokespersonMV) May 31, 2015
The president’s nephew, Ahmed Faris Maumoon, is contesting the June 6 by-election as the Progressive Party of Maldives’ (PPM) candidate. Faris is the eldest son of PPM leader, former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.
President Yameen’s pledges follow PPM MPs assuring development of the five islands in the Dhiggaru constituency if Faris wins the by-election, prompting allegations of undue influence and bribery.
In his remarks at Dhiggaru, President Yameen also slammed the opposition’s continuing protests, saying demonstrations would not lead to development.
Tourism minister Ahmed Adeeb, housing minister Dr Muiz, and more than 25 PPM MPs accompanied the president during the trip. The delegation also visited Madduvari and Muli in Meemu atoll.
According to the president’s office, the president met the people of the three Meemu atoll islands and inquired about the difficulties being faced by the residents.
“Addressing the people of the islands, the president mainly highlighted the developmental projects to be carried out in the islands,” the president’s office said.
“The president also reiterated the government’s commitment to realise the developmental aspirations of the people. Further, the president underscored the importance of receiving greater cooperation, and the significance of a peaceful and harmonious society for the successful implementation of such developmental projects.”
The PPM has previously been accused of bribery over the delivery of an x-ray machine to Muli last week.
The government has also signed an agreement with state-owned Maldives Transport and Construction Company to build a harbour in Dhiggaru.
The ruling party was previously also accused of vote-buying after openly handing over air-conditioners to a school in Raa Atoll Alifushi, shortly before an island council by-election.
(0)Dislikes(0)The State Electricity Company (STELCO) has signed a US$90 million power development project with China’s Dongfang Electric International Corporation to generate an additional 50 megawatts of electricity.
The state-owned utility company provides electricity services in Malé and its suburbs and presently produces 60 megawatts using 22 engines.
Under its fifth power development project, the company will install six engines over the next two years capable of generating eight megawatts each.
Speaking at a project inauguration ceremony on Thursday, STELCO managing director Abdul Shukoor said the company struggled to generate enough electricity for Malé during the recent hot northeastern monsoon.
STELCO was also unable to do maintenance work on engines and machinery, he said.
Once the power project is complete, Shukoor said STELCO would be able to provide electricity services without interruptions or technical problems.
The project will be financed through the STELCO budget and with loan assistance. The new engines are to be kept at the vacant plot next to the garbage dump.
Shukoor said the company plans to carry out another power development after four years, which will be four times bigger than the current project.
(0)Dislikes(0)The Bank of Maldives has appointed Fareeha Shareef as the first female chairperson of the national bank.
The bank’s board of directors decided to appoint Fareeha at a meeting on Thursday. The post had been vacant since last year.
According to the bank, Fareeha is a founder and former managing partner (2010 to 2014) of FJS Associates LLP where she currently holds the position of senior partner.
“She is also a director at FJS Consulting Pvt Ltd and has been an independent consultant of Adam Smith International since 2012,” the bank said in a press release.
She also served six years as a board member of the Maldives Pension Administration Office
“Ms Fareeha has professional experience in various fields such as auditing, accountancy, financial management and governance. In addition, she has vast experience in financial modelling, including banking, Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) and socioeconomic research in Maldives and in the international arena,” the press release continued.
“Ms Fareeha is a Fellow Member of CPA (Certified Public Accountants, UK) and ACCA (The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, UK) and a member of the Institute of International Auditors and Certified Fraud Examiners. She holds a Master of Management Studies (First Class) degree from the University of Waikato, New Zealand.”
(0)Dislikes(0)Ruling coalition MP and tourism tycoon Ahmed Siyam has announced plans to build a 600-room resort on the island of Dhigurah in northern Noonu Atoll.
“On completion, the resort will be the largest tourism offering in the Maldives, creating more than 2,500 jobs for the local Maldivian community,” the MP’s company, Sun Siyam, said.
The resort on Dhigurah will have 14 different room categories, 15 food and beverage outlets as well as an underwater restaurant.
Siyam is also to open a second resort in Sri Lanka’s Kalpitiya.
“The Maldives has a form of home-grown service culture and industry know-how that is currently not being fully utilised to its full potential domestically, and certainly not on the international stage. Just like the well-known Swiss, Indian and Thai forms of hospitality, Maldivian hospitality can create desire and demand in any region,” he said.
Siyam also sits on the board of the Maldives Association of Tourism Industry.
(0)Dislikes(0)The opposition Jumhoree Party’s (JP) council member Sobah Rasheed has been released from police custody today.
Sobah was arrested on May 3 on a charge of encouraging violence at the historic antigovernment protest on May Day. He was arrested from an opposition protest under a court warrant.
The opposition is calling for the release of ex-president Mohamed Nasheed and ex-defence minister Mohamed Nazim.
The JP’s deputy leader Ameen Ibrahim, the Adhaalath Party president Sheikh Imran Abdulla and the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) chairperson Ali Waheed were also arrested on the same charges.
All have now been released from custody, but will face charges.
Sobah and Imran spent 26 days in police custody. Waheed spent 24 and Ameen spent 14 days.
(0)Dislikes(0)Politics should not enter the minds of soldiers, who have a sworn duty to defend the lawful government, the constitution, and Islam, President Abdulla Yameen has said.
“The Maldivian state today needs to be defended not only against foreign enemies or adversaries, and not only from military [threats],” Yameen said at an oath-taking ceremony for new graduates of the defence institute for training and education this morning.
“The Maldivian state has to be defended against the political turmoil among ourselves.”
The president advised the new recruits not to question orders from commanders and to guard against external influences that could disrupt the unity of the army.
In his speech at 123rd anniversary of the military in April, Yameen had called on the armed forces to defend the government, claiming international pressure was undermining the Maldives’ sovereignty and weakening the rule of law.
(0)Dislikes(0)The “old-fashioned” or “outdated” mentality of senior officials at state institutions poses difficulties in introducing new sports for Maldivian youth, chamber of commerce vice president Mohamed Asif has said.
At a ceremony to open a biannual street market, Asif said that previous efforts to reintroduce new sports were thwarted, reported CNM.
Yesterday’s ceremony featured a display of paramotor or powered paraglider flights for the first time in the Maldives.
Asif said the chamber plans to bring foreign pilots to introduce paramotoring as a sport to Maldivian youth.
The paramotor consists of a small motor driving a propeller, which is worn like a backpack.
Asif came under fire recently over a video filmed at the national art gallery depicting Austrian models with body paint. The video was filmed in March by Austrian company WB Productions as part of an installation art project on violence against women, who were invited by Asif on behalf Maldivian National Chamber of Commerce and Industries (MNCCI).
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