Minister Haidhar relinquishes flat amid public criticism

Higher Education Minister Dr Ali Haidhar on Thursday announced his decision to vacate a government-issued flat following public scrutiny over his eligibility for the housing scheme.

The controversy erupted after the government published the revised list of recipients under the ‘Gedhoruveriya’ scheme, which was initially compiled by the previous administration. Among the names on the list was Haidhar and his wife, raising questions about how he qualified despite having lived abroad for several years.

With growing public concern and criticism, Haidhar released a statement Thursday evening addressing the issue. He acknowledged that there were many families in greater need of housing and stated that he and his wife would forgo the allocated flat.

“In my present capacity, my wife and I are excused from receiving the flat in our name,” Haidhar said in his statement.

“Therefore, we are very polite and respectful to inform you that we intend to vacate the flats we received under this scheme.”

Haidhar, who served as the first Housing Minister of this government until December 26, emphasised his decision was made in consideration of fairness and public sentiment.

According to the government’s review, Haidhar and his wife received 75 points under the original criteria and remained eligible after a re-evaluation. Despite this, the allocation sparked debate, particularly due to Haidhar’s long-term residency abroad.

Before Haidhar’s statement, Housing Minister Dr Abdulla Muththalib had defended his eligibility in a post on X.

“Under the rules framed then, native-born persons on the registry are eligible, and when this government re-verified the forms at the direction of the ACC, nothing was found during the verification [Haidhar couple] to be ineligible or change in points,” Muththalib stated.

The incident has fuelled ongoing concerns about fairness in government housing allocations, with many questioning the transparency of the selection process.