Tourism Minister Faisal dismissed

Ibrahim Faisal has been dismissed from his position as the tourism minister in President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu’s cabinet.

Faisal, the son of Abdul Raheem Abdulla, the speaker of Parliament and chairperson of the main ruling People’s National Congress (PNC), had been among the original appointees to President Muizzu’s cabinet – on November 17, 2023.

The President’s Office confirmed Faisal was dismissed on Tuesday, but declined to specify the reason for the decision.

President Muizzu has appointed Economic Minister Mohamed Saeed to head the Tourism Ministry until a replacement is found.

Faisal’s appointment as tourism minister had been met with criticism, with the opposition accusing President Muizzu of nepotism. However, the government never officially addressed those allegations.

He faced further criticism due to lack of proficiency in the English language.

Faisal acknowledged his lack of proficiency in English, and announced that he had hired a language coach to help him improve his speaking skills. He also insisted that a lack of proficiency in English did not have anything to do with his ability to do his job.

Faisal confirmed his dismissal to Sun, and said he planned to take a more active role in politics in the future.

Faisal’s dismissal comes as sources within the PNC report friction between the top leaders of the party – President Muizzu and Abdul Raheem.

Abdul Raheem, previously seen as President Muizzu’s most powerful ally, had originally been appointed as special advisor to President Muizzu. But he later resigned from the role to successfully contest the 2024 parliamentary elections, in which the PNC won a supermajority of seats in the Parliament. He subsequently won the vote to get elected as Speaker of Parliament.