News Desk
MALE’ — Ibrahim Shujaau, a prominent Member of Parliament and senior figure in the ruling People’s National Congress (PNC), has launched a sharp counter-offensive against former President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom, accusing the former leader of telling “falsehoods” and attempting to rewrite history regarding President Mohamed Muizzu’s role in key national infrastructure developments.
The dispute follows a television interview given by Yameen, during which the former president sought to dismantle the ruling party’s claim that Dr. Muizzu—who served as Housing Minister during Yameen’s 2013–2018 administration—was the primary architect of the era’s major public works.
Responding on the social media platform X, Shujaau rejected Yameen’s commentary, pointing out what he characterized as a glaring contradiction in the former leader’s narrative.
“President Yameen’s claims simply do not add up,” Shujaau said. “If President Muizzu was incompetent or lacked design skill, why did President Yameen keep him in his cabinet for a full five years without removing him? Do not fabricate stories.”
Shujaau highlighted that Yameen had previously praised Dr. Muizzu’s competence and dedication during their period in office, reminding the public that every assignment given to the housing minister had been carried out faithfully.
The back-and-forth was triggered by an appearance on Sanggu TV, where Yameen reacted to earlier criticisms from PNC leadership regarding his work ethic and governance style. In his interview, Yameen maintained that strategic planning for major infrastructure—including the Sinamalé Bridge, Dharumavantha Hospital, Velana International Airport, and the King Salman Mosque—emanated directly from the President’s Office rather than the Housing Ministry.
“None of the major projects carried out during my administration were originated or designed by President Muizzu,” Yameen asserted during the broadcast, arguing that international firms from China and Singapore executed the underlying engineering and construction work. While conceding that Dr. Muizzu deserved routine ministerial credit as the executing authority, Yameen urged government supporters to refrain from framing the sitting president’s past role as “magical.”
Yameen had also cited a local development project in Maafannu as an example, alleging that technical officials from the Housing Ministry under Dr. Muizzu had twice insisted a public swimming track could not be built, only for the executive branch to proceed regardless.
The exchange marks the latest escalation in a bitter fallout between the former president and his former political allies. At a party gathering in Ukulhas, Shujaau had criticized Yameen’s governance, claiming that local councils struggled to contact the former president, who he alleged spent extensive time playing card games while Dr. Muizzu handled the daily heavy lifting of state infrastructure projects.
Further defending the government’s record, Shujaau maintained that the $1 billion in state reserves recorded at the end of Yameen’s term was the result of a collective effort by the team now leading the PNC, rather than the work of one individual.
Since breaking away from the PPM–PNC coalition to establish the People’s National Front (PNF), Yameen has intensified his opposition to the Muizzu administration. With both sides competing for conservative voters, the legacy of the nation’s 2013–2018 development drive has become a primary ideological battlefield in Maldivian politics.
