The foundation for the police station building to be constructed in Ha. Muraidhoo has been laid. The foundation of the building was laid in a special ceremony held today during President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu’s ongoing trip to Ha. Atoll. The foundation of the police station was laid by Home Minister Ali Ihsan at the ceremony.

President Dr. Muizzu also participated in this ceremony, which was attended by ministers from some state ministries, Member of Parliament for Baarah Constituency Ibrahim Shujau, members of Muraidhoo Council, members of the Women’s Development Committee, heads of institutions from the island, and a large number of general public.

When President Muizzu took oath on November 17, 2023, there were 72 islands in the Maldives where police services had not been established at all. Of these, more than 25 islands now have police services established.

President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu’s government is continuing to work on establishing police services in more islands. In addition, renovation work on police posts in 115 islands is also being carried out in a systematic order.

There are many things that the government needs to do for Ha. Muraidhoo, but when looking at the highest priority, the harbor issue needs to be resolved and a permanent solution will be provided for Muraidhoo’s harbor, said President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu. Visiting Ha. Muraidhoo and meeting with the island’s residents, the President said that even when he was previously the Housing Minister, harbor works were carried out by the government at that time, and the previous government also started a new project to improve the harbor. However, the President said that at no time has the issue of Muraidhoo’s harbor been resolved.

“It is not fair for the people to always suffer in this matter and for lives to be endangered. Therefore, God willing, as the people wish, the issue of the outer breakwater will be resolved, God willing. MTCC is here mobilized for the work. MTCC will leave this island after building the outer breakwater of the harbor as you wish,” the President said.

The President said that solving the harbor issue will incur a big expense, but if going in order, after the harbor work, road construction work will proceed. The President said that he had promised to build roads during the presidential election campaign when he visited the island. He also said that he has been informed that the island’s water and sewerage issues have now been resolved.

“I give assurance that the promise I made during the presidential election for this island, the road construction work, will be resolved within this term,” the President said. In addition, the President said that these are matters that will incur big expenses, and after that come matters that will expenses, and after that come matters that will incur smaller expenses. Therefore, considering the island’s population, the President also said that he will address the needs of the island during this term.

Ibrahim Faisal has been dismissed from the position of Tourism Minister. The President’s Office stated today that President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has removed Ibrahim Faisal from his position as the Minister of Tourism. The President’s Office also announced that the Minister of Economic Development and Trade, Mohamed Saeed, has been temporarily assigned to oversee the Ministry of Tourism effective today.

The reason for Faisal’s dismissal has not been disclosed so far. When Faisal, the son of the Speaker of the Parliament Abdulla Abdulraheem, was appointed to this position in this government, opposition parties heavily criticized the decision. They criticized that he lacks the education and experience required for such a position.

President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu departed this morning on a three-day trip to some islands in Ha. Atoll (North Thiladhunmathi Atoll). During this trip, the President will visit some islands in the atoll, meet with councils, Women’s Development Committees, and heads of island institutions to discuss development needs and the most desired issues of the people. Additionally, as in previous trips, he will meet with the residents of the islands and assess their conditions.

The President’s Office stated that during this trip, the President is scheduled to inaugurate various development projects that the government is undertaking in different islands. This includes launching the construction of new police stations and council buildings in some islands, as well as initiating the cold storage facility project. The President’s Office also mentioned plans to launch ID card and passport issuance services.

Furthermore, during this trip, the President will officially commence the practical work of the ‘Magey Solar’ (My Solar) program and participate in ceremonies to sign agreements between councils and the Bank of Maldives for providing ATM services on the islands. The President is scheduled to visit ten islands in Ha. Atoll during this trip. These islands include Dhidhdhoo, Filladhoo, Hoarafushi, Ihavandhoo, Maarandhoo, Molhadhoo, Muraidhoo, Thakandhoo, Uligamu, and Utheemu.

The President is accompanied on this trip by some members of the Cabinet and senior officials from various government institutions. The President’s trip to some islands in Ha. Atoll is scheduled to conclude with his return to Male’ on Thursday.

Minister of State for Cities and Administrative Areas, and Public Works, Adam Shareef Umar, has stated that we are seeing President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu fulfilling the promises he made to the people during the presidential election campaign. A special ceremony was held today to hand over two uninhabited islands to Dhaalu Atoll Council, one uninhabited island to Inguraidhoo Council, and one uninhabited island to Maavah Council.

Speaking at the ceremony, Minister Adam Shareef said that we are witnessing the President fulfilling his promises to the people, and that the President decided to establish a system and set guidelines for allocating uninhabited islands to councils in order to financially empower them.

“Today we are seeing President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu fulfilling his promise to strengthen the decentralized system of the Maldives. We just witnessed that scene, that evidence,” the Minister said.

He stated that under this system, two uninhabited islands were allocated to Dhaalu Atoll Council, one to Inguraidhoo Council, and one to Maavah Council. The Minister described this as a significant advancement for the decentralized system.

Adam Shareef said that President Muizzu is fulfilling his promises and empowering councils financially, despite many challenges.

“Previously, there were no systems or guidelines in place for providing such resources to a council or office. However, despite many different challenges, the President has established guidelines and decided on a system to move forward with these matters. This is the tireless and immense work that the President has done to strengthen the decentralized system, which we all acknowledge,” the Minister said.

The Minister further stated that 28 uninhabited islands have been opened for allocation to councils, and councils in need of uninhabited islands are submitting requests. As such, he noted that 3 councils have applied for 5 islands. Adam Shareef congratulated the first 3 councils that cooperated with the government’s initiative and acquired uninhabited islands.

Highlighting that the government has set four policies to strengthen the decentralized system, the Minister said that one of the most important policies is to financially empower the councils. Adam Shareef also stated that it is the government’s policy to expand the role of councils in providing municipal services and to make councils institutions that operate transparently with public participation and consultation.

State Minister of Finance Ahmed Maazin and Member of Parliament for Maavah Constituency Ahmed Shakir also participated in this ceremony.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has stated that the Thinadhoo City Council is spreading false information about the commission and that they obtained documents from the council after completing all procedures. In a post on social media today, the Thinadhoo City Council claimed that a group claiming to be from the ACC had stolen a large number of items from the council office. The council also said that the matter had been reported to the police and that some council services had been disrupted due to the incident.

In a statement issued by the ACC regarding the matter, they said that a team from the commission was active at the Thinadhoo City Council yesterday in connection with cases being investigated by the ACC related to the Thinadhoo Council. Although they had worked to obtain documents needed for the investigation regarding a case submitted to the commission, the ACC noted that they did not receive full cooperation from the council in this matter.

“The ACC has obtained the documents needed for the investigation after completing all procedures within the legal framework of the Constitution, the Anti-Corruption Commission Act, and this commission’s law,” the ACC said. The ACC stated that the information released by the council regarding this matter is false, and that spreading false information about the ACC is unacceptable and they are extremely concerned about it.

The Deputy Speaker of the People’s Majlis, Mohamed Nazim, has stated that he has never been against free media. In a statement released in response to news reports about his comments on media regulation, Nazim said that he has never been against free media at any time, nor is he someone who would obstruct media freedom. He also stated that he would never support such actions.

Nazim said that in his parliamentary career, he has advocated for and successfully achieved many things in protecting people’s rights. This includes working on drafting a Civil Service Act to protect the civil service from political influence when political parties were introduced.

Nazim stated that we must not forget that media is one of the foundations of a democratic society. He noted that although there are currently two institutions regulating media in the Maldives, these institutions are not functioning optimally. He pointed out that in 2024, more than 18 million rufiyaa has been spent from the state budget on these two institutions.

Nazim emphasized that his goal is to reform such inefficient institutions. He said that media outlets also want to identify their true guardians and ensure that these guardians are genuinely empowered to raise their voices. He added that with the increased use of social media, it’s important to regulate these platforms.

“This is not about curtailing media freedom in any way. When using such platforms, we need to recognize that others have dignity and honor. The means to seek justice should be through laws written in black and white, and it’s an undeniable fact that such a law doesn’t exist in the Maldives at the moment,” Nazim said.

Nazim further stated that many countries have already begun taking steps to regulate social media. He highlighted Ireland’s “Online Safety and Media Regulation Act 2022” as a notable regulatory law that came into effect in 2022.

He emphasized the importance of having a legal framework that protects everyone’s interests as technologies like Artificial Intelligence enter the media sphere.

Foreign Minister Dr. Abdullah Khaleel has stated that Australia is a key partner in providing assistance in educational, social, and economic sectors. On the occasion of Australia Day, Minister Khaleel sent a congratulatory message to Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong. In the message, he said that on behalf of the Maldivian government, the people of Maldives, and in his personal capacity, he extends Australia Day greetings to her and to the people of Australia.

“The Maldives sincerely values the close relationship with Australia, a trusted development partner that has played a leading role in providing assistance for social and economic progress in areas such as education, health services, maritime security, and environmental sustainability,” the Minister said. The Minister stated that the main foundation of the strong relationship between the two countries is the people-to-people connections. He mentioned that the scholarships provided under the Australia Awards Program, which focuses on human resource development, are a prime example of this.

“Our bilateral relationship is built on shared values and a commitment to the progress of both our nations. Looking ahead, we take great pleasure in continuing to collaborate, expand our perspectives, and contribute to the well-being of our peoples in areas of mutual interest,” the Minister said.

Government Spokesperson Heena Waleed has stated that the government is not working on introducing any bill to regulate journalism and the internet in the Maldives. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the spokesperson said that introducing any kind of bill to regulate journalism and the internet is not included in the government’s legislative agenda, and the government is not working on introducing such a bill.

Heena said that the government does not intend to introduce such a bill in the future either, and as previously disclosed, the government’s policy is to deregulate the media and provide opportunities for a self-regulatory system. She added that from the very first day of this government, the primary policy has been to establish and maintain media freedom in the broadest sense.