While reading through the Haveeru Daily of 10th November, I came across a story in which President Mohamed Nasheed told the UK newspaper (Guardian) that his government will form a Maldives Trust Fund which will basically be a savings account to buy (or reclaim) land that will be used to relocate all Maldivians in case the doomsday scenario of the sea level rise becomes a reality.
I thank President Nasheed for listening to ordinary Maldivians such as myself. This was basically the same idea that I put forward in this blog some time ago.
(Please refer to the blog-post http://clubescapemaldives.blogspot.com/2008/11/establishing-maldives-trust-fund-to.html)
This is an excellent policy statement from President Nasheed. He also listened to my proposal of not staying in the presidential palace (Theemuge). In doing so, Nasheed has shown that he will be a president who will listen to the people. Already we are seeing signs that this will be a government elected by the people, for the people.
The announcement that they will, from 01st January 2009, start giving RF 2,000 to every elderly person above 65 years of age, shows that Nasheed’s government will be a caring government. This is a sign that we may see many such positive and caring gestures from the new government. How about cancelling all the petty little fees that the government charges from ordinary people? After introducing a good tax system, the new government will cancel import duty and we may see a cancellation of petty fees.
We may also see virtually free medical services and free education in all public schools up to grade 12. The new government has made five major promises to the Maldivians, i.e. proper inter-island transport network, low cost of living, affordable hosing for all, affordable (or free) basic health care for all and control the evils of narcotic drugs in the society. The people await signs form the new government that these promises and all other related promises will come to fruition within the next one or two years at most.
We all welcome this new government of President Nasheed with open arms and an open heart. We welcome this new dawn with great expectations and boundless hope. The whole world can be our playing field and we should not be intimidated by anyone or any country despite our smallness or shortage of natural resources. Let’s stop talking about our failure to follow Singapore’s example and start achieving that dream of becoming the “Singapore of South Asia”!
Welcome President Mohamed Nasheed and Vice President Dr. Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik and the members of their Cabinet. Despite our differences of opinion regarding the formation of the new Cabinet we should all stand behind the President and his Cabinet in taking us to the Aneh Dhivehi Raajje!
Bushry will be good as a presidential adviser or a committee member of that "Maldives Trust Fund" think tank.
ReplyDeleteThanks man, we need Maldivian sons like you who really loves the country with a true heart.
thank you nasheed, u r our hero, v always trust u, u r ordinery, simple maldivian. not like a maumoon who loves expensive watchs, perfumes,cars,yachts,safari,....
ReplyDelete-a guy from president ofice-
does bushry = people?
ReplyDeleteI like the new president.
ReplyDeletefew Things i noticed about him today at the swearing in ceremony.
No designer clothes.
We have seen him wearing that yellow tie before.
No new car. He is using Gayoom old car.
No excessive display at the function, No expensive flowers imported for the occasion.
Hope he will be a good president who cares about ordinary Maldivians.
And one thing, About the old age pension, i think he should reduce the age limit to 60 for receive the old age pension. because the life expectancy of Maldivians are around 65-68. There are lot of 60 year old with no jobs and who are having a hard time.
thanks
maumoon aa alhaiganegen netten neygigen thiyahara ulheny haadha varakah emanikufaanaa hasadha verivegeney kithanmme vareh eruvias evaruge veriaku hoadha hoadha gos thiya myhun hasnethendhen hoadhias nuhoadheyne kamy iruge alikan fenna fadhain engey kameh maumoon kohdhin varuge khidhmatheh faaithuvi 800 ethah verikameh faaithuvy iruves kurevifa eh nethey thiya annige firukun thahves balan ebathibymey Allah annige kibain aharemen minjukohdhevvaashi AAMYN!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteHeaven sent the promised land
ReplyDeleteLooks alright from where I stand
Cause I'm the man on the outside looking in
Waiting on the first step
Show me where the key is kept
Point me down the right line because it's time
To let me in from the cold
Turn my lead into gold
Cause there's a chill wind blowing in my soul
And I think I'm growing old
Flash the readies wots...uh,the deal
Got to make to the next meal
Try to keep up with the turning of the wheel.
Mile after mile
Stone after stone
Just turn to speak but you're alone
Million miles from home you're on your own
So let me in from the cold
Turn my lead into gold
Cause there's chill wind blowing in my soul
And I think I'm growing old
Someone sent the promised land
And I grabbed it with both hands
Now I'm the man on the inside looking out
HEAR ME SHOUT...
Come on in
What's the news, where ya been
Cause there's no wind left in my soul
And I've grown old
Pink Floyd...
Dear Bushree from Club Escape Male', Maldives.
ReplyDeletePlease don't claim ownerships of these ideas. I have noticed you doing this more than once. It is not your idea first. You got it from someone else. And I have asked Anni if he reads your blog, or consults you on these things, which he responded with a no. Just to make this clear.
Zahir Hussain
Anonymous 11/11/08 16:10
ReplyDeleteThese are the kind of Maldivian we hate and dont want.
There are many like that. They are the real obstacles in our society, the same guys who were fueling Gayoom dictatorship, the guys who were selling their votes.
hehe
ReplyDeleteFirst of all I don't think Bushry is just some ordinary Maldivian. It's quite clear that he is in Anni's inner circle; most of his propositions that crop up in this blog are often followed up as Anni's official policy... the temple flower was also dangling on this webpage long before any mention of it was made elsewhere.
What is clear is that Bushry is a very shrewd tactician; he is a political strategist for the propaganda arm of Anni's government.
Here an Intravenous injection of the 'peopleness" of anni's character & his government is being given to us by way of showing how anni is listening to a nobody like bushry!! hehe
This is not necessarily a bad thing of course. And it is to be expected; the media is an essential tool to keeping the population in line and subdued. If people are not told, or are not made aware, then it places room for doubt, for speculation, for opposition indoctrination.... that' why bushry has been placed in the blogosphere... he is MDPs representative to Mvblogs.org.
As for this talk of a SWF- I think this is just hogwash!!! One of the most audacious and at the same time a most poorly conceived inauguration of Annis' future policies.
This is the same as Gayyoom talking about building a bridge between maale and hulhumale!!!
Does he not know that our Billion dollar budget is a deficit budget???????
WE CANNOT AFFORD TO DIVERT PRECIOUS FOREIGN REVENUE FOR SOME FUND; THERE ARE MORE URGENT AND IMMEDIATE NEEDS THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED.
If we become the first Climate refugees, and this is not certain (there is a lot of controversy over the whole climate change scare), then it would be the responsibility of the International Community to bear the burden of accommodating us.
UNLIKE THE GULF STATES WE DO NOT HAVE MASSIVE OIL & GAS FIELDS FOR CREATING A SWF LIKE THEY HAVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Also there exists no significant cultural similarities among these 3 countries, and majority would not wish to emigrate to these countries... I doubt that given the level of sectarian, cultural, caste divisions within India itself, we could hope for an accommodation by them of 3 lakh aliens.
And considering the state of native aborigines in australia, It would not be wrong to say that our state would be no better...
Before such a huge decision is made, it must be put before a public referendum, AFTER conducting awareness programs on the pros & cons of emigrating to these countries.
We may have given a 5 year mandate to Anni and his coalition, but this does not mean he can claim every decision he makes has the support of the people simply by way of this mandate!
On a personal note, it's aussie>srkilanka>india(not an option!!!!!)
Why do u want to emulate singapore?
ReplyDeleteRead this:
http://committeetoprotectbloggers.org/2008/06/01/another-singapore-blogger-arrested/
I think Himeyn Ingilaabu was always a supporter of Anni..Yes they criticised Anni but with a mild tone..
ReplyDeleteMost of these web sites are disappearing.
ReplyDeleteNow who will keep a check on how things are run by the Government.
Minivan news Gone
Riyasee2008.com Gone
HimainIngilaab..dysfunctional/stopped
Dhivehi Observer.... lost steam
New Dhivehi Observer,.... lost steam.
Was the objective only to oust gayoom....How about Good Governance and criticism to keep a check on Government.
i noticed a changed in MDP policy...on one of Anni's interview comment after getting elected as president.
ReplyDeleteRemember this.
One of his campaign promise is to bring down the cost of living..ie is to reduce the cost of goods and services.
Now after getting elected. He said he will not let the current prices GO ANY HIGHER THAN NOW and sustain the current prices in the market.
WE WANT IT TO BE REDUCED AND NOT SUSTAINED AS NOW.
A CAMPAIGN PROMISE IS A VERY SERIOUS MATTER.
ANNI better full fill your promise if you want our vote again.
... Member of MDP.
this fund could accumulate something like 200 kazillion dollars.
ReplyDeleteSo it will be very prone to corruption. A major target for the crooks to get their hands into it.
I am not sure if bushry should be proud of this.
ReplyDeleteI did a google news search for maldives today and most headlines on maldives were about this fund.
It was on Financial times, IHT, AFP, New York Times just to name a few. Major Indian news sites reported the story in detail.
I was however not very impressed by the way the story was reported by international media. Today being a historic and a very happy day for all us, I was expecting the international spotlight to be on the smooth transition and the great example we showed to the world.
But the story on Climate Refugee concerns of Maldivians (after all it is so serious, our president has to announce emergency measures of a new fund) overshadowed all the news about maldives today.
The international community has clearly taken this as a validation of the existential threat that Maldives faced. As a maldivian, I was embarassed to know that everyone now considers I am a 'would be' refugee of the enviorment. That was a sinking feeling.
There is good side to the fund however- we will probably get some aid money. One could say that this is what new government most desperately wants.
But aid money is 'sympathy money' which would not be much. From everyday experience, when u give sympathy money to a begger, u would only give spare change.
Here is the bad side. It has send a very strong signal to the international community and the foreign investors that we are desperate people who may not survive without foreign handouts.
'How can you have a billion dollar investment in such a place?' would probably the reaction that is foremost on the mind of people with serious money.
This will alter the perception and the country image of the maldives has had as a developing country that has recently left from LDC group.
We should prepare ourselves to be the butt of jokes as landless people or sinking people or already living on rafts.
Overall I think this idea should not be sold wholesale. It would be useful with some big donors such as japan, Canada etc.. But overall, maldives should maintain the perception of a solid country - not just physically but culturally and intellectually as well.
Well wisher.
we are now giving a very confused picture of maldives to outsiders.
ReplyDeleteOn the one hand we say we have the most beautiful enviornment while on the other we say it is a disaster in waiting.
On the one hand we say we like to move to up land place like Australia or India away from the sea, while people from these countries moves towards coastal areas.
On the one one hand we say we cannot live in low lying places, but globally investors are funneling money to reclaiming land from sea to create huge islands in places like Dubai and gulf.
There is even a movement to create under water living spaces, which could be in in high demand.
Who say humans should only live on land above 100 meters above sea level? Is it from Quran.
Questions about future?
ReplyDelete1. What would be my legal status in Australia in 2050 when we are all evacuated as Eco-Refugees.
2. What will happen to that spot or 'thila' in the Indian Ocean? Could it become part of India under law of the sea convention?
3. Could the Maldives thila or shallow sea be sold to a rich investor and if so who would get the money?
Lets sell Maldives as nuclear waste dumping site and move to Antarctica.
ReplyDeleteGet money and generate interest from it.That seems to be the idea.
ReplyDeleteWhen Maumoonu was concerned abt climate change,he was ridiculed.When Anni goes the same route,he becomes a hero.I am wondering why he is worried so much abt whats gonna happen in 50 years when he called on the international community to stop giving aids in the aftermath of Tsunami..plus remember the tourism boycott..
ReplyDeleteSmell fishy
ever heard of "delusions of grandeur"? look it up.
ReplyDeletereferring to migration costs... do u mean to say it is better it the whole maldives is sold now and an equal share given to all 300,000 plus citizens. each one can decide where he/she want to live.. india, lanka, US, UK, Antartica or gaburustaan. Well, why not. atleast everyone becomes instant millionaires and live happily ever after
ReplyDeletesome of the comments are by bushry (under anonymous and other alias) on this blog.
ReplyDeletepathetic. it was bushry's idea to do everything. i wonder whose idea was it for him to live off of the most corrupt news paper of the country? and whose idea was it to marry the paper's daughter? you betrayed us bushry. a long long time ago.
As for the reader who said that: "some of the comments in here are by bushry (under anonymous and other alias) on this blog", I have to say that this is not true. Anyone who knows me will know that I have never been sacerd of Gayyoom and I'm certainly not scared of Nasheed or anyone else for that matter. I express my views openly. It is interesting that the reader who made this comment actually commnted under "anonymous". That actually shows the difference between such people and myself. I don't seek personal glory and I don't want any "job" and nor do I want any monet from anyone. I'm happy as long as (even) a few of my ideas are used to develop this country. When the country and the people achieve success I see that as my own success. Thanks for the comments nevertheless.
ReplyDelete