Maldives Fund Management Corporation (MFMC) on Wednesday, has formally signed the agreement with Atoll Works Private Limited for the dredging, reclamation and shore protection of 16 islands within K. Gaafaru lagoon.

According to MFMC, 14 islands out of the total will be designated for individual private island development for real estate purposes, while the remaining two will be earmarked for luxury tourist resort development.

The project encompasses reclamation of an additional 40 hectares of land on Gaafaru island, bringing the total reclamation area to 106.91 hectares.

This project also represents the first instance of simultaneous reclamation of multiple islands within the same lagoon in Kaafu atoll.

The total value of the project for dredging, reclamation and shore protection amounts to USD 36.5 million. This total includes USD 29.2 million specifically designated for the dredging 3,747,792 cubic meters of sand at the rate of USD 7.80 per cubic meter. This rate is also one of the most competitive rates observed for a reclamation project in the Maldives in recent years.

The project will proceed under a contractor financing model, facilitating swift resource mobilization and initiation of the reclamation works. Since MFMC is not required to provide any upfront payment to the contractor, the physical works of the project are expected start soon.

Repayment of the contracted amount will initiate upon the completion of island reclamation and the generation of revenue through the sale of these islands on a long-term lease basis to private buyers.

The Maldives government, via presidential decree, entrusted K. Gaafaru lagoon to MFMC for the implementation of an integrated tourism development initiative. The corporation has also finalized conceptual masterplan for the lagoon, with the reclamation works serving as the initial phase in accordance with the outlined plan.

Source(s): sun.mv

Minister of Islamic Affairs Dr. Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed on Wednesday, hsa said the government has spent MVR 19 million, since it took charge, on repairing mosques across the Maldives.

At the press conference held on Wednesday, the minister said MVR 15 million out of this total were utilized from the state budget, with the remaining MVR 4 million spent from Mosque Fund.

The minister also revealed several bills related to mosque repairs had not been settled at the time the current administration too charge.

“When this administration took over, the state owed MVR 27 million to contractors for mosque repairs,” the minister said.

Shaheem further said that the current administration has cleared several of the outstanding bills incurred during the former government.

Establishment of an assembly for mosques is a key pledge of the current administration’s manifesto. The minister on Wednesday confirmed a national assembly on mosques has already been formed.

Dr. Shaheem also claimed a total of 42 projects are currently ongoing under the supervision of Islamic Ministry.

Source(s): sun.mv

On the calm South China Sea scattered with uninhabited shoals and reefs, cargo vessels loaded with containers move about every day. The tranquil waters host a vibrant array of marine species and sustain dynamic international trade and commerce, connecting regional countries with the outside world.

On March 23, a supply vessel and two Coast Guard vessels of the Philippines broke the peace and tranquility as they intruded into the adjacent waters of Ren’ai Jiao, a shoal that has long been China’s territory. They were heading toward the shoal in the name of resupplying necessities to a rusty warship which was illegally grounded there by the Philippines 25 years ago and is still garrisoned with troops. Ignoring the frequent reminders and restrained measures of China Coast Guard, the Philippine ship was determined to reach the shoal, but failed.

A drama full of crafty deception

Videos have shown that the supply vessel was actually carrying construction materials not food. The apparent purpose was to repair and reinforce the grounded warship, so that it could be some sort of outpost and give the Philippines a de facto permanent presence on Ren’ai Jiao.

What’s more intriguing is that on board the vessels were also Philippine journalists and media representatives from third countries busy taking footage. The “fruits of their labor,” as past experience shows, are usually stories about how China was purportedly “intimidating smaller countries.”

But they did not realize that broadcasting the whole scripted drama to the world only produced proof of how the Philippines breaks promises and plays the victim.

A commitment never fulfilled

A man is only as good as his word. The same also holds true for a nation. In 1999 the Philippines made a promise to China that it would tow away its “accidentally” grounded warship, not reinforce the vessel, and inform China in advance of its resupply plans. China, out of humanitarian consideration and with patience and goodwill, has made special arrangements for Philippine vessels sending living necessities so that the Philippines can fulfill its commitment and tow away the warship one day. Once a commitment is made, either by an individual or by an authority, it has a binding force. To honor the commitment is the easiest and best way to win respect. So simple a logic as it is, but some just wouldn’t get it right.

Besides the bilateral agreement, countries in the region also have a consensus. It is clearly stipulated in Article 5 of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), jointly signed by China and ASEAN countries in 2002, that “the Parties undertake to exercise self-restraint in the conduct of activities that would complicate or escalate disputes and affect peace and stability including, among others, refraining from action of inhabiting on the presently uninhabited islands, reefs, shoals, cays, and other features and to handle their differences in a constructive manner.” By acting in the opposite way, the Philippines went back on its words to all the other parties to the DOC and turned out to be untrustworthy in the eyes of its neighbors.

A self-defeating game

It seems that the Philippines does not care about trust from its neighbors. Despite concerns and criticisms from neighboring countries, President Marcos met with President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Kishida Fumio to announce a military exercise among other things at the summit, which has created tensions in the region and public concern in the Philippines itself. Quite a lot of Filipinos oppose the increase of US military presence in the country and regard it as endangering the Philippines’ efforts to pursue neutrality.

Keeping diplomatic independence has long been regarded as a matter of national dignity by the Philippine people. However, it’s pathetic that the Philippine government is eager to turn itself from a dignified, independent nation into a pawn of the US, its former colonizer, and a potential ally of Japan, its erstwhile enemy which committed crimes against the Philippine people during World War II. As an old Chinese saying goes, “Those who like to go to war will perish; those who forget war will be in danger.” Apparently, the US wants the Philippines to go to war and Japan wants it to forget war. Then where has the Philippines’ neutrality gone?

For certain members of the international community, going back on one’s own words and denying existing agreements with others may seem trivial or even a habit. However, this behavior will only result in losing respect and facing protest and friction from others. It is not wise to turn a small problem, which should have been solved successfully between gentlemen, into big trouble. It is a miscalculation for the Philippines to try to gain some privilege in the manner of a rogue. And it is more than stupid to try to bring in an eagle so that it could prey on those living in the region.