Archive for August, 2010

Maldives Terrorist Attack

Sagar Ahmed Nasir

23rd August, Male’, Maldives

The main opposition DRP MP has received a tip-off letter from unanimous source which warns a possible terrorist attack in Maldives to assassinate former president, current president, MPs, Opposition figures and some diplomats in the country. The letter was sent to MP Mahloof’s residence. The tip-off letter came to lime light less than a week after President Mr. Mohamed Nasheed freed two masterminds behind the 2007 Sultan Park bombing incident which injured 12 tourists.

The matter is under serious investigation according to Maldives Military and Police. The presidents press secretary told media that the government is very concerned about the incident. President Nasheed also thanked opposition for bringing the threat to their concern. However, the country’s foreign Minister was quoted saying that he never heard anything more ridiculous in his entire life.

The current president Mr. Nasheed’s relative  and a group of Maldivians tried to over through former government through a military attack. Military coup attempt by 80 armed mercenaries of the Sri Lankan People’s Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE) was carried out in 1988. The plot was foiled when Indian paratroopers arrived less than 12 hours later on request by then-President Gayoom. 19 people Maldivian lives were taken in the fighting, along with several hostages. The Maldives who were involved in the plot include current Defence Minister Ameen Faisal, current Disaster Management State Minister Abdulla Shahid, former military personnel Karo Abbas and Luthufy. Luthufy has escaped Maldives and rumours are there that even the current government is trying to arrest him. We are unable to confirm the arrest warrant.

Prgress Light Maldives

Progress Light Ship used by LTTE

Kurumba Maldives Strike

23rd August, 15:30, Male’, Maldives, Maldivestoday.com

The operation of the Kurumba Maldives has come to a stand still when all the in house guests were evacuated due to staff strike in the island resort.

When the strike started yesterday the resort was operating at 80% occupancy with 260 guests mainly European and Chinese. Today all the of the 260 guests in the resort has departed back to their home country and to some other resorts in Maldives. The guests left the resort at their own discretion due to strikers using foul language and as the strike turned violent. Reports are coming that one of the rooms glasses were also smashed and strikers also barricaded the main restaurant kitchen. The resort has to incur millions in loss due to the strike and consequent evacuation of the in house guests and cancellation of bookings.

The employees taking part in the strike said that it became violent when the General Manager’s secretary foul mouthed the strikers and used harsh words. That angered the crowd. The strikers have removed General Managers assistant and his secretary from their rooms and departed from the island by force.

Kurumba Maldives is a five star resort in the capital Male’. It is the first tourist resort to be opened in Maldives. The resort is owned and managed by the Universal Enterprises Pvt ltd.

Tourism is the biggest industry in Maldives which contributes 35% of GDP directly and indirectly this percentage remains around 70% of the GDP. The country attracts over 600,000 visitors a year. Currently the country has around 90 resorts. Resorts are located on one island one hotel basis.

Maldives Resort Employees Strike

Kurumba Maldives

22nd August, Male’, Maldives, Maldivestoday.com

Strike in Kurumba Maldives

Over 200 employees of Kurumba Maldives a five star tourist resort in Maldives have been on strike since lastnight. They are protesting for better working condition and other employment benefits. They are also complaining about how the management of the resort is dealing with them. They complains include low salary, service charge, poor accommodation and poor food. The participants of the strike told Maldivestoday that they filed a petition with the Kurumba Management and they failed to address the issue. Strikes in some of the Maldivian resorts have become quite frequent. Some of such strikes has taken place before in One & Only Reethi Rah, Velassaru, Chaaya Dhonveli, Ari Beach, Bandos Island Resort etc.

The Maldivian law requires to employ atleast 51% Maldivians as the workforce.

The welfare of the in house guests

We have not received any complains that the in house guests in the resort are of any danger or services to them been stopped. However, people pay a huge amount to come and vacation in Maldives. Hence, definitely a strike in a resort will disturb the guests and the quality of the service will be low. The resort have 180 rooms and if in full occupancy it will accommodate around 36o guests and around 300 employees.

The role of the TEAM

A NGO by the name of TEAM has been registered in Maldives to raise the voice of the tourism industry workers and fight for their right. Since, its formation it has been quite active. However, its president Mr. Ahmed Eesa used the platform to get elected to parliament since getting elected has done very little to protect the rights of the tourism industry employees. Tourism Industry employees refer to the NGO as being selfish and formed to achieve political aspiration of its founders rather than to protect the rights of the workers.

History of the Resort

Kurumba Maldives or famously known as Kurumba Village is the first and the virgin resort to be opened in the Maldives back in 1972. The resort is owned by one of the most successful company’s in Maldives which is know as Universal Enterprises. Maldivestoday has learned that recently the company is on a management restructure. The first generation of Koli family to retire and the new generation to take over the family business. During the transition they have have recruited world class employees which include VP of the famous Star Wood Hotel chain. Koli family has been respected in Maldives as the pioneers of the tourism industry and also have helped many Maldivian families. The resort has also trained some of the best tourism personal in the industry.

Tourism Industry faces many challenges

Maldivian tourism industry is at the cross roads and in very fragile state. Many resorts are been operated at a loss. Over 65 resorts are leased but yet to be developed. Many big business such as Villa, AAA, VB, Sun Travel, Rainbow and Athama are facing huge financial difficulties due to poor performance of the tourism industry. The current governments tourism policy is rather weak and the tourism ministry is not functional at all. Even currently Tourism Ministry is handed over to mr. Ali Hashim who is a close friend of Mr. Nasheed. Ali Hashim is also the Finance Minister. This shows the government is not really interested in strengthening the Tourism industry. How can the government solve the issues in the tourism industry when they have failed to appoint a good minister expressed one of the frustrated participants of the strike.

Maldives Parliament

22nd August, 13:30, Male’, Maldives

The cabinet ministers and government employees will not attend any Parliamentary Committees. The decision was taken by the current president of Maldives Mr. Mohamed Nasheed whose name has been recently defaced due to many undemocratic decisions and actions.

This is just another series of attacks on the country’s parliament suspects political experts. The experts believe the checks and balances system enshrined in a democratic society has slowly been taken away by the current president Mr. Mohamed Nasheed. It’s also important to highlight that the 4 power of the democracy which is the media has been hijacked by the state. The state media company has been illegal held by the puppets of Mr. Nasheed.

The democracy in Maldives is slowly been suffocated by the executive.

updates coming…

Knife Attack in Maldives

20th August 2010, Male, Maldives, Maldivestoday.com

A 16 year old boy was stabbed with a knife in one of the main streets in Male’ called Ameenee Magu near the Billabong High School. The area is the official residence area of the country’s military force and also within close proximity to the Maldives College of Higher Education. The boy was stabbed by an armed gang. The incident occured less than 10 hours since the parliament passed a bill to stop gang violence.

The boy is receiving treatment at the IGM Hospital ICU. The boy obviously fighting for his life. Maldives mainly a peaceful country has seen increased in gang violence where young lives have been taken. Last week president of Maldives also freed two the masterminds behind 2007 Sultan Park Bombing incident of terrorism. The incident injured 12 tourists.

Drug addition, gang violence is rampant in the capital Male’ which houses around 120,000 people. Police records indicate that there were over 180 cases related to gang violence in the capital Male’ during the first 6 months of this year. Male’ also attracts many foreign tourists. Their safety has to be increased. Urgent measures need to be taken to stop gang related violence. Experts reckon that a bill is not the end but it has to be implemented well. Actions against people who take the constitution in their hands has to be charged and legal action taken against them.

Are Parliamentarian behind the gangs?

The government has done little to control the gang violence and address the drug industry in Maldives. Some of the key government officials and members of parliament are believed to be behind these gangs. Some of the gangs are operated by drug lords in the country. The party in power MDP, its parliamentary group leader proclaimed last month that he is the Chief Justice of the country. He went to the extent of forming a “street court” where death and arrest ruling were issued. The parliamentary group leader Moosa Manik also activated his gangs in the Island of Thilafushi ( a industrial island near Male’) to attack and threat the journalists of VTV which is one of the local news channel.

Is Male Safe?

It is sad to say some of the slumps in Male’ are not safe to walk around at night. We have seen few years back people can walk in the streets even at midnight without fear. But that is history now.

The gang violence has taken many young lives. Some of the prominent businessmen has been arbitrarily attacked and knifed. There are businessmen whose organs has been paralyzed or seriously injured due to these merciless attacks.

The constitution ensures that every citizen has the right to life and safety. Many Maldivians now questions whether they get this basic tenet of the constitution. Some label Maldives as the Zimbabwe of Asia. The head of the country quite often goes against the constitution. The parliamentarian fear been attacked. Businessmen fear been robbed. Ordinary citizens fear for violence and young boys fear for their life.

The moral of the story be safe when you walk in the streets of Male’ mainly at night.

Chief of Defense Force Major General Moosa Ali Jaleel

Commissioner of Police Ahmed Faseeh

19th August 2010, 10:20, Male’, Maldives

Two Chiefs to be Questioned

The parliament today issued a warrant to Chief of Defense Force Major General Moosa Ali Jaleel and Commissioner of Police Ahmed Faseeh to appear before the 241 security committee of the parliament. The warrant was issued following their failure to appear before the parliament although repeated requests were made late June and July. The requests were due to the way Police and Army handled following self induced resignation of the cabinet en masse and the resigned ministers violent behaviour in the streets and government sponsored violence against opposition MPs and opposition figures. It is important that Police and Army held opposition figures captive without court order and and some instances refused to obey the court order.

The 241 committee today unanimously voted infavour of issuing a warrant for the chiefs to appear before the committee on 26th August 2010.

What happened to a loved son of the land

Moosa Ali Jaleel is a popular military leader until the government of Nasheed came to power. Once they are in power the public is of the opinion that now MJ Ali Jaleel is following the political commands of president Nasheed. In some cases the legal experts has said that some of the orders are unconstitutional like confiscating the Supreme Court key and holding political opponents in confinement without court order etc.

Discrimination of force

Also Faseeh’s popularity became low since pro government protests and opposition protests are dealt in entirely different way. People of Male’ gathered in the STELCO to show their frustration of increase electricity tariff only to be beaten and be victims of police tear gas. However, when cabinet ministers resigned and created chaos in the streets of Male’ the police reacted very mildly. When the governmental mobs attacked opposition leaders houses and property police reacted very mild. All these cases put the democracy on test at infancy.

We hope that military and police will be sincere to the constitution not the unconstitutional orders of their superior. Leaders will change every 5 year but the Military and Police will remain as they for eternity.

19th August 2010, Male’, Maldives, Maldivestoday.com

The parliament of Maldives will interview cabinet ministers nominations of the president before they are approved by the parliament. The parliamentary procedure regulation permits parliamentary committees to carry out this work. The articel 177 of the regulation allows the committee to question and interview cabinet ministers.

This additional scrutiny came after the cabinet resigned en masse late last year for no obvious reason. The opposition suspects that it was a poorly directed political drama of the president. However, two weeks after their resignation the president has appointed the same ministers to the same portfolios they held before and without parliamentary approval they went ahead taking oath of office. The matter was described by lawyers as unconstitutional.

The unapproved Attorney General Husnu-al Suood, however, resigned amid the judicial crisis. Our sources have confirmed the main reason behind his resignation was that he was not discussed matters relating to his duty. The decision are taken by the presidents office and he has to be responsible for the out come. Another reasons was that president asked his special envoy Zaki and Political Advisor to Supreme Court to enter into the Supreme Court premises when the Military has frozen the court premises. We have learned that both men tried to go through Supreme Court documents etc.

After resignation some of the ministers called parliamentarians as wild animals while other ministers said that they are thieves. The main opposition DRP leader has said that they will consider the speeches of the resigned ministers if their name are sent to parliamentary approval.

Legal experts say that the works of unapproved ministers will be unconstitutional. Any agreement that they signed on behalf of the government will be null and void. Hence, it is important for people to take note of this point if you are dealing with government ministries. The solution if get the signature of a state minister or some other appointee not any of the unapproved ministers. Technically there is not cabinet in Maldives at the moment since, non of the ministers have been given the parliamentary approval as required by the Constitution.

updates coming

Ganesh Subramanian CEO of BOML

18th August 2010, Male’, Maldives, Maldivestoday

Maldivestoday has learned that the CEO of the national Bank of Maldives has given his resignation today after leaving the country on 24th May 2010 without informing the bank or other authorities. Media reported that Mr. Ganesh Subramanian, an Indian who joined the bank last year, left the country amid internal investigations involving him and another employee.

Why not arrested?

We dont understand why the police or immigration officers didn’t arrest or stop him. It’s like a foreign CEO of Bank of America vanishing one fine morning and leaving the country. Will it be tolerated in America?

Should he be paid for being absent?

Maldivestoday also learned that he was even paid when he vanished and left the country. That is for 3 months which would have cost Bank shareholders and government of Maldives atleast USD30,ooo. In a shameful answer to media the current Chairman of the board of directors of the bank Mr. Adam Ibrahim said that the Mr. Subramanian has informed that he is sick and cant report to authorities in Maldives for investigation. Why has the police not issued a arrest warrant through INTERPOL as they do usually. This is a serious matter when the CEO of the national bank leaves without giving a clue to MMA, Board of Directors or auditor general etc. We have learned that Mr. Subramanian is a close friend of Mr. Ibrahim Hussain Zaki who is president Nasheed’s special envoy. Zaki is believe to be the person behind hiring Subramaniun.

There are three main banks in Maldives, they are Bank of Maldives, State Bank of India, Bank of Ceylone. In addition HSBC Lanka, Mauritius Bank, Habib Bank also operates in a small scale.

While Mr. Subramaniun vanished from Maldives another Indian accountant who was employed at Maldives Airports Company for 23 years is believed to be the person behind providing all the financial history and details of the company to Indian GRM company. The accountant is believed to be hired by GMR now and works for them. GMR company has snatched Male’ International Airport in a controversial deal. The case of GMR is in the Maldivian Court, and has been filed at the Anti Corruption Commission of Maldives. The parliament is working on a bill stop GMR company getting the leasing right of the only international airport in the country.

17th August, Male’, Maldives, Maldivestoday.com

President of Maldives Mr. Nasheed has today freed 2 men who masterminded the 2007 Sultan Park Bombing in the capital Male’ which injured 12 tourists. The men who were involved in the bombing incident were serving 15 years imprisonment at the time of their release under a presidential pardon. The two men walked home freely and if they are not found committing a crime in 3 years time their 15 year prison sentences will be waived off.

The Maldives Police is still trying to capture the missing 10 men involved in the incident through INTERPOL.  Maldivestoday has learned that Maldives Police didn’t not cancel the wanted list. Security experts consider the release of hardcore criminal as serious joke which could undermine the security of the country for its people and tourists alike. Why should Mr. Nasheed release these hardcore criminal while Maldivian police through interpol are searching for 10 men who were involved in the incident. Red Notice have been issued in 186 countries to capture and arrest them. So its a joke for INTERPOL too. While they searching of suspects of the incident Maldivian president has freed 2 of its master minds.

The Bombing incident at Sultan Park was first of its kind in Maldives. The incident badly effected country’s main industry which is tourism. The reason or logic behind release of these prisoners are not clear. Presidents Spokesperson Mr. Zuhair didnt not explain details of the release. The two men who were freed today are Mohamed Sobah (22 yrs) of Villimale, Landhooge, and Ahmed Naseer (23yrs) of Kanduhulhudhoo, Saadhunaa Manzil.

The injured tourists in the bombing incident include British, Japanese, Chinese and some other nationality. This a case for concern as the most important economic activity int he country is tourism.

Ali Hashim owner of Lintel Maldives

17th August, Male’, Maldives, Maldivestoday.com

The close associate of president Mr. Mohamed Nasheed and owner of Lecute Mr. Ali Hashim has been given the additional portfolio of Tourism Minister temporarily. Ali Hashim is is also the country’s Finance Minister who is also business partner of Economic Minister Mahamood Razee, Razee chairs the Privatization Committee and held portfolios of Communication Minister and Economic Minister until he was transferred to Economic Ministry.

The tourism portfolio became vacant following Dr. Sawad’s transfer to Attorney General Office. The tourism portfolio is very powerful ministry in Maldives which overseas all the tourism establishments and also leases islands for tourism development.

Opposition criticize president Nasheed for running the country like a family business where 99% of top portfolios are given to his close associates and friends rather based on merit which he advocated before coming to power.