Maleeh: Suspension will not stop me, I’m following Yameen’s orders

Mohamed Maleeh Jamal says he refuses to distance himself from the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM)’s activities despite his suspension, adding that he is following direct orders from former President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom – the leader of PPM.

Maleeh headed an unannounced press conference at the PPM headquarters on Tuesday night, during which he announced that Yameen had appointed a 13-member steering committee to take charge of the party’s operations.

The move fueled rumors of differences between Yameen and President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu – who was elected the leader of People’s National Congress (PNC), PPM’s coalition partner, following his presidential election victory in September.

Maleeh received a letter signed by PPM deputy leaders Ghassan Maumoon, the incumbent defense minister, and Ahmed Shiyam, the incumbent fisheries minister, on Wednesday, informing him that he has been suspended as the party’s ethics committee investigates him for attempting to create divisions within the party.

Maleeh told Sun that he believes they signed the letter to protect their jobs at the cabinet.

He does not believe he can be penalized under the party’s constitution.

“This is a decision the two PPM deputy leaders took without due consideration and without watching the press conference, whereas we had just been following direct counsel from President Yameen. We will not back down from our efforts in defense of President Yameen and PPM,” he said.

“We refuse to bow down to such letters…. We will continue to act on President Yameen’s direct instructions.”

Maleeh said they did not say anything wrong in Tuesday’s press conference.

He said that Yameen decided to appoint a committee because a lot of the party’s general members had been messaging him, and he is unable to reply to each and every message.

Maleeh said that though President Muizzu and his Special Advisor Abdul Raheem Abdulla said they would not seek to admit PPM members into PNC, there actions proved otherwise.

He said that all PPM members of L. Fonadhoo Council recently left PPM for PNC, and said the decision by PNC – which had been run out of the PPM headquarters – to open its own headquarters was deeply concerning.

“This is not the time for differences between the two parties. This is the time for us to move forward as one,” he said.