Vice President Faisal Naseem has called on state institutions to implement the law equally among all citizens. He made the remarks while speaking at the ceremony to commemorate the 18th anniversary of the Maldives Police Service (MPS) being re-established as a civil body.
At the ceremony, Vice President Naseem thanked employees of the MPS contributing to the developments brought to the service in the past 20 years. He noted that the police officers work closely with the public and that their trust is dependent on MPS being able to do their work in an unbiased manner.
Furthermore, Vice President Naseem highlighted that the Maldives faced challenges in the past 20 years but that MPS was able to make significant progress during this time, including increasing its resources and providing more training opportunities to employees. He said that the government is continuing to work towards establishing peaceful communities where citizens feel safe and he thanked President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih for fully supporting the efforts.
Additionally, Vice President Naseem said that 90% of crimes reported in the Maldives are related to drugs and that it has become an issue of national concern. He said that every Maldivian family now has to face the consequences of drug-related crimes and that the issue cannot be resolved by one state institution and that every citizen needs to work on solving the problem. He also said that justice should not be just bestowed on some families or individuals and that it should be equally bestowed on all individuals. He expressed hope that the work of MPS will ensure the safety of all citizens and called on them to provide their full support to the police service.