President advises to refrain from activities that might threaten national security

President Dr Mohamed Waheed has advised to refrain from any activity that might threaten national security.

The president made this remark while speaking at the graduation ceremony of the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) second officer candidate course, held in Girifushi today.

President Waheed said that the responsibility of sustaining the country’s security and sovereignty lies not only with the MNDF and the police, but with all citizens.

“Working for national security is not the responsibility of MNDF alone, or the police alone; rather, it is the responsibility of every Maldivian citizen. Therefore I urge all Maldivians to refrain from all activities that might interfere with national interests and security. The defence force must pay attention and be alert in relation to such issues,” he said.

The president said that in order to eliminate all threats to national security, we must protect the economic sector and social systems of our country.

He said that the defence force must prioritise the national and legal responsibilities of protecting the Constitution and the State, defending the country’s independence and sovereignty, and protecting the rule of law from all illegal activities that may inhibit the rule of law.

President Waheed said that the security sector had gone through major changes with time, and that it was no longer possible to protect the country by using guns and swords alone.

“Today, it’s not possible to protect a country with the use of guns and swords alone. Without a doubt, a country’s national security can only be ensured by considering its foreign relations, defence system, economic and financial situation, social situation, and education system. This reality is clear in the Maldives as well. So in order to safeguard the protection and safety of the highest level of national security interests, we have to have a strong foreign policy. This policy must ensure that we don’t lose our culture, and it should not give others the opportunity to manage our internal affairs,” he said.