No action has been taken against the Senior Political Director at the Homeland Security Ministry, Fathimath Rifaath, after she deleted a Facebook post mocking Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake during his recent state visit to the Maldives.
The government remains tight-lipped on the matter, with neither the administration nor the Presidential Spokesperson responding to local media inquiries regarding whether any disciplinary measures will be taken.
Rifaath had shared a photograph on Monday of President Dissanayake with President Mohamed Muizzu at the official welcoming ceremony in Malé, captioning it, “Lucky, you didn’t wear a sarong.” The post was later deleted following public criticism.
The comment prompted a response from Mariyam Shiuna, a close associate of President Muizzu, who called for disciplinary action against officials making derogatory remarks about visiting heads of state.
“I call for action against all those who insulted the President of Sri Lanka while in government positions,” Shiuna wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Shiuna herself was suspended as a deputy minister in January 2024 for making insulting remarks about Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. She and two other deputy ministers, Malsha Shareef and Mahzoom Majid, later resigned from their posts and were subsequently appointed to positions at state-owned companies with equivalent or higher pay.
Additional reporting by Sandun Arosha Fernando, Senior Political Correspondent, Maldives Republic