That time Muizzu showed everyone just how cool his English really is
21 އޯގަސްޓު 2026 | ހުކުރު 09:46President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has faced significant public backlash following a recent interaction with students, where he was observed mixing Dhivehi and English during his remarks. Critics argue that such a style of speech, especially in an address marking National Day, is inconsistent with the dignity of the nation's highest office and undermines the prestige of the Dhivehi language
President Muizzu greets a group of children gathered to see him off as he departs Utheemu, following the conclusion of his visit to participate in the official National Day festivities | President's Office
"Let's talk very friendly, very casually. Feel free to say anything... I am providing an all-round service here. It’s spiritual, mental, physical... pure, unedited, sincere... social fabric... everyone is equal... dignity is equal... your comments and questions are very valuable to me."President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu
I was immediately transported back to a 1982 Amitabh Bachchan comedy flick, Namak Halaal, specifically evoking the unforgettable scene where his character intensely strains to string together English words. It did not matter whether anyone grasped what was being communicated in that English monologue; the sheer comedic absurdity of the whole spectacle was enough to make a viewer switch off the screen altogether.
However, on this occasion, it was our supposedly educated Head of State who caught everyone off guard by staging an unexpected, real-world reenactment of the movie.
UK doctorate credentials vs classroom reality
The President of the Maldives, Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, is widely touted as an exceptional figure who earned a PhD from the United Kingdom. When a leader attains such high-tier scholarly credentials in the UK, the public naturally presumes he possesses genuine fluency in the English tongue. It was against the backdrop of this exact presumption that he recently decided to showcase his linguistic command during an address to school pupils, opting to deliver his remarks in a tangled blend of English and Dhivehi.
Channeling Amitabh for the youth audience
Throughout his ongoing delivery in this mixed-up tongue, that iconic character of Amitabh relentlessly sprang to mind. It was genuinely astonishing to watch the nation’s supreme leader, armed with a British doctorate, conduct himself in such a fashion on an open public stage. His overt bid to come across as cool before a youthful crowd by relying on Gen Z slang managed only to recreate the theatrical buffoonery of a 1982 comedy flick.
Losing dignity in the pursuit of trendy relatability
Though his purpose may have been to appear approachable or hip to the children, the chosen delivery and linguistic tactics made the entire showcase look far more preposterous than ever intended.
Whenever the individual occupying the highest post in the land speaks before the nation's youth, he is duty-bound to uphold both the stature of his office and the integrity of the national language.
Instead, putting on a stylistic act so completely disconnected from his actual maturity level became an awkward pill for many observers to swallow.
Linguistic confusion and unclear objectives
Whether rooted in a failure to express himself properly in modern English or an inability to converse in polished, eloquent Dhivehi, this unnatural blending of English into Dhivehi, and vice versa, rendered the core point thoroughly muddled.
It remains completely ambiguous whether he intended to imply that the modern generation cannot comprehend speech unless it arrives in a language mash-up, or if he was simply trying to dazzle these youngsters with his elite academic pedigree. Whatever the hidden rationale, the performance remained pure, unadulterated Namak Halaal.
Diminishing the office on historic national day soil
Exhibiting this sort of demeanor degrades the standing of the Head of State, painting him in the eyes of the public as an official empty of authentic capability and gravitas.
A Head of State ought to engage the citizenry with resolute authority and a deep spirit of patriotism, entirely without eroding the reverence owed to the native tongue.
One must ask what standard President Muizzu is really establishing for the modern generation and young minds.
Above all, orchestrating this routine during a journey to the native island of Boduthakurufaanu to mark National Day brought him nothing aside from extensive backlash and general public condemnation.
Preaching nationalism while chasing synthetic trends
Championing Maldivian heritage and patriotism on one side, while unnaturally thrusting a foreign tongue into settings where it serves no purpose just to look cool, is not the least bit entertaining. What unfolded before us was undeniably a living, breathing rendition of Namak Halaal.
The sole variation lies in who was cast to perform the starring roles across the two episodes.
