Yameen Urges Islamic Minister Shaheem to Set Example and Resign Over Ras Malé Deal
Dr. Shaheem served as Yameen’s running mate during the contentious 2018 presidential election — Photo: Avas
Former President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom has called on Minister of Islamic Affairs Dr Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed to resign from President Dr Mohamed Muizzu’s cabinet, arguing that stepping down over the administration’s handling of the Samoa Agreement and the Ras Malé land concession would set an honorable example.
Addressing a rally organized by his People’s National Front (PNF), Yameen asserted that Dr Shaheem, widely regarded as a leading conservative religious voice, has a duty to distance himself from policies that contradict Islamic principles.
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Yameen cited the administration’s endorsement of the Samoa Agreement and the agreement handing over reclaimed land at Ras Malé to foreign developers, which he controversially labeled “Yahoodhee Malé.”
“Dr Shaheem is someone I hold in high regard, and the public views him as a steadfast defender of Islamic values,” Yameen said. “I would strongly welcome Dr. Shaheem using these two issues as justification to walk away from this administration. There is nothing the Maldivian public would desire more from him at this juncture.”
Yameen also dismissed the notion of backchannel resistance, insisting that private consultations with President Muizzu would be insufficient. In the same address, Yameen urged conservative religious organization Jamiyyath Salaf to break ties with the ruling coalition and called on clerics who left the Scholars’ Association (Ilmuveringe Gulhun) to rejoin the independent body.
The former president’s remarks coincide with reports from some local news outlets alleging growing cabinet friction over the Ras Malé project. According to the reports, Dr Shaheem has privately warned he will resign if the administration finalizes a 99-year concession granting extensive plots of taxpayer-funded land to UAE-based developer Eagle Hills without upfront lease or acquisition fees.
Under the contested framework, state returns are reportedly limited to a 10 percent share of commercial property revenues and 4 percent from residential sales, prompting financial analysts to call for an immediate independent audit before physical construction begins.
Dr Shaheem has not publicly addressed the Ras Malé project or responded to the resignation rumors, and he did not respond to requests for comment from MV+ at the time of publication.
