Inaugural Address by His Excellency Dr. Mohamed Muizz, President of the Republic of Maldives
17 November 2023
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Distinguished dignitaries,
My fellow Maldivians,
Today is a historic day.
It is a day of hope.
This is the maidan of triumph and victory.
Today Maldivians embark on a new journey.
Today we unfurl our sails to return to our homeland, the Maldivians’ country.
Today we start realising our dreams.
It is the day when our hearts yearn for answers to our worries.
It is in this maidan, part of our sacred homeland, where Shaheed Hussain Adam and many other Maldivian heroes made the ultimate sacrifice. They fought to protect the country and our religion.
My fellow Maldivians:
A state’s security, its power and its prestige is built on two main types of development—structural and human development. Countries can build houses, defensive towers, roads, bridges, and office buildings. A country can also build a moral society; a people of sound minds and good discipline.
The policies that my Government pursue, will be driven by these two key fundamentals. We will seek to balance these two types of development. Knowledge and skills. Morals and religion. Behaviour and craftsmanship. We will strive to harness these values and skills in our children. Such values will help the Maldivian society to achieve greater level of prosperity and progress.
My Government will protect the independence of the three powers of the State. In particular, I will not allow the Government to interfere in the judiciary. This does not, however, mean that the Government will turn a blind eye on those who commit criminal offenses. What it means is that the President’s Office interfering in the judiciary ends here right now.
My fellow Maldivians:
I stand before you with courage. With confidence. In the face of great danger—a danger inflicted by the enormous public debt; a danger which threatens to prevent my Government from meeting your expectations. As I assume the presidency, the country’s debt is at 119 billion Maldivian rufiyaa. We are currently facing the highest level of public debt in our history. But I remain hopeful and confident of overcoming this enormous challenge. We will be taking bold, strong, and swift actions to put the Maldivian economy back on track.
My fellow Maldivians:
Our economy is in need of emergency treatment. It is critical to find ways to urgently generate revenue. For that, I hope to complete the mega project of expanding the Velana International Airport and opening its modern new terminal, very soon. This will bring an enormous boost to the tourism industry. It will help in increasing the number of tourists arriving in the Maldives exponentially. We will also find innovative ways to cut costs. We will overcome this situation without mortgaging Government buildings, their roofs, and their gutters.
Fellow Maldivians:
Tourism is one of the key pillars of our economy. Our land’s golden mountains and jewels are our beautiful sandy beaches. Our clear blue sea. Our tourism depends on these resources. The benefits of tourism at the individual, family, and national levels are plentiful. My Government will, therefore, give high priority to the tourism sector. We will further expand and facilitate introducing new innovations to the industry. We will protect the rights of those working in the sector. We will ensure that adequate housing and other amenities are available to them.
Distinguished dignitaries, My fellow Maldivians:
Housing is an issue of grave concern in the Maldives. The lack of adequate housing leads to familial and societal complexities. It exposes people to all kinds of health issues. Insha Allah, Maldivians are going to see a golden era of housing and land ownership during my presidency.
My Government will build garlands of magnificent gardens and state-of-the-art buildings, starting from Uthuru thila falhu to Fushi dhiggaru falhu. Most of the planning and paperwork for this has already been completed. By the Grace of Allah, you will start seeing modern, new cities, rising over the horizon very soon.
I believe that Maldivians need a national development approach which is just, inclusive, and sustainable. It is these principles which will guide and drive our development policies and activities. That means every region, everywhere in the country, will reap the benefits of the country’s development. To achieve this, we will set medium and long-term goals. Through an inclusive and consultative process, we will seek your views to shape these goals and targets.
I call on the intellectuals, the thinkers and thought leaders in different fields in the country, to assist the Government with your research and your findings. We will open the consultation process very soon. Our aim is to empower every Maldivian to actively contribute in crafting the Maldivian development vision—a vision that not only inspires but also motivates the efforts to fulfil the aspirations and dreams of the Maldivian people.
The insights and suggestions gathered from the public consultation process will guide the Government in formulating a comprehensive national development master plan for the next twenty years. This plan will be more than a set of guidelines; it will carry legal authority, ensuring its effective implementation and lasting impact. Based on the proposals we already have, my Government will establish two Integrated Development Zones, one in the north, and the other in the south. In addition to that, we will also be establishing seven urban centres throughout the country, which will help in making our national development more inclusive.
The energetic Maldivian fishermen, the farmers, and the various artisans:
Your hard work provided the most important building blocks in developing this nation. In our four-thousand-year history, fishermen and farmers played the most crucial role in ensuring that our people did not starve. That fact has not changed even today. For we need food today, just like we did four thousand years ago. I will, therefore, give high priority to occupations such as fishing, agriculture, construction and carpentry in my Government. I will ensure that they get the benefit of modern science, technologies, and tools. God willing, the latest advances in technology will be introduced in the Maldives to increase income and skills, and soon fishermen and farmers will reap the benefits from them.
Distinguished intellectuals of the Maldives:
You are at the top tier of the human fortress of this country. We have scholars and intellectuals in various fields including religious studies, language, medicine, civil engineering and construction, business and tourism, science and technology. My Government will value knowledge. We will accord respect and dignity to the scholars. Every heart that shines with the light of knowledge, every such intelligent mind is a bright star. I want our young people in their hearts to love Islam. I am keen to see the next generations grow up respecting Islam, and upholding its values and ethics. I will ensure a safe and peaceful environment for religious scholars to write and preach. Furthermore, the Government will provide support and welcome you. So please teach Islam with its wisdom, its noble preaching and advice in accordance with the teachings of the Holy Qur’an. Make our children be diligent, be responsible and be loyal to our country and religion! Use modern methods of teaching and communicating. Familiarize yourself with modern trends of today’s minds.
I have a request for the intellectual community of the Maldives. I would like you to conduct more research and publish them. I would like to see more scientific research being carried out which will form the basis for developing evidence-guided policies on national development. I firmly believe that we, the people of the Maldives, will decide our own affairs and our own future. Such decisions should be guided by knowledge. So let us make the tree of knowledge be fruitful and fertile.
Dynamic Maldivian women, innovative Maldivian youth:
You are the engine that runs this country; the energy behind the country’s endurance and resilience. We will do everything to protect the rights of women. We will provide opportunities for our women and youth, to generate income and become prosperous. We will empower you politically. We will connect young people to the world through modern technology, so that you can showcase your talents, creativity, and entrepreneurship. Insha Allah, we will make our youth succeed through the creator economy.
The senior citizens of this country:
You are the hard-working, faithful people who have carried this country on your shoulders to today’s generation. Without any facilities and amenities. There were times when many of you lived in poverty, and in hunger. But you did not give up. You helped build this country. The story of your sacrifices, your trials, your tribulations need to reach today’s generation.
Prophet Muhammad (SAW) has said that “Whoever does not show mercy to our young ones, or acknowledge the rights of our elders, is not one of us”.
Beloved senior citizens. You deserve the utmost respect. Insha Allah, during my presidency, I will provide the country’s honourable senior citizens with the respect that they deserve. You will find that my Government will welcome and facilitate your active involvement, and benefit from your wisdom and experience.
My fellow Maldivians!
The policies of the Maldives Government must be based on the interests of the Maldivian people. I am a Maldivian. For me, Maldivian citizens come first in the list. The very first. People of any other country will come after that.
I will be just.
I will be fair.
And I will be friendly with nations.
I will not harbour enmity or jealousy.
I will respect our neighbors and other countries.
But when it comes to the security of the Maldives, I will always draw a thick red-line. Just like any other country would do. And that red-line should be there. The Maldives will fully respect the security red-line of every country. Our Maldivian red-line should have that same right and respect. Every country, regardless of its size or might, should enjoy that respect. I will never allow that right to be taken away.
Maldivians are the children of freedom. Like a bird guarding its nest, Maldivians have been protecting the independence of our beloved nation for thousands of years. This is what the Maldivian people want. The decision of their heart and soul. Therefore, in my Government, I will always respect the decision of the people. Using the instrument of diplomacy, I will ensure that this country has no foreign military presence on its soil. I assure you that there is no greater honor for me than being loyal to my beloved Maldives.
My fellow Maldivians!
The journey that we just embarked on, will take the Maldivian nation to its original, intended destination. It requires hard work and dedication to hand over the nation to its future generations. I believe it is a national right of every child and every young person. Our children should not be deprived of the right to know the history of this country.
Every student in this country should have the opportunity to learn the proud facts and develop perspectives about the 4,000-year-old Maldivian civilization and become a faithful protector of the country. The right to learn about the history and geography of Maldives should not be taken away from Maldivian students. To familiarise students with these lessons, we will be launching a national project to revive Maldivian patriotism. This is a project aimed towards opening the minds of the people and to acquaint them to the courage, determination and virtues of our people. The project will develop and harness knowledge about our traditions and our way of life. God willing, through this project, we will build an environment appropriate for the mental and spiritual development of our children. I will bring comfort to the hopeful hearts of those parents who make sacrifices day and night to raise their children well.
Distinguished dignitaries, My fellow Maldivians:
Some of you might have a question about what my Government stands for? I stand before you with the intention of answering that question.
I stand for justice. I stand for fairness.
I will raise my voice loud and clear, and speak against corruption, misappropriation, and abuse of power.
My Government will take action against all perpetrators.
My Government will be transparent. There will not be any hidden agendas. I will not be deceitful. With God’s good grace, I will fulfill all the promises I have made.
My Government will defend Islam, this beloved nation, and our sacred land.
We will not be treacherous. Our Government will build homes and minds.
We will not make false or empty promises.
We will show mercy and compassion.
We will not be cruel.
We will continue to be sincere in listening to the people, checking on their welfare and addressing their concerns.
The Government that I am forming will ask you to smile at each other.
Keep the connections! Spread love and mutual respect throughout the country.
And build a happy and content Maldivian society.
My beloved citizens of Maldives:
Before I finish this story and move away, please take a look at our beloved and proud national flag.
The glorious flag is addressing us today.
It is the flag of freedom.
Day or night, rain or shine, the flag keeps on flying.
It tells us a story about the courage and determination it takes to be free.
The flag has colours across it in a certain order and it follows a certain rule. It shows that a society needs rules, regulations, and order among its people to maintain its independence. Hence, the flag reminds us that our nation will be truly ours, truly Maldivian, when the society is united by the true values of our Maldivian people. By supporting each other in reviving the good and reforming the not so-good.
O’ the proud national flag of Maldives:
I salute you from the bottom my heart.
I understand the meaning behind every little movement you make; your waving and your fluttering.
You represent the blood of the noble martyrs who defended this nation.
The hope and life of all the brave men and women who built our beloved country.
The sacred beauty and faith of Islam, salvation of our beloved people.
O’ beloved and honored National Flag:
From now on, the sun will never set on you.
Starting today, our proud flag will be the most honorable symbol that will fly in every island of the Maldives.
Today, my appeal to Maldivians is to put forward the strong Maldivian values.
Be united.
Do not be divided.
Today my heart’s desire is for Maldivians to demonstrate the cherished values that makes us Maldivian.
Say good things.
Today, my appeal to you is to learn the value of every grain of sand in our beloved Maldivian soil.
Do not take it for granted.
There is no doubt that the sentiment of every Maldivian should be:
What good luck it is, to be placed on these white sands
to be included as one, among my beloved Maldivians.
May Allah bless this proud country.
May Allah grant us a greener and brighter tomorrow.
May the national journey we just started today, be a safe and successful one.
May this beloved country remain independent forever.
Ameen.
وَمَا تَوْفِيقِي إِلَّا بِاللَّهِ ۚ عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ وَإِلَيْهِ أُنِيبُ
والسلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركا ت
Read also:
Maldives will get 920 million Chinese Yuan in free aid: Prez Muizzu (13/01/2024)
Prez Mohamed Muizzu’s comment at Invest Maldives Forum (09/01/2024)