Residents raise concerns over condition of Sinamale, Malé Hiya Flats
Several residents attending the meeting said the condition of the buildings has worsened and that there has been little engagement from authorities.
Residents of the Sinamale and Malé Hiya flats raised concerns on Tuesday about the condition of the buildings during a meeting with President Mohamed Muizzu in Galolhu.
The redevelopment of the Sinamale and Malé Hiya flats, including their demolition and replacement with a new housing project, was a pledge made by President Muizzu. The proposal was approved during his tenure as mayor, with plans at the time to provide replacement flats to current owners.
Several residents attending the meeting said the condition of the buildings has worsened and that there has been little engagement from authorities. One resident said no officials had visited the flats in the past year and that the city council had not taken steps to assess the situation.
Residents of Malé Hiya 1 and 2 and Sinamale said there had been repeated reports of issues, including non-functioning elevators. One resident said the elevator switch on the first floor of Malé Hiya had been broken for six months and that requests for repairs had not been addressed. He added that only one maintenance worker had attended to the building during that period.
Another resident of Malé Hiya 1 said the building requires repairs and that the city council had informed him a contractor had been assigned. However, he said only three foreign workers were handling maintenance work across five residential blocks.
Residents also raised concerns about visits by officials, stating that previous visits had taken place without prior notice, limiting opportunities for residents to raise issues directly.
Sinamale was developed as a government housing project with foreign funding during the administration of former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, with residents moving in during the 1990s. The Malé Hiya flats were later constructed by the government on Ameenee Magu, opposite Sinamale.
The concept for the redevelopment of the Sinamale and Malé Hiya flats was approved by the Malé City Council in April last year. However, residents said there has been no public update on the progress of the project.
The city council signed an agreement on 17 August 2023 with SF Project Consultancy Limited, a company registered in Hong Kong, for the redevelopment.
According to the council, the project includes the development of 1,500 housing units. It involves the demolition of Sinamale Flats 1, 2 and 3 and Malé Hiya Flats 1 and 2, with new towers to be constructed on the site.
The new housing units are planned on 23,476 square metres of land, including the existing areas of Sinamale and Malé Hiya. Of this, 3,310 square metres have been deducted from land previously used for a handball court.
The council has stated that 1,360 housing units will be built under the current plan, which is 140 fewer than outlined in the original agreement. The contractor has also been allocated land for the construction of a 20-storey tower.
The council said it would consult the government on transferring ownership of land currently occupied by government buildings to facilitate further construction.
