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| Minister of Fisheries & Agriculture of Maldives, Dr. Mohamed Shainee, |
Following is an exclusive interview given to Adam Mohamed of Adamington Online by the Minister of Fisheries & Agriculture of Maldives Dr. Mohamed Shainee, in a Direct Message (DM) session of Twitter. This is the first exclusive interview given to Adamington Online via a sitting cabinet Minister from the government of Maldives.
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Adam Mohamed: What challenges are you looking for in this position as a cabinet Minister & why are you in politics?
Dr. Mohamed Shainee: I wish there aren’t any challenges created from within because as a SIDS the economic development is a challenge and we have a golden opportunity with President Yameen. I am in politics to do my little part in Nation building. My country has given me so much and I feel indebted for my little contribution.
Adam Mohamed: As the Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture of Maldives, what have you done so far to encourage young people to take up opportunities available at agriculture & fishing industry?
Dr. Mohamed Shainee: If you notice a lot of focus and concentration have gone to create interest and awareness for school children. Every year we hold fish camps and have awareness campaigns for high school and as well to younger students. I believe that a real change can come from when we have the next generation work force aware and interested in the positive attributes of fisheries and agriculture.
Adam Mohamed: In your opinion, how much is currently our agriculture industry worth & what is the main milestone that we’ve achieved in this sector?
Dr. Mohamed Shainee: Our data acquisition and data reporting culture needs lots of improvement to calculate what the industry is worth. The main milestone that we have achieved in this sector is changing people’s perception to acknowledge that agriculture can be a viable business in smaller land areas. With that we are attracting good and large investments.
Adam Mohamed: Aquaculture has helped improve food security in many parts of the world. Do you believe that this industry can be contrasted with commercial fishing of Maldives?
Dr. Mohamed Shainee: If you really research further into why aquaculture has developed in other countries, you will find that it is because commercial fishing or natural resources are over fished and no mare a viable industry. For most species we fish in Maldives, we are still blessed with good abundance due to our sustainable way of fishing. However, some species have been over exploited, for e.g. Grouper and Sea cucumber. Therefore, yes I believe aquaculture will be viable and profitable for those species that are over fished or over exploited. That is the reason why our effort for aquaculture is on Sea cucumber, Grouper and now Bait fish.
Adam Mohamed: As a cabinet Minister, what is your greatest weakness and what have you done to overcome & improve it so far?
Dr. Mohamed Shainee: I am a technocrat therefore I have been little naive in the beginning. But now I believe I have better understanding of politicians and politics, which I don’t necessarily like it.
Adam Mohamed: What is your negotiating style as a Minister & have you faced a time when your judgment on a certain issue or policy got tested in crisis?
Dr. Mohamed Shainee: I don’t know if I have a certain style when I negotiate. Perhaps it’s others to notice it. But I try to be educated on the subject that I negotiate. Yes, my judgments on many issues have been tested and I am happy that I have been of some help.
Adam Mohamed: What are the most important principles you follow as a cabinet Minister leading your team & why do you want to work with President Yameen?
Dr. Mohamed Shainee: I expect sincerity and honestness. I believe in teamwork and I get involved in whatever I do, as I seek perfection. I want to work with President Yameen because he is sincere, full of knowledge and delegates with authority. He is someone who wants to make a difference and have the courage to bring that difference with little concern for his political future.
Adam Mohamed: In your opinion, under President Yameen’s administration are the institutions of governance of this country effectively guaranteeing the right to health, adequate housing, sufficient food, quality education, fair justice and personal security?
Dr. Mohamed Shainee: Yes I believe so. It will take some time for people to really appreciate this. It is human nature to get comfortable with the status quo, especially when that status quo is pleasing. To see the difference we will need to just tune our memory back to President Nasheed’s 3 years of chaos, 3 years of economic hardship, loosing social fabric, personal insecurity, failed state institutions and increased foreign influence by few states, loosing our sovereignty; or President Maumoon’s 30 years that saw only natural growth in development as compared to President Yameen’s 3 years of accelerated development.
Adam Mohamed: According to the government it left Commonwealth because the organization treated it “unjustly and unfairly” and sought to interfere in its politics. The statement by the Foreign Ministry came weeks after the Commonwealth threatened the country with suspension if it failed to show progress in key democratic governance issues. The Commonwealth Charter clearly reflects the commitment of its member states to democracy and human rights, development and growth, and diversity. So what is the other side of this story which the government is claiming as the reason to quit Commonwealth?
Dr. Mohamed Shainee: The reason is really Commonwealth being “unjust and unfair”. It shows that Commonwealth have failed. When few countries of CMAG can decide on the faith of a country without referring to its entire members, that is not fair either. When these handful of nations try to interfere with the domestic politics and when they are obsessed with one person or two, its wrong. We have done almost everything to cater for CMAG, but we never got a dime to implement them. They fail to assist and rather were quick to intensify the conditions that were put on to us every few months. When Commonwealth believed we have very serious and issues of great concern, shouldn’t they also realize that it would take time and resources to address them? But they were rather quick in putting conditions after conditions within intervals of months and were concerned for only one issue; not being able to have a successful party talks with the precondition to release criminals. As everyone in Maldives will know, government was ready to sit for talks with no pre-conditions. Opposition were putting preconditions and blocking talks while government and the whole country were being criticized. So, government believed it’s a hopeless situation and therefore we exit Commonwealth.
Adam Mohamed: The split between Ex- President Mr. Maumoon & President Yameen has led to the point where Mr. Gayoom the President of ruling party PPM has started working as an opposition to the current government. The bitter dispute has also resulted Mr. Gayoom withdrawing his support for incumbent President Yameen & this government. At this point do you believe that President has the legitimacy to maintain his Presidency & do you believe Mr. Gayoom is guilty of violating party charter and the political party law as the High Court had upheld the court order granting full control of PPM to president Yameen in the capacity of the chief advisor?
Dr. Mohamed Shainee: I think President Maumoon have not only betrayed his brother but also betrayed his party and the people of Maldives. The people of Maldives have entrusted President Yameen for a five-year term in office, so why wouldn’t his Presidency be legitimate? People of Maldives did not elect President Maumoon to any post, and therefore he should respect Maldivians decision. Of course President Maumoon is guilty of violating party charter and the political party law as the courts have decided that. I think the courts have acknowledged that a political party is bigger than one person and President Maumoon cannot hold the party hostage. The reality is that President Maumoon does not have the support of the majority, majority of the council not majority of the PPM members.
Adam Mohamed: President Yameen who until this point had maintained that the dispute could still be resolved through dialogue, has not responded to losing Gayoom's support which according to his opponents could be a major blow for his chances of re-election in 2018. Do you believe that President Yameen could succeed the Presidential Election 2018 without the support of his brother Ex-President Mr. Gayoom?
Dr. Mohamed Shainee: I am certain President Yameen will be re-elected, In Sha Allah. He needs and he have the support of Maldivians. People of this country lives in a reality that President Yameen is providing. All the projects that this Government is implementing on almost every island and mega projects at record speed that this country is seeing is real and an everyday reality that people live in. By the election date people will experience unprecedented economic development, best social welfare system this country have seen, most secure neighborhood and a Nation proud on its feet. So, I have no doubt.
Note: Dr. Mohamed Shainee was appointed as Minister of Fisheries & Agriculture on 19th November 2013 by President Mr. Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom. He holds a PhD in offshore fish cage designing from NTNU, Norway; holds a Masters in Marine Management from Dalhousie University, Canada; MSc. in Marine Technology from NTNU, Norway; and BEng. (Hons) degree in Marine Technology from University of Plymouth, UK. Dr. Mohamed Shainee has over 10 years of experience in the technical, business and management aspects of fisheries and marine resources in the Maldives.
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