A meeting of the Adhaalath Party’s (AP) consultative council, scheduled to discuss the controversial sale of Rasmalé to Mohamed Alabbar—a businessman known for close ties to Israel and Zionist interests—was cancelled last night due to a lack of quorum.
The meeting was officially convened to share and deliberate on information provided by Attorney General (AG) Ahmed Usham regarding the Pearl Residency and Rasmalé projects.
A source informed Adhadhu that the lack of a quorum was likely a deliberate move to prevent members from formally submitting motions against the Rasmalé deal. However, an informal session was held where the "township concept" was discussed.
According to the source, 90 percent of the members who spoke during the informal session expressed opposition to establishing a specialised residential area for non-Muslims in the Maldives.
AP President Mohamed Shifan did not respond to calls seeking comment on the matter.
While the government maintains that Rasmalé is being leased for 99 years, Alabbar’s company, Eagle Hills, has indicated that if the property is sold before the initial 99-year lease expires, a new 99-year term would commence.
Commercial terms to sell 500 hectares of Rasmalé—land currently being reclaimed at Fushidhiggaru lagoon using state funds—to Eagle Hills were signed on September 21. The government aims to sign the definitive agreement on November 11, coinciding with the Maldives' Republic Day.
The deal to sell Rasmalé comes despite campaign pledges by President Mohamed Muizzu, who had vowed that not a single grain of sand from the reclaimed land would be leased or given to foreign parties.
"Every grain of sand reclaimed there [Rasmalé] belongs to the Maldivian people. It is not land that will be leased to any foreign party for even a single day, nor will it be given away for free," Muizzu had previously stated.
