Residents in Gaafu Dhaal Thinadhoo called for President Muizzu's resignation after STO rationed cement to five bags per customer. The shipment sold out while people were still queuing, Adhadhu reported. STO said the rationing was temporary while awaiting new stock, despite previously denying it was limiting sales anywhere. Only Villa Trading currently has cement available on the open market. STO and Apollo are both out of stock.
The Health Protection Agency called for measures to curb mosquito-borne diseases amid a nationwide rise in dengue cases. Dengue and chikungunya infections could increase further with ongoing rains and the southwest monsoon, HPA warned, calling on health facilities to strengthen detection, treatment, follow-ups, monitoring and reporting at the island level. It also urged councils to form island-level task forces, carry out clean-ups, and raise awareness, while advising schools, businesses, residents, resorts and construction sites to eliminate stagnant water and other mosquito breeding grounds.
President Muizzu established a “Citizen Complaints Bureau” to offer a 24-hour service for the public to submit concerns and grievances. The bureau, set to begin operations mid-year, will use a digital system to track and address complaints, the President’s Office said. It will also include a round-the-clock call centre.
President Muizzu established the “Maldives Territorial Office” as a division under the President's Office to oversee matters related to the country’s maritime and land boundaries. The office will handle boundary disputes, define the coordinates of the Maldives’ official baselines and limits, and provide information on boundary maps as well as related legal and technical frameworks. Work is currently underway to recruit staff and make the office operational, the President's Office said.
The newly appointed Environment Minister Ali Shareef faced criticism for past social media posts. In X posts that have since been deleted, Shareef had mocked former MP Ibrahim Ismail’s disability and referred to former President Mohamed Nasheed as a “disbelieving munafiq.”
Land reclamation at Giraavaru has stalled after MACL stopped fuelling the two Boskalis dredgers working on the project, with both vessels sitting at anchor off Gulhifalhu, Adhadhu reported, citing marine traffic data and an anonymous source. The source said fuel costs have risen two to three times above budget due to the Middle East war and that MACL has paused operations while it negotiates a way forward. Infrastructure Minister Muththalib told parliament reclamation would be completed by the end of May, but Adhadhu calculated that the actual rate of 0.6 hectares per day means the remaining 71 hectares would take 110 days, pointing to August at the earliest and likely later given the fuel disruption. President Muizzu had promised before the April 4 council elections that reclamation would finish in March and land plots would be handed over in June.
A cabinet crisis committee set up in response to the ongoing war in the Middle East was reconstituted following the resignation of several ministers. The committee will now comprise Finance Minister Moosa Zameer, Foreign Minister Iruthisham Adam, Economic Minister Mohamed Saeed, Fisheries Minister Ahmed Shiyam, and Tourism Minister Mohamed Ameen.
The High Court declined to register a legal challenge to regulations that ended the Maldives’ shark sanctuary status by allowing the fishing of gulper sharks last year. The court’s registrar dismissed the case filed by environmental activist Humaida Abdul Ghafoor and Mohamed Seeneen, stating that while the petition argued the gulper shark fisheries regulation contravened the Fisheries Act, it failed to explain in detail how or why this was the case.
The Local Government Authority dismissed claims that the recent abolition of the Ministry of Cities, Local Government and Public Works, along with the dissolution of existing atoll councils, will create a legal vacuum in local administration. The authority said that amendments to the Decentralisation Act transferred the functions of atoll councils along with all associated assets and resources to the LGA. It added that it has the discretion to establish offices in administrative areas as needed.
Former Supreme Court Justice Husnu Suood released a new book on Maldivian Tort Law.
The High Court ordered the Maldives Police Service to reinstate former Inspector of Police Ahmed Shiyam, who was dismissed by the Police Disciplinary Board in 2014 over allegations that he misused his position as commander of the North Police Division to commit illegal acts. A three-judge bench ruled that the state had failed to prove that a proper inquiry had been conducted or presented sufficient evidence to support the allegations against Shiyam. The court also ordered back pay from the date of his dismissal until his reinstatement.
