President Renames Defence Ministry, Appoints Hassan Rasheed as Minister

President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has renamed the Ministry of Defence as the Ministry of Defence and National Service and appointed Hassan Rasheed as minister, as part of the latest government reshuffle.

The letter of appointment was presented to Rasheed at an official ceremony held at the President’s Office yesterday evening. The oath of office was administered by Supreme Court Justice, Honourable Dr Mohamed Ibrahim, after which the minister signed the declaration of oath.

Following the change, the ministry’s official Dhivehi name has been designated as “Dhifaa’ee adhi Vathanee Khidhumathaa Behey Vuzaaraa”. All official correspondence will continue to use the number 28, previously assigned to the Ministry of Defence.

The development comes amid broader changes to the Cabinet. Yesterday morning, the President expanded the Ministry of Fisheries and Ocean Resources to include agriculture, renaming it the Ministry of Fisheries, Agriculture and Ocean Resources, and reappointed Ahmed Shiyam to lead the ministry.

On Tuesday, President Muizzu restructured the Cabinet, reducing the number of ministries from 19 to 14. The total number of Cabinet members now stands at 15, including the Attorney General. The changes were formalised during a ceremony at the President’s Office, where several ministries were merged and others restructured, with adjustments to their mandates.