President Muizzu acts impulsively in fits of rage without any foresight: Ziyad

Member of Parliament for the Vaikaradhoo constituency, Hussain Ziyad, has characterized President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu as a leader who makes impulsive decisions driven by anger, acting solely on his own desires without regard for other considerations.

Ahmed Saleem (Maaz Saleem), a member of the opposition MDP’s National Congress, has filed a complaint with the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) regarding the "Project Isla" development in Noonu Atoll. The project, which involves developing Dhigufaru and Dhekunufaru into a 262-room ultra-luxury resort, was granted Special Economic Zone (SEZ) status after President Muizzu’s administration introduced a sudden legislative amendment to the SEZ Act. This change established a new category titled "Sustainable Township" while land reclamation for the resort was already underway, prompting the formal challenge.

Speaking on RaajjeTV’s "TV Talk" program regarding the matter, Ziyad stated that President Muizzu is a leader who makes decisions with firm resolve and will see a task through once he has committed to it. Ziyad further noted that the regulations concerning petitions were amended in precisely this manner.

These actions are being driven by fits of rage. Currently, many initiatives are being undertaken out of pure spite, and this latest move is no different. The most recent change involved a public petition, which prompted an immediate, overnight amendment to the regulations. This was done specifically to allow for the inclusion of subsequent measures. The speed at which such changes are being implemented is remarkably abrupt.

Hussain Ziyad

The government has come under heavy fire from the public regarding this matter. In response, Maaz Saleem sent a formal letter to the President of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), Al-Ustadh Adam Shamil, on Thursday, calling for an immediate halt to the project and a full investigation. The letter submitted to the ACC highlighted concerns over the decision to grant Special Economic Zone (SEZ) status to the "Aila Project"—an existing resort development—and its conversion into a "sustainable township" less than a month after the relevant legal amendments took effect. The letter argued that if the site were developed as a 262-room ultra-luxury resort, it would generate over 70 million MVR annually in direct state revenue through land rent, TGST, Green Tax, and income tax.

However, it was also noted that due to the substantial tax exemptions and customs duty concessions granted under the SEZ framework, the state would receive only a minimal fraction of the revenue typically generated by a resort.

Furthermore, the letter noted that while Maldivians are currently required to pay an 8 percent GST to the government when purchasing property in the local market, there is a possibility that the tax rate for transactions within these townships could be reduced to approximately 1 percent.

The letter further alleges that the sudden reclassification of this project under the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) framework is a calculated move to facilitate corruption. It notes that the decision prioritizes providing concessions to wealthy foreign investors purchasing luxury properties over the interests of Maldivian citizens seeking to buy homes in their own country.

The letter further stated that Henley & Partners, the firm awarded the residency visa program for foreign nationals, is a company facing significant international criticism and serious allegations regarding such investment migration programs. Consequently, the letter emphasized the need to investigate the process by which this project was awarded to the firm.

The letter submitted to the ACC requested an interim injunction to halt the project and urged the commission to conduct an expedited investigation into the matter.