MP Dr. Shamheed Calls for Financial Assistance to Repair Flats in Hulhumalé Phase 1

Dr. Ahmed Shamheed, the Member of Parliament for the Hulhumalé South constituency, has called on the government to provide financial assistance to residents of Hulhumalé Phase 1 to help cover repair costs for their flats.

This appeal follows a recent government decision to provide similar support to residents of specific housing units in Malé, and Dr. Shamheed argues that fairness dictates the same courtesy be extended to those living in the older social housing units of Hulhumalé.

The call for aid comes in the wake of President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu’s announcement to waive outstanding fines for the Sinamalé and Malé Hiyaa flats and provide 100,000 MVR to each family for maintenance. In a post on social media platform X, Dr. Shamheed highlighted that many flats in Hulhumalé Phase 1 are currently in a dangerous state of disrepair, with some even posing a risk of collapse. He noted that residents have historically had to pay out of pocket for essential installations, such as kitchen cabinets, and pointed out that many of these buildings still lack elevator services.

Dr. Shamheed emphasized that since the government has committed to providing financial relief for residents of Malé flats and the Hiyaa flats in Hulhumalé Phase 2, the residents of Phase 1 should not be excluded. He urged the government to establish equality by providing a similar financial package to help these families manage the significant financial burden of maintaining aging infrastructure.

While the government maintains that these payments are part of a presidential pledge to assist families with maintenance costs, the timing of the disbursement has sparked debate. Some critics and political figures have expressed concern that issuing these funds close to the upcoming local council elections could be seen as an attempt to influence voters.

Critics have further argued that allocating large sums of state funds to specific groups rather than implementing a broader, more uniform policy undermines the principle of equality across the national housing sector.