Booster Dose, Satellite Schools, Ministerial ‘Sacrificial Lamb’

Friday, January 21

The transport ministry urged the public to report taxis that refuse to take rides within Malé. The announcement came after complaints that taxis were only accepting higher-fare trips to Hulhumalé or the airport.

Friday, January 21

Thursday, January 20

In response to a rapid surge in Covid-19 cases, the government-run Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital downgraded some services. IGMH cancelled general surgeries and shortened laboratory service hours.

Thursday, January 20

A 34-year-old Maldivian man was arrested for threatening to blow up the president’s office. He reportedly approached security guards and demanded that senior officials come out. The police have been taking such threats seriously since a terror attack targeting the speaker of parliament on May 6 last year.

Wednesday, January 19

The first hearing in Youth and Sports Minister Ahmed Mahloof’s bribery trial was cancelled on short notice. The former lawmaker is accused of accepting a bribe of US$33,000 from stolen public funds to vote for the special economic zones bill in 2014. The charge was based on evidence uncovered during a joint investigation by the police and presidential asset recovery commission into the theft of US$90 million during the previous administration. The minister denies the allegations and claims he is a “sacrificial lamb” for the corruption scandal.

The government has been under fire over Mahloof remaining in the cabinet despite a ‘zero tolerance’ policy to fire political appointees charged with corruption.

Wednesday, January 19

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih returned from a three-day official visit to the U.A.E. He attended the opening ceremony of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week and the Zayed Sustainability Prize awards ceremony.

A 21-year-old man died of injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident on the Sinamalé bridge.

Tuesday, January 18

A fire incident occurred in the cockpit of a Maldivian flight that was preparing to take off from the Hanimadhoo airport. The windshield of the co-pilot side was cracked. All 35 passengers and crew were safely evacuated as airport fire and rescue services put out the flames.

Tuesday, January 18

Monday, January 17

Former Fuvahmulah Mayor Abdulla Falah Shareef was appointed deputy minister of national planning, housing and infrastructure.

Monday, January 17

Addu City’s Hira School was the South Asia region winner of the annual Zayed Sustainability Prize, chosen among six recipients in the Global High Schools category with a proposal for a rainwater harvesting project.

Kudarikilu islanders locked up the health centre in protest as the island was left without a doctor for a week. The atoll hospital promised to send a replacement for the Egyptian doctor who went on vacation the previous week, the council president told the media.

‘Satellite schools’ were inaugurated for students from three islands who used to travel to neighbouring islands for school. Laptops and WiFi were set up for online classes with teachers from the Huravee School in the capital. Fehendhoo in Baa Atoll and Thinadhoo and Rakeedhoo in Vaavu Atoll were the only inhabited islands without public schools due to their small populations. Work on the Rakeedhoo school was reportedly stalled but resumed with a new contractor.

A speedboat was donated to ferry Fehendhoo students in 2020 after years of the island’s children travelling to Goidhoo on small dinghies.

Sunday, January 16

The deadline to apply for vacancies in the Anti-Corruption Commission was extended to 31 January. All five members of the independent commission resigned in December ahead of a no-confidence by parliament. The president will nominate candidates for parliamentary approval.

Sunday, January 16

The Arabiyya School started the new school term in temporary premises set up at Malé’s old Sawmill site, which was most recently used by the foreign ministry while its offices were renovated. The Arabic-medium school was moved after the decade-old building in Chandhanee Magu became unsafe with cracks in its concrete pillars. The government plans to build a new school for the 770 students at the old Jamaluddin school plot.

Due to a surge in Covid-19 cases, the second term began with reduced hours and days for grades one through eight in Malé’s schools.

A tourist who went missing during a diving trip near Maandhoo island was found dead a day later. Coastguard divers recovered the body 15 meters underwater near the reef dive spot.

Indian teachers from some island schools have complained about facing harassment and calls for expulsion, the education ministry said after reporting the opposition’s ‘India Out’ slogan sprayed on a wall on Funadhoo island, an opposition stronghold in Shaviyani Atoll.

Saturday, January 15

Long queues stretched outside vaccination centres in Malé as the Pfizer booster dose was offered to all residents above 18 years of age who completed their first two doses six months ago. Appointments were booked online but some people needed to wait beyond their time slot. Delays were resolved on the second day. More than 100,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine were donated by the United States.

Photo Credit: Nishaan Ali for Mihaaru

Saturday, January 15