Umar Naseer and his many ‘tags’

Former Home Minister Umar Naseer is the man behind the now discontinued MoniCon orders – court orders under which suspects of violent crime were electronically tagged and monitored by authorities.

Umar had a hardline stance against crime and gang violence throughout his tenure as Minister of Home Affairs, and continues to advocate strong measures against criminal activities as he continues his political career.

Umar, noted for his uncompromising principles, electronically tagged multiple suspects of violent crime during a particularly high-crime period in Male’ City.

He says he too has been ‘tagged’. Tagged with the names his political opponents refer to him by.

In this week’s episode of ‘Sun’s web series ’50 Minute’, he talked about some of his ‘tags’ and the origins of some of his most famous tags such as ‘Harugandu Umar’ and ‘Hallakee Umar’.

“The Harugandu [ladder] tag was made by members of MDP. It’s true, the ladder talk came up during one of my speeches during the effort to overthrow Mohamed Nasheed’s administration,” said Umar.

He said that the ladder talk was one of the reasons for the downfall of former President Nasheed’s administration. And the reason why MDP members call him ‘Harugandu Umar”.

He said the reference doesn’t bother him.

During one of the mass demonstrations against Nasheed’s administration in 2012, Umar riled up the demonstrators by urging them to infiltrate the Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) headquarters using ladders.

“I am referred to by many similar tags,” said Umar dismissively.

Umar ventured into the Maldivian political arena in 2008. Armed with his hardline policies, he used the campaign slogan ‘Hallakee Umar’ which translates to ‘The Solution is Umar’.

The slogan trended, and continues to be used in jest within the Maldivian community.

“Hallakee Umar – that was my campaign slogan during the Presidential Elections 2008. And many continue to say that the solution to many of the issues I voiced concern about at the time is me,” said Umar.

Umar, with his uncompromising hardline policies, cuts a controversial figure in the Maldivian political arena.

He says that no true politician is without enemies.

“Winston Churchill used to say, that any politician without enemies is no true politician. I have many enemies. And many opponents. They will tag me however they want,” said Umar, referring to the former UK Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s quote “You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life.”