Tag: maldives news

DRP plan “For Sale” protest

Opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) will launch a protest against the government’s alleged sale of state assets and property tomorrow night at 9pm at the artificial beach.

According to DRP Deputy Leader Umar Naseer, the purpose of the protest, dubbed “For Sale”, was to “raise our voices against the government’s policy of leasing state assets.”

“This government has sold important state assets such as the international airport, schools and other state assets,’’ he claimed, adding that he did not believe the government would listen before police were forced to use tear gas against protestors.

‘’But we are not going to take it that far on the first night,’’ he added.

“Peace talks”

Umar, along with MPs Ilham Ahmed, Ali Arif and Ahmed Mahlouf submitted a resolution to the DRP council to terminate discussions with the government “until the president gets inside the chart.”

The resolution states that the government routinely disregards both the constitution and legislation passed by parliament.

It also claims that the government secretly and publicly attempted to bribe DRP MPs.

If the DRP council adopts the resolution, the main opposition party will not engage in any discussions with the government until it adheres to the Maldives Broadcasting Corporation Act and amendments brought to the Public Finance Act.

Last month, parliament overruled a presidential veto and passed the amendments requiring the government to seek parliamentary approval for any sale or lease of state assets.

Spokesperson for the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) parliamentary group, MP Mohamed Shifaz, argued meanwhile that privatisation and public-private partnerships were the stated policy of the government.

‘’MDP does not have to follow the policy of DRP, they are just afraid that the people may witness the benefits of the privatisation policy’s success,’’ said Shifaz. ‘’DRP is troubling the government instead of making it accountable.’’

Shifaz explained that people protested when the government announced plans to privatise Giyasuddeen School last year.

“But today people complain that there are no seats in Giyasuddeen School because so many people enrolled their kids there after it was privatised,’’ Shifaz said. ‘’Because it was us doing it, DRP was against, if it was done by someone among them, they would have cooperated and supported it.’’

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Supreme Court appeals for respect

The Supreme Court has appealed against “spreading misleading claims” harmful to the character and integrity of judges.

A statement issued by the court yesterday claims that such falsehoods would impede judges from impartially fulfilling their duties.

“And since protecting the honour and dignity of the courts with the law and through other means is obligatory upon all persons under article 141(d), and because the Supreme Court of the Maldives believes that making misleading claims about Maldivian judges violates the dignity of the lawful courts, we remind everyone to immediately cease spreading or repeating any misleading claim,” it reads.

The statement does not reveal the nature of the “misleading claims”; however, speculation in the media has focused on a case reportedly filed at the High Court challenging the eligibility of Supreme Court Justices.

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16-year-old stabbed

A 16-year-old boy was stabbed three times in the back near Star Cinema in Maafannu ward on Tuesday night, according to police.

Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam confirmed the victim was taken to Indira Gandhi Memorial hospital for treatment following the attack.

However, Shiyam said it was too early to say whether or not the attack was linked to the controversial gang-favourite sport ‘Baibala’.

‘’We are still investigating the case and we haven’t discovered yet whether the stabbings are linked to Baibala tournament,” he said.

The government initially refused to authorise the annual Baibala Tournament this year after police expressed concern with the potential for violence between gangs during the competition.

However, permission was granted after a group of 150 players petitioned the president outside his residence.

Last month, a 16-year-old boy was stabbed to death after a football match between two gangs in the ’Maaziya’ football ground.

According to eyewitnesses, the victim was attacked by a group armed with knives and sticks.

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World’s third largest dredger begins reclaiming Gulhifalhu shallows

President Nasheed visited the third largest dredger in the world on Monday, as the enormous vessel begins reclaiming the shallows of Gulhifalhu in Kaaf Atoll.

The 10 hectares reclaimed by Boskalis International and the ‘Queen of the Netherlands’ – capable of reclaiming two hectares a day – will be converted into an industrial zone.

Nasheed told newspaper Haveeru that an area the size of half the capital of Male’ would be released by the project, boosting the economy by 20 percent and taking the stress of real estate prices Male’.

The first phase of the industrial development will see the construction of 1,500, 2,500 and 3,000 square foot warehouse complexes and hotels.

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Letter on food safety

To the Maldives Food and Drug Authority:

It has been repeatedly noticed that foodstuffs like eggs and fish sold at various shops in Hulhumale’ have been found rotten. These shop owners know that customers don’t take rotten eggs back to the shops and that they can easily make money out of the old stock they purchase from Male’ shops at very cheap prices.

Let me also share a similar information regarding cooking oil found in yellow cans (20 litres) and in bottles (2 litres) coming under OKI brand. Normally products packed in the Free Trade Zone in Singapore are labeled as a product of Singapore. But it seems import of this product has been rejected by Singapore’s Food & Drug Authority (FDA) and is exported to Somalia and Maldives where FDA surveillance is poor.

I understand from an importer of food items that many times he receives egg shipments containing numerous rotten ones but he receives no complaints from customers. This means either people are using such food without knowing the danger or taking it easy and simple.

I believe this is a critical issue because we hear doctors saying they are concerned over the very high number number of cancer, kidney and heart problems diagnosed with causes unknown.

I think it’s very irresponsible if we wait and see if these problems relate to lifestyle changes. We must make our FDA work in line with the times, and with today’s technology.

In the old days we used very fresh eggs and very fresh fish which we did not even need to refrigerate. We used eggs direct from the nests and fish we used a few minutes after catching them.

I believe this is a health hazardous issue that has to be brought to your notice so that you can discuss the issue with relevant agencies or stakeholders.

Mohamed Saeed

All letters are the sole view of the author and do not reflect the editorial policy of Minivan News. If you would like to write a letter piece, please submit it to [email protected]

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Criminal Court releases assets of alleged drug lord

The Criminal Court has ordered the bank accounts of alleged drug lord Hussein Mohamed Manik be unfrozen.

Manik was arrested for allegedly dealing drugs at a large scale, however the court earlier found that police evidence was insufficient.

The court order issued on last Tuesday overruled an order issued on April 13, 2009 to freeze Hussein’s bank accounts.

Haveeru reported that police have requested the Prosecutor General’s (PG) Office appeal in the High Court, however the matter has yet to be filed.

Earlier this year the Criminal Court acquitted another alleged drug lord, Ahmed Naseer, after police confiscated Rf5 million (US$389,000) from his houses in Male and Hithadhoo.

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Police find stolen beer cans and alcohol bottles

The Maldives Police Service have discovered stolen beer cans and alcohol bottles believed to be stolen from Herathera Island Resort in Addu.

Local radio station SunFM recently reported that a group of people broke in to the resort’s bar and stole alcohol.

Police discovered five beer cans and 38 bottles of alcohol, police said.

The bottles were discovered inside an abandoned house near the harbour.

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MNDF discovers ‘lost’ fishing boat and crew

The Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) Coast Guard have discovered a ‘lost’ fishing boat.

MNDF reported that the fishing boat was erroneously reported lost because the boat stayed at sea longer than the time they usually did for fishing.

The MNDF advised dhoni captains to update the owners and family of the crew members about any revision of the dhoni schedule, to avoid such confusion in the future.

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Dhoni captain appeals for help to save life of thalassaemic daughter

“This could be my one chance to save the life of my daughter.”

When Mohamed Faiz received a letter offering his eight year old thalassaemic daughter a life-saving bone marrow transplant in Italy, departing on October 25, he was ecstatic.

“It was amazing, I was surprised and thought we would never get such an opportunity,” he tells Minivan News.

But their dream was shattered when he learned that while the Italian regional government of Abruzzo would bear the cost of the operations, and the Associazione Genitori Bambini Emopatici (AGBE) would arrange accommodation, the offer was conditional on his paying food and all other living expenses for five months – a cost they estimated at US$4500 (Rf57,375).

The 46 year-old father of four has spent most his life trying to extend the life of the two of his children who suffer from thalassaemia, a crippling genetic disorder that affects the body’s ability to produce red blood cells.

The Maldives has the highest incidence of the disease in the world, and for those like eight year old Fathimath Shama with Beta Thalassaemia Major, the disease causes severe anemia and requires lifelong treatment.

According to the National Thalassaemia Centre of Maldives, Abdul Gafoor, there were more than 690 thalassaemia patients registered in the Maldives last year. Since then, 30 have fully recovered while 150 have passed away.

Separated for his wife and working as a dhoni captain, Faiz spends most of his monthly salary of Rf6500 (US$505) on his two children.

“I wasn’t able to save anything,” he says. “I spent Rf4000-5000 a month on the kids’ blood transfusions, Desferal (a drug used to moderate iron in the blood of transfused patients) and other kid’s stuff, mostly medical treatments essential for their wellbeing.”

The relentless financial pressure of caring for children with thalassaemia makes for “a hard life” he says.

“You have to struggle, and most of your time is spent thinking about the future of the poor kids,’’ Faiz explains. “It’s hard to handle the situation when you have to afford the same treatments every month, without any idea of when you might find a better way.’’

Faiz received word through the government one and a half months ago that Fathimath had been selected for a bone marrow transplant in Italy, a risky procedure with many possible complications and reserved for patients with life-threatening disease, but nonetheless offering a chance of recovery.

His other daughter, aged 18, needs to travel to Italy as well to serve as the bone marrow donor; according to the National Thalassaemia Centre of Maldives, only 10 patients in the Maldives have a donor sibling who matches closely enough to attempt a bone marrow transplant.

But despite beating those odds, and so close to a cure, Faiz has despaired of being able to afford the high cost of living in Italy for five months.

“The organisation will bear the cost of the operation, accommodation and tickets, but we were asked to cover all the other expenses,’’ Faiz says, awkwardly. “We have to stay there five months at least.”

He now believes the offer is the only hope his daughter may fully recover, and increasingly desperate, has resigned from his job to focus full-time on raising money for the trip.

“For an ordinary person like me, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Faiz says. “I would despair with the world if missed this only chance, the only hope to save my daughter. I would have to live knowing I missed a miraculous opportunity to make my daughter normal, and give her a real chance at life.”

Mohamed Faiz can be contacted on (+960) 773 4042, or (+960) 762 7899. Faiz’s Bank of Maldives account number is 7701-153358-101.

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