Maumoon’s favourite hobby revealed…

The Auditor General Ibrahim Naeem is a liar. A barefaced liar.

I mean it was only days ago that our former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom proclaimed that he never misused a single penny from state funds. So obviously the AG cooked it all up. Maumoon will have a strong case against AG should he consider filing a lawsuit.

Really.

Anywayz the Presidential Palace’s audit report was a delightful read. I’d say it’s deliciously eye-opening. We all knew the Palace was using up a great deal of the state funds but this is the first time the bare facts are laid before our eyes since the place’s inception in 1994.

The report is crammed with gape-inducing figures but here’re some that particularly caught my attention:

1) 7 Mercedes Benzes at the Palace for the President alone. Hilath called up earlier asking me the same question I’ve in mind, “What the heck was he doing with all that?” I’m guessing it must be his favourite hobby: collecting Mercedes Benzes.

2) Redefining ‘welfare funds’. This is really the saddest part. All this time we were under the misguided impression that it’s the regular, destitute people who are entitled to this. Hell no! They don’t need that. They’re doing totally fine in their impoverished state. It’s Maumoon’s relatives, friends, ministers & senior officials of his regime who were getting the better of the ‘welfare funds’. Already well-off but they were endowed with tens of thousands of dollars for their
5-star accommodation in Singapore, 5-star living expenses & 5-star healthcare while a regular person received tickets to India or Sri Lanka & $300 for their entire trip.

3) $7m for the yacht. Need I say more? Yes. That’s almost a 100 million Maldivian Rufiyya for heaven’s sake. Amazing.

4) 60% of state subsidies received by DRP members. Coincidence perhaps.

5) Rf1.1m ($85,603) in “Traveling Expenses” for the 19 who accompanied Maumoon to pilgrimage in 2007. Now I realise that it’s not only official diplomatic trips that need large contingents.

Such extravagance, such exploitation, such blatant disregard for grassroot welfare.

Once again Maumoon has launched his all too familiar defenses, “It’s simply not true” & “Strategic timing by Auditor General to influence the election”. Well, as AG said, he does what he has to do when he can do it & that’s international best practice.

I’m interested though to see the detailed response Maumoon has promised to disprove AG’s findings. That’ll surely be an uphill task.

*image from http://www.airports.com.mv/about_maldive1/places.htm

Read more...

those disgraceful bastards

You know, I'm just completely & utterly disgusted after reading this article about Al-Qaidha-linked jihadists rejoicing the earthquake that hit Italy on Monday.

One comments "O Allah, keep the earthquakes and tragedies coming - cursed be Europe, Israel and the United States", while another read, "At last they have had their dark days too. O Allah, kill them and leave them destitute vagabonds."

Now, what kind of mindset would make you rejoice in the tragic death of hundreds of innocent people? How would those jihadists feel if their friends & loved ones are killed by a catastrophe & Christians sing jubilant chants to celebrate the tragedy that struck the "enemies of Christianity".

If there's one thing I can't stand, that'd be disregard to humanity. What did those Italian women & children who died did to hurt Islam? Go about their daily lives? & what about the possibility of muslim casualties among them?

You rejoicers are disgraceful & you give a bad name to Islam.

Those who described this earthquake as "divine punishment" for "the enemies of Islam", here's a little history for you. Muslim countries have been subjected to some of the deadliest earthquakes ever to be recorded, claiming the lives of hundreds of folds higher number of people than the 300 who died in Italy:
- Pakistan, 2005. 73,000 deaths
- Iran, 1990. 40,000 deaths
- Iran, 2003. 26,000 deaths
- Iran, 1997. 1,600 deaths
- Afghanistan (allegedly the hub of Al-Qaidha), 1998. 4,000 deaths

Iran remains amongst the countries most susceptible to earthquakes along with Indonesia, which has the world's largest Muslim population. The Tsunami killed the most in Indonesia.

Now, what were those incidents all about? God's answer to the enemies of Islam as well??
It's just the way tectonic plates work. This time it happens to be the Italians. Next time, maybe you. Just be grateful that you're alive & quit celebrating the unfortunate loss of innocent lives in the name of religion.

* Update (17/4/09): Earthquake hits Afghanistan killing atleast 25 people & destroying more than 200 homes.

Read more...