Vice President Usham and Housing Minister Muthalib Travel to Malaysia Amid Rasmalé Sale Controversy

Vice President Ahmed Usham and Housing Minister Abdullah Muthalib have travelled to Malaysia, Adhadhu has confirmed. The two officials are key figures involved in the sale of the Rasmalé project to Eagle Hills, a company linked to the United Arab Emirates' Mohamed Alabbabar, which has close ties to Israel and Zionists. The Commercial Terms Agreement for the sale of Rasmalé to Eagle Hills was signed by Muthalib in Dubai, outside the jurisdiction of the Maldivian Constitution. Usham has previously provided legal advice to the government regarding the project after it was submitted to the Cabinet, and has spoken about the need to pass new laws to facilitate the project, citing that existing Maldivian laws do not permit it. The government maintains that Rasmalé is being leased for 99 years. However, Eagle Hills has stated that if the land is sold before the initial 99-year lease expires, a new 99-year lease period would begin. The signing of the Commercial Terms Agreement took place on September 21. Efforts are underway to sign the final agreement on November 11, which is Republic Day in the Maldives. The deal to sell Rasmalé was made after President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu promised that not a single grain of sand from the reclaimed land would be given, leased, or sold to any foreign entity. He had stated that every grain of sand reclaimed in Rasmalé belongs to the Maldivian people and would not be given to any foreign party. Rasmalé is a 500-hectare area being reclaimed from Giraavaaru Falhu using state funds.