Complaint Alleges Government Employees Forced to Join PNC

A complaint has been filed with the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) alleging that employees of state-owned enterprises are being coerced into joining the main ruling party, the People’s National Congress (PNC), through threats of dismissal and intimidation.

In a formal complaint addressed to the President of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), Al-Ustaz Adam Shamil, private citizen Ahmed Saleem (Maaz Saleem) has alleged that a campaign has been launched under the direction of President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, requiring every government employee to recruit five new members to the ruling party. The complaint further asserts that employees are being subjected to unlawful intimidation as part of this initiative.

It has been alleged that employees at Fenaka Corporation’s island offices who are affiliated with the MDP or remain non-partisan are being pressured to join the PNC. Reports indicate that these workers are being told that their continued employment is contingent upon signing as members of the ruling party.

According to the complaint, the manager of the Fenaka branch in HA. Baarah held individual meetings with employees, instructing them to register for the political party via eFaas by claiming it was a directive from the head office. Furthermore, allegations have been made that a significant number of employees who refused to comply with these instructions are being dismissed from their positions.

Furthermore, the case submitted by Saleem alleges that heads of STELCO and Fenaka branches have been intimidating employees by sending messages to their phones, stating that joining the PNC is essential to securing their jobs.

It has been noted that these activities are being conducted as official tasks within the human resources departments of state-owned enterprises. A recent example cited was an episode of RaajjeTV’s "Fashaairu" program, where a call made to STELCO’s HR department featured a staff member explaining the specific procedures to be followed after joining the PNC. However, following the public exposure of the incident, STELCO’s management denied the allegations. They reportedly blamed the employee who answered the call and issued a termination notice to remove them from their position.

Regarding this issue, it was further stated that employees affiliated with the MDP are being dismissed without notice under the guise of "right-sizing" state-owned enterprises. Salim alleged that this is a sign of the Maldives moving towards communism, claiming that individuals are being coerced into joining the main ruling party, similar to the practices seen in communist nations.

He stated that a case had previously been filed with the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) regarding allegations that Homeland Security Minister Ali Ihusaan spearheaded an effort to increase PNC membership by utilizing the Department of National Registration (DNR) database. However, he noted that no effective action has been taken on the matter.

In his letter, Saleem asserted that the failure of independent institutions to investigate these blatant illegal acts by the government is clear evidence that these bodies have legally failed. Consequently, he called upon the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to immediately investigate and take action against these crimes, which involve the abuse of power and the intimidation of the public.