Former Home Minister Imran Abdulla has said the time has come for Maldivians to rise in defense of the nation, following the decision to give 500 hectares of land from the Rasmalé reclamation project to UAE-based company Eagle Hills.

Imran, the former President of the Adhaalath Party, said that giving part of Rasmalé, a project started to solve the housing problem in the Malé region, to a foreign company for 99 years without any rent is a suspicious decision. The government officially announced the project last Monday.

In a post on X, Imran said Maldivians have always stood up whenever the nation’s independence and sovereignty were challenged. He also said recent history shows that the consequences of betraying the religion and the nation will be bitter, even for President Muizzu personally. Imran called on citizens to set aside political views and unite to defend the nation.

Religious scholars including Sheikh Fazloon Mohamed, Dr. Mohamed Iyaz and Sheikh Zamzam Farish have also spoken out against the deal.

According to the government, the land has been given on a 99-year lease. However, critics say that if a flat or plot is sold or inherited before the lease period ends, the new owner receives a fresh 99-year lease, meaning the land may never return to Maldivian hands.