Alumni demand IIUM drop plan to confer honorary doctorate to Maldives’ leader

Close to a dozen Maldivian graduates have appealed to the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) to drop its plan to confer an honorary doctorate to Maldivian President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu.

President Muizzu, who is set to embark on an official visit to Malaysia on Sunday, is scheduled to visit and deliver a speech at the IIUM. The university’s committees have been discussing conferring an honorary doctorate to the Maldivian leader during this visit.

However, it is unclear if the university’s senate has made an official decision.

Sun has been informed that at least 10 past students have sent separate letters to the university urging against such a move. Those who sent letters include former Supreme Court justice Husnu Al-Suood – who resigned from the top court in March following the suspension of three justices, including he himself.

In their letters, the alumni cited serious concerns over the recent developments in the Maldivian judiciary, primarily the sudden suspension of three sitting Supreme Court justices who were hearing a case challenging the controversial move by the ruling People’s National Congress (PNC) – who hold a supermajority in the Parliament - to write anti-defection clauses into the Maldivian constitution.

The alumni described this as an “attack on the Maldivian judiciary” by President Muizzu, and a violation of constitutional provisions, a deliberate move to interfere in the judiciary and undermine the separation of powers.

They wrote that the United Nations had had also expressed concern about the situation, raising questions regarding judicial independence in the Maldives.

They wrote that conferring an honorary doctorate to President Muizzu amid such serious concerns would be inconsistent with the values the IIUM promotes, and could impact university’s reputation and send the wrong message about its position on issues relating to governance, justice, and institutional integrity.

They urged the university to reconsider the plan in the interest of supporting judicial independence and constitutional governance in the Maldives.

On February 26, Suood and two other Supreme Court justices – Dr. Azmiralda Zahir and Mahaz Ali Zahir – were suspended by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) citing an ongoing criminal investigation against them by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). Their suspension came less than one hour ahead of a hearing scheduled at the Supreme Court regarding a request for an injunction to suspend the enforcement of controversial anti-defection clauses that were written into the Constitution last year. It also came shortly after the ruling PNC used its supermajority in the Parliament to push through amendments to the Judicature Act to downsize the Supreme Court bench from seven to five justices.

Mahaz, like Suood, is also a graduate of IIUM.

Last week, Margaret Satterthwaite, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers, issued a statement expressing deep concern about the suspensions and proceedings against the justices, saying that it may amount to an interference in the independence of the Supreme Court.

And on Thursday, the Human Rights Watch also issued a statement expressing similar concerns regarding the situation. The organization urged the Maldives government to “immediately reinstate the three Supreme Court justices who were improperly suspended and cease other efforts to undermine judicial independence”

According to the President’s Office, President Muizzu is visiting Malaysia at the invitation of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. He is scheduled to travel to Kuala Lumpur on Sunday and return on Wednesday.