When Solih assumed office, National Museum was in a state of neglect, with rain leaking into the building: Nazim

Mohamed Nazim, the former Senior Executive Director at the Ministry of Heritage and the official previously in charge of Male's heritage sites, stated that the National Museum was in a state of disrepair with a leaking roof when former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih took office. He noted that the previous administration subsequently undertook the necessary renovations to restore the facility.

Nazim made these remarks in response to statements made last Wednesday by the Minister of National Heritage, Culture and Art, Heena Waleed. Minister Heena had stated that the National Museum has not undergone any major renovations to date, leaving the facility in urgent need of extensive repair work.

Speaking on the "Fashaairu" program on Sunday regarding the matter, Nazim stated that Minister Heena’s claims that the National Museum was not being maintained were false.

When former President Solih assumed office, the building was in a state of disrepair, with significant leaks during rainfall. Consequently, the facility remained closed for an extended period to undergo extensive renovation and maintenance work.

When we first arrived, the National Museum was in a state of total neglect, where it would literally rain inside the building. It was a place prone to constant flooding. This is documented in the records, and Adam Naseer, a Civil Service employee who was in charge of the museum at the time, can attest to this. In the current administration, Adam Naseer—specifically Adam Naseer from Dhidhdhoo—serves as a Deputy Minister. He was the official overseeing the museum’s collection and operations from the Civil Service side back then. He is well aware of the extensive work we undertook within the museum. Furthermore, many of those who were involved in those restoration efforts are still with us today.

Mohamed Nazim, who served as the Senior Executive Director at the Ministry of Heritage during the previous administration and was in charge of Male's historical sites.

While Nazim has refuted Minister Heena’s statements, the Minister also informed Parliament that efforts to address the space constraints at the National Museum and proceed with building renovations in collaboration with the Chinese government are expected to commence very shortly.

The Maldives National Museum houses a collection of 7,000 artifacts, some of which date back more than 1,500 years. However, the government has noted that despite the extensive collection, significant challenges remain in establishing classification standards and implementing effective measures for the measurement, preservation, and maintenance of these historical items.

However, the renovation and proper maintenance of the museum remain of utmost importance.