Former President Shahid Calls for Halt to Rasmalé Project, Alleges Deception

Former President and former Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has called for abandoning the plan to sell Rasmalé to the UAE and halting the project. Shahid made this appeal while speaking at an MDP National Council meeting, stating that the Rasmalé project was misleading from its inception. "In my view, the entire Fushifinolhu project is a deception. First, the name of Fushifinolhu itself was misleading. The manner in which money was spent there was also deceptive. While passing the budget, expenses not included in the budget were incurred under the guise of deception, with 800 million dollars of citizens' money invested there," Shahid said. Shahid also stated that Rasmalé was being reclaimed under the pretext of providing housing to citizens, mentioning promises of a glass tunnel connecting it to Malé. He urged the government to immediately stop the work currently being carried out at Rasmalé and Fushifinolhu. The MDP National Council is meeting to decide on a resolution, submitted by MP Mahfuz Saeed, calling for a public vote before proceeding with the Rasmalé project, with protests planned if the government does not agree.