Shaneez Hashim, who contested the Hulhumale South parliament seat on the ruling People's National Congress (PNC) ticket, has been dismissed from his position at the Housing Development Corporation (HDC) after defecting to the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).
The HDC employee, who had served the company for over a decade, was terminated last Tuesday. He accused that his dismissal was carried out without any consideration for his defense.
"In state-owned enterprises, expressing support for any party or leader other than the incumbent government has become equivalent to committing a forbidden act," he said.
Shaneez, a popular figure among Hulhumale’s youth, noted that the pressure against him began after he posted on social media expressing sadness over the imprisonment of Adhadhu journalist Mohamed Shahzan.
Following disagreements, Shaneez resigned from the PNC and joined the MDP. He noted that his dismissal followed a social media post he made endorsing Abdulla Sodiq (Sobe) in the Hithadhoo North by-election.
In addition to Shaneez, several others have recently been dismissed from their jobs due to political differences. The MDP has scheduled a protest in Male' tonight to voice opposition against these actions.
The protest, organized by the MDP under the slogan "Job Thursday," is set to begin at 8:30 pm tonight in the Rasfannu area.
