:: Dhivehi Observer :: Peoples Press ::

Sammarey sabotages the Minivan Radio broadcast

Mariyam Mohamed - Friday, 20th August 2004

The independent Minivan Radio test broadcast on Wednesday night from 2130-2230 Male' time was sabotaged by the Maldives government, when it hijacked the same frequency to transmit pro-Gayyoom propaganda.

A senior technician at the government's radio station, Voice of Maldives, was spotted in the street after the broadcast, saying on his mobile phone: "We'll do the same thing again tomorrow night."

International laws forbid registered frequencies to be hijacked in this manner, but the Minister of Information, Arts, and Culture, Ibrahim Manik (Sammarey), Gayyoom's brother-in-law, who controls radio, TV, and the print media in the Maldives, is no stranger to the violation of such laws.

TV Maldives, the government television station, for example broadcasts pirated VCD's of Bollywood films and songs (when its not showing Gayyoom propaganda), probably the only national TV in the world to do so.

Maldivians have had to pay the price for the culture minister's ignorance and infringement of international copyright laws.

Some years ago, TVM not only broadcast a pirated copy of a Bollywood blockbuster just days after it's release, it also unwittingly beamed the film via satellite to the Indian subcontinent. The film's producers sued the Maldives government and the treasury had to foot the bill.

Last night's sabotage is further proof of the minister's ignorance.

A commentator remarked, "Why did they have to transmit the Voice of Maldives signal on the Minivan Radio frequency, why couldn't they have played Tamil songs or something, so that people don't know the government is carrying out the illegal activities?"

Sammarey is widely believed to be the most backward and ignorant member of Gayyoom's cabinet. He is also currently the second-most loathed minister (Yameen heads the top of this category now).

In the run-up to last year's presidential elections, when the dictator invited people to write to him with their views, most people are said to have advised him to get rid of Summer Blue Ibrahim Manik.