Former President Abdulla Yameen criticized President Mohamed Muizzu last night for attempting to take credit for the Sinamalé Bridge, which connects Malé and Hulhumalé.
Speaking at a gathering hosted by the People’s National Front (PNF), Yameen said that Muizzu had no involvement in the bridge project beyond his role as Housing Minister at the time. He expressed disappointment over what he described as a distortion of facts.
Yameen noted that the first discussions regarding the bridge took place during his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. He clarified that all negotiations were later conducted within the Economic Council at the President’s Office, a body of which Muizzu was not a member.
"I am telling the Maldivian people very clearly: Muizzu was the Housing Minister at the time. The conversation about building a bridge began during a visit I made to President Xi Jinping. All discussions after that took place at the President’s Office, within the Economic Committee. The senior figures involved from our side included then-Vice President Adeeb," Yameen said.
"It is very saddening when someone tries to mislead to this extent. One can certainly walk back and forth looking well-dressed, but it seems there is nothing else left for him to do now."
Furthermore, Yameen emphasized that the bridge project was carried out entirely with the assistance of foreign experts. While he acknowledged that Maldivian engineers might have assisted those experts, he maintained that the core technical work was external.
"In a project of this magnitude, there was no major contribution or share from Maldivian civil engineers. This was entirely foreign expertise. China completed this work, and perhaps some Maldivian engineers worked under the Chinese government as apprentices," Yameen said.
As Muizzu continues to claim credit for the Sinamalé Bridge, efforts are also being made to frame the ongoing Thilamalé Bridge project—initiated by the previous MDP administration with Indian assistance to connect Malé, Villimalé, Gulhifalhu, and Thilafushi—as having commenced under the direct supervision of the current government.
