President Abdulla Yameen has once again spoken in a manner that encourages thievery.
Speaking at the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM)'s mass rally on Tuesday night, the president said that the biggest obstacle faced by the youth is lack of jobs, but that 'marriage comes before that' which requires the men to 'take care of their girlfriends' in any possible way.
He added that 'housing worries come after marriage'.
"Before marriage, every male youth wants to give their girlfriend a mobile phone. Every male youth wants to get out of Malé's congested environment and travel to Hulhumalé for a coffee on the [Sinamalé] bridge, with their girlfriends behind them [on motorcycle]," said Yameen.
Further noting that every male youth wants to 'show off' to their significant others, the incumbent president questioned on how they are to get the funds for this while remaining unemployed.
He then noted that the males are 'forced' to do 'whatever necessary' to get the mobile phone so as to hold on to their girlfriends, citing the English idiom 'beg, borrow or steal'.
Hence, he said that youth need jobs than housing, and that his administration strives to do just this.
While the incumbent president, during campaigning for next week's election, claims that the youth are still lacking jobs and that his administration will work on creating more if reelected, he has previously claimed to have created over 90,000 jobs. However, various government officials have given different totals, with some even saying that over 100,000 jobs have been created during this administration.
Tuesday night is not the first time that the president spoke in such a manner that makes stealing acceptable, last month he said that 'it is okay to steal in advance'. He had previously admitted to receiving USD one million from Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC), the company implicated in the biggest corruption scheme in the country's history; however there has been no official confirmation that the many was returned to the state.
