Former Vice President Dr Mohamed Jameel Ahmed said last night that the Maldives' legal identity will effectively come to an end once a portion of Rasmalé—a land reclamation project launched for public housing—is handed over to the UAE-based firm Eagle Hills.
Speaking at a gathering hosted by the People’s National Front (PNF), Jameel asserted that once the Rasmalé deal is signed, the government will no longer be able to guarantee the absence of religious freedom or the prohibition of temples. He argued that under international law, the settlement of foreign nationals would necessitate the provision of such rights.
"The moment this agreement is signed is the exact day the legal features of the Maldives come to an end. Legally. The Maldives, as a legal entity, will cease to exist. From that point forward, the Maldivian government cannot claim that there is no religious freedom here, or that temples cannot be built," Jameel said.
"For instance, we won't be able to avoid practising agreements like the Samoa Agreement. Gay rights will exist. This is because the land is being sold to them for 99 years. International law mandates that those residing in a place must be allowed to practice their way of life. They will have their own places of worship."
Highlighting that the Maldives is a sovereign nation with distinct characteristics, Jameel noted that while some countries are formed with diverse identities, the Maldives is defined by a single race, religion, and language.
"The Maldives was fundamentally created as a sovereign place for Maldivians with specific traits. Different nations are formed in different ways. Maldivians decided that the character of this country is defined by one race, one language, and one religion. That is how we defined our nation," he said.
Jameel further noted that when countries like Malaysia and Singapore gained independence, their multi-ethnic populations required the protection of certain rights under international law, leading to the accommodation of various religions in those nations.
The government has stated that Rasmalé is being leased for 99 years. As current laws do not permit such an arrangement, the administration is reportedly working on drafting new legislation to facilitate the project. Efforts are currently underway to sign the permanent agreement within this month.
The government has agreed to hand over Rasmalé without charging an acquisition fee or land rent. The state’s only financial benefit will be 10 percent of the revenue from the sale of commercial properties and four percent of the revenue from apartment sales in Rasmalé.
