As the appointed Chair of Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), Maldives is 'protecting' the environment by chopping off the remaining trees in the capital city Male', criticized Former Speaker of Peoples' Majilis Abdulla Shahid. 

Shahid highlighted that while more trees are being cut off, Male' remains only 2.5 square meters in size and accommodates over 165,000 people. In a tweet he posted with photos of big trees that are being hewed by the current government, Shahid mockingly questions whether Maldives is setting a good example of environmental leadership or environmental disaster. 

Trees of different size, including aged ones, are being hewed from east to south-east in Boduthakurufaanu Magu as well as Lonuziyaaraiy area near Adi Park in an attempt to develop roads connected to Male'-Hulhule' bridge and the ring road of Male'. 

International community is castigating Maldives for not doing enough for the environment while being in a leadership position in AOSIS. In addition to which, many Maldivians are concerned about the the current government's negligence on environmental impairments that might be caused by its development projects.