At a time when state-owned enterprises are laying off staff under the guise of streamlining operations, Aishath Nizly Rasheed—who faced a defeat contesting the Male' City Council election on a ruling party ticket—has been appointed to a high-ranking position at the Housing Development Corporation (HDC).
A reliable source informed Adhadhu that Nizly was appointed as an Assistant Director at HDC late last month.
"That is a position with a salary exceeding MVR 40,000. While long-serving employees are being terminated under the pretext of 'right-sizing,' new political appointments are still being made," the source said.
Nizly previously won a seat in the 2021 City Council elections on an opposition MDP ticket. However, she defected to the ruling PNC during 2024.
Nizly’s appointment to HDC comes as the Privatization and Corporatization Board (PCB) initiates a process to reduce the workforce of state-owned enterprises by 33 percent, following a surge in government expenditure and mounting financial challenges.
Last week, President Mohamed Muizzu announced that over 6,000 employees would be dismissed from state companies. The opposition MDP has alleged that the majority of those being terminated are its members.
