News DeskMALÉ, – In a move that has left the public questioning the sanity of the Maldivian government, officials have appointed Hussain Shifau, a man charged with importing goods through forged telegraphic transfers and facing over 20 counts of fraud, money laundering, and knowingly issuing invalid documents, as the new Senior Political Director of the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Welfare.
“Who better to oversee the wellbeing of our nation’s crops and livestock than a man who has proven himself an expert in the fields of deception and illicit financial transactions?” said a sarcastic insider to justify the baffling decision. “His unique skills will be invaluable in streamlining our agricultural sector.”
Shifau, who was previously arrested for using fake financial documents totaling nearly 2 million Maldivian rufiyaa (approximately $130,000 USD), has faced multiple charges that could land him a 38-year Maafushi island prison holiday sentence. However, the Maldivian government saw fit to appoint him to a prominent political position overseeing the nation’s food supply, a decision that has drawn criticism from the public.
Did President Dr. Muizzu’s administration simply assume that an Interpol red notice is considered a prestigious line on one’s CV for political positions? Apparently so.
The Maldives is not alone in its apparent fondness for appointing controversial figures to positions of power. In neighboring Bangladesh, the government appointed Abdur Rahman Badi, a former leader of the banned Islamist group Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami (HuJI) and a convicted terrorist, to a city corporation’s law and order committee in 2018.
In Pakistan, there have been instances of controversial appointments, such as in 2018 when Rana Sanaullah, accused of drug trafficking and illegal asset ownership, became the Law Minister of Punjab province. Later on he was the Home Minister of Pakistan in Shareef Jr’s gov-ver1.
India hasn’t been a stranger to this trend either. In 2008, Lalu Prasad Yadav, who had been convicted in a fodder scam case, was appointed as the Railway Minister, presumably to help conduct train heists more efficiently.
Governments in South Asia seem to be competing to see who can make the most absurdly inappropriate political appointments.
In a surprising twist, the Maldivian government has now decided to sack Shifau from his position, though no official reason has been provided. When asked for comment, the government might say, “We realized that having an Interpol Red Notice is not the most sought after qualification to oversee our agricultural sector.”
As the South Asia region’s leaders continue to make bewildering statements and personnel decisions, the rest of the world can only watch in a confounding mix of amusement and concern, wondering what sort of unqualified, unhinged, corrupt individuals will be assuming power positions next.
