Former President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom has strongly criticized the current administration for the mismanagement of state-owned companies, claiming that they have strayed far from their original mandates. Speaking at the Wake-Up rally held at the Artificial Beach in Malé City by his party, the People’s National Front (PNF), on Thursday evening, Yameen described these companies as having “gone off the rails” and labeled them “despondent shells.”
Highlighting specific examples, Yameen pointed out that the Waste Management Company (WAMCO) is attempting to enter the tourism sector, while the Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL), the parent company of the main airport, has started running gyms across the atolls. Meanwhile, he described the Road Development Corporation (RDC) as a “shell” with no financial resources.
Yameen also criticized the trend of appointing honorary retirees of the military to manage state-owned companies, many of which are already accused of corruption and financial mismanagement. “Now only retired generals are fit to do anything. The orthopedics department is headed by a retired general. Ali Zuhair does not think about any of this. There is no capital and no money, but the largest projects in the country are handed to them,” Yameen said.
Specifically targeting the RDC, Yameen criticized its involvement in constructing hospitals and health centers in the atolls, saying that the companies are “going off the wheel” because the “big cog” has broken down—a reference believed to be directed at President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu.
Beyond the management of state-owned enterprises, Yameen questioned the functionality of key government institutions. “Everything is dysfunctional; courts are not running, the ACC is not running, and the Auditor General is asleep—don’t even know if he exists. The same goes for the Prosecutor General. With all these rising allegations of theft and corruption, no one is taking action to clear anyone of these accusations,” he said.
He urged the Prosecutor General to direct the police and the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to investigate various allegations of financial misconduct and corruption, while also criticizing the overall management of the state-owned companies.
