Ali Hussain Requests Supreme Court Review Following Rejection of Ras Malé Land Petition
Ali Hussain addresses the Supreme Court during the hearing on the constitutional challenge to the anti-defection amendment.
Legal counsel and former Kendhoo MP Ali Hussain has submitted a formal request seeking a review of the Supreme Court Registrar’s decision to reject his constitutional challenge against the Ras Malé land agreement.
Writing on X, Ali Hussain confirmed the procedural filing, stating: “A case has been submitted to the Supreme Court requesting a review of the Registrar’s decision regarding the Rasmalé matter.”
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The request follows statements made by Ali Hussain during a press conference launching “Maldivians’ Land for Maldivians”, a campaign opposing the project, where he announced his intention to challenge the Registrar’s procedural decision.
The initial petition sought a judicial injunction to invalidate the commercial terms agreement signed on 21 September 2026 between the Ministry of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development and UAE-based developer Eagle Hills. The agreement grants the developer 500 hectares of reclaimed land in Ras Malé under a 99-year leasehold arrangement.
Ali Hussain contends the deal is void ab initio, arguing that allocating land without lease acquisition fees or rent violates Article 250 of the Constitution.
He further maintains that provisions allowing successive third-party leaseholds breach Article 251 regarding foreign ownership limitations, asserting that public remarks by the Attorney General promising future legislation effectively concede the agreement was executed without a clear statutory framework.
The Supreme Court Registrar dismissed the original petition on jurisdictional grounds, ruling that the matter did not meet the threshold for direct submission to the apex court as a court of first instance.
Under the Judicature Act, direct original jurisdiction is restricted to severe constitutional issues, such as those risking a constitutional void, systemic institutional collapse, or major disputes between branches of state power.
Government officials have consistently defended the legality of the project. Finance Minister Hassan Zareer and Infrastructure Minister Abdulla Muththalib have stated that full ownership of the underlying land remains with the state, with Eagle Hills permitted to hold rights solely over above-ground developments.
