A national movement titled "Maldivian Land for Maldivians" has been officially launched to oppose the allocation of reclaimed land from the Rasmalé project to a foreign company.
Inaugurating the movement, former Home Minister Imran Abdulla said that this is a consolidated effort to unify the various voices of dissent emerging across the Maldives against the "sale" of Rasmalé. He declared that the movement would continue until the government revokes its decision to grant land to Eagle Hills.
Detailing the reasons behind the movement, Imran alleged that President Mohamed Muizzu has deviated from his campaign promises, engaging instead in what he described as a massive "scam" to deceive the public. He argued it is unacceptable to grant 500 hectares of prime land near Malé to a foreign entity, especially when the reclamation is being funded by over $500 million of public money.
Imran further contended that this is not merely a political issue, but a "dangerous crime" aimed at undermining Maldivian sovereignty by handing over national territory to "Zionist" interests.
"Today, a vast majority of Maldivians believe this project is a pre-planned, dangerous crime orchestrated to strip power from the citizens of the Maldives and hand it to Zionists, all to serve Muizzu’s personal interests," he said.
Concerns regarding the government’s conduct over the Rasmalé project have been raised by the opposition MDP and PNF, as well as by religious scholars. Imran said that the objective of the "Maldivian Land for Maldivians" movement is to bring all these parties together to stop the project at a national level.
Imran emphasised that the allocation of the Maldives' land and maritime resources to foreign investors must be done through transparent processes and in consultation with the public. However, he claimed that the President is currently prioritising personal interests in a manner that jeopardises national independence.
Highlighting that journalists and researchers have uncovered significant details regarding the agreement signed on September 21, Imran noted that throughout history, Maldivians have always risen to save the nation whenever it faced betrayal.
"With the grace and help of Almighty Allah, the vast majority of the people are with us. The citizens are not prepared to let this continue. Looking at the chapters of Maldivian history, every time the nation was betrayed, the people stood up and saved the country," Imran said.
Imran concluded by calling on all political parties, NGOs, business owners, and patriotic members of the security services to join the movement. He reiterated that a majority of the public stands firmly against the allocation of land from Rasmalé.
