Housing Ministry issues letters for flat registration only after facing mounting pressure just days before Minister was scheduled to be summoned

It has been revealed that the Ministry of Housing, Land and Urban Development issued letters to facilitate the permanent residency registration for the 4,000 flats allocated under the "Gedhoruveriya" scheme only after facing significant pressure, just days before Minister Dr. Abdulla Muththalib was summoned to Parliament.

The Muizzu administration’s decision to issue flats under the "Gedhoruveriya" housing scheme via lease agreements has resulted in a policy where residents are unable to register their permanent residency at these addresses. This restriction stems directly from the government's classification of these contracts as rental agreements rather than ownership transfers. This issue has been a subject of significant public concern and has gained considerable traction since mid-last year.

In light of these developments, Member of Parliament Mohamed Ibrahim submitted a formal inquiry on August 12, 2025, seeking clarification from Minister Muththalib regarding the delay in issuing Male' residency registrations for recipients of Fahi Dhiriulhun Corporation (FDC) flats. The session to address this inquiry has been scheduled for May 4, 2026.

On that day, Ibrahim questioned whether the public should be left stranded and unable to register their residences simply because the current flat agreements are structured as lease agreements. Responding to the inquiry in Parliament, the Minister stated that a formal letter regarding the matter has been dispatched to both the City Council and the Fahi Dhiriulhun Corporation.

In response to the Minister's remarks, the Fahi Union submitted a Right to Information (RTI) request seeking the original letters sent by the Housing Ministry to the FDC and the City Council regarding the residency registration of the 4,000 flat recipients. The request was filed on May 4, 2024.

RaajjeMV has obtained copies of the letters sent to the Fahi Union regarding the proposal submitted to the Ministry of Housing. Among these is a letter dated April 22, 2024, signed by the Housing Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Mohamed Shamil, and addressed to Hamdhan Shakeel, the Managing Director of Fahi Dhiriulhun Corporation (FDC).

The letter states that, according to the terms of the lease-to-own agreements, the Fahi Dhiriulhun Corporation (FDC) remains the legal owner of the units until all ownership transfer transactions are finalized. Consequently, the council has been instructed to grant the necessary authorizations to include recipients of flats under the "Gedhoruveriya" housing scheme, as well as their dependents, in the Male' City residents' registry, in accordance with relevant laws and regulations.

In a letter sent to the Male' City Council on the same day, the Ministry of Housing stated that the agreements signed between the Fahi Dhiriulhun Corporation (FDC) and the flat recipients are intended for eventual ownership by the lessees. Consequently, the Ministry has instructed that once FDC grants permission, individuals under the care of these recipients should be added to the Male' City Residents' Registry, in accordance with relevant laws and regulations.

Both letters were dispatched just days before the Minister was scheduled to appear before Parliament. At the time, the issue had escalated significantly, placing the government under intense public and political pressure. Although the inquiry had been pending in Parliament since last year, it was only scheduled for a floor session after the Ministry had completed sending the required correspondence. This timeline is clearly evidenced by the dates on the documents released in response to the Right to Information (RTI) request.