National security is not "a joke", says ex-defence minister

Former Minister of Defense and current MP for Madduvari constituency, Adam Shareef Umar, has stated that national security should not be taken lightly or "treated as a joke".

Adam made the statement via Twitter on Twitter, writing that the necessary steps against threats to national security is the responsibility of the relevant authorities.

He further stated that national security and the safety of the citizens are serious issues and that national security should not be treated like "a joke".

Adam Shareef, a member of the opposition coalition and deputy leader of the People’s National Congress (PNC), made the statement following Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) issuing an alert status of “Yellow two” across the country.

As such, the opposition has voiced concerns regarding the lack of information about why the alert status was raised.

Likewise, President of PNC, Abdul Raheem Abdulla while speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, expressed concern due to patrols by armed soldiers and appealed for MNDF to reveal the reason behind the patrols and yellow alert.

In response to the concerns by the public regarding the yellow alert, Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) revealed that the readiness level of the military was lifted to Yellow Two "in the interest of national security." It said that there is no particular threat or reason behind raising the alert status across the entire Maldives.

Speaking to media to provide the latest updates on the yellow alert, MNDF revealed that the alert status was raised to prepare the military personnel for “anything that may happen”.

This follows a strengthening of security measures across the country, even at the Velana International Airport, with armed military personnel clad in uniform stationed across different areas.