The body of former president Ibrahim Nasir who had lived in exile in Singapore since stepping down in 1978 will be brought to Male’ to be buried in his homeland with state honors.
Former President Nasir went in to exile after Maumoon Abdul Gayoom became president in 1978. Hostile demonstrations were held against Nasir for alleged treason and misappropriation of government funds during the early years of President Gayoom and Nasir was later sentenced in absentia by Gayoom’s government. Since then President Nasir’s services and leadership have been slowly forgotten and fading away until past few years, when Maumoon Abdul Gayoom's rule became too long and was condemned for abusive of power, corruption.
Little has been spoken or written about President Nasir his dedicated leadership and services to the nation. His photographs were removed from government offices, and young Maldivians were not taught or told about the services Mr. Nasir rendered to the country.
President Nasir who was living in self exile in Singapore has been suffering from prolonged illness in recent months, but he and his family were unwilling to comeback to Maldives because of the way he was treated by the former government.
Yesterday when President Nasir passed away in Singapore at the age of 82, Maldives was already changed and Mumoon Abdul Gayoom’s 30 year rule has ended; there is a new president in the country and President Nasir’s death’s came as big shock to whole country reverberating everywhere.
State media began a full coverage of who Ibrahim Nasir was and his services to the country. Many people had expressed their sadness because there were unaware of President Nasir’s services to the country.
Some people remarked “what a great leader Ibrahim Nasir is, we did not know about this, it is very sad we have not been informed of President Nasir’s leadership and his services to the nation”. They were diseppointed because former government did not do much to disseminate information on President Nasir and was valuable services to the nation.
There is no information whether former President Gayoom made any attempt to persuade this great leader to return to his homeland to live in dignity.
President Nasir’s services to the country are many, perhaps the most important being obtaining full political independence to Maldives. Other services include introducing an English medium of education, introducing station Television Maldives and Radio Maldives, abolishing Vaaru, a tax levied on islanders and developing the country’s first international airport.
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