During his inaugural speech immediately after taking the oath as the next President of the Maldives, Dr. Mohamed Muizzu turned to face the national flag at the Republic Square. After a brief pause, he turned back to address the attendees and continued with his speech.
"O' the proud national flag of Maldives: I salute you from the bottom of my heart. I understand the meaning behind every little movement you make; your waving and your fluttering. You represent the blood of the noble martyrs who defended this nation. The hope and life of all the brave men and women who built our beloved country. The sacred beauty and faith of Islam, salvation for our beloved people," President Dr. Muizzu said.
"O' beloved and honored national flag: from now on, the sun will never set on you. Starting today, our proud flag will be the most honorable symbol that will fly in every island of the Maldives," he said.
The eighth President of the Maldives delivered a deeply moving speech that moved even the veteran orator and former prominent journalist Mohamed Saleem (Hoarafushi Saleem).
"Not many would know but previously the flag was hoisted at 6:00 a.m. and will be lowered at 6:00 p.m. at government institutions. During the speech, he [President Dr. Muizzu] faced the flag and assured that the sun will never set on it anymore," Saleem said.
"Considering this point alone, this is by far the most moving, sentimental, and powerful words by any president in the Maldives; that was previously unheard of."
"For me, the speech was beautiful because it was simple, direct and relayed in laymen's terms," Saleem added.
Saleem also believes the speech to be the finest ever delivered by a Maldivian president after their inauguration.
It was revealed that the speech is the culmination of efforts by the President himself and a gifted team behind him.
Meanwhile, the speech has gained traction on social media attracting wide public acclaim. Some even went as far as to state that the inaugural speech had rekindled and revitalized the nationalistic sentiments among Maldivians, while exemplifying the richness of the Dhivehi language.
The newly inaugurated president spoke highly of the national flag, and said that it is the "flag of freedom" and it had flown through "Day or night, rain or shine." President Dr. Muizzu further said that the flag told the story about the courage and determination "it takes to be free".
"The flag has colors across it in a certain order and it follows a certain rule. It shows that a society needs rules, regulations, and order among its people to maintain its independence. Hence, the flag reminds us that our nation will be truly ours, truly Maldivian, when the society is united by the true values of the Maldivian people. By supporting each other in reviving the good and reforming the not so-good," Dr. Muizzu said in his speech.
In his speech, President Dr. Muizzu said that people may have questions about what his government represents, to which he said that his administration would stand for justice and fairness.
He promised to speak against corruption, misappropriation and abuse of power and assured swift action against perpetrators.
Dr. Muizzu further assured of a transparent government, without hidden agendas, and added that with God's good grace he will deliver upon his promises without being deceitful.
"My government will defend Islam, this beloved nation, and our sacred land. We will not be treacherous. Our government will build homes and nurture minds. We will not make false or empty promises. We will show mercy and compassion. We will not be cruel. We will continue to be sincere in listening to the people, checking on their welfare and addressing their concerns".
"The government that I am forming will encourage you to share smiles with each other and maintain connections. Spread love and mutual respect throughout the country. Let us build a happy and content Maldivian society," President Dr. Muizzu added.
One of the top priorities of the newly inaugurated President is to preserve and maintain the Dhivehi language, culture and heritage for which he established a new ministry on Friday evening as well.
The love and prioritization to increase the nationalistic values and sentiments in Maldivians, was evident from the President's inaugural speech as well.
He assured with confidence, that his government will work diligently to pass down the Maldivian national identity to the next generations. President Dr. Muizzu believes the right for a national identity should be bestowed to every child and youth of the country.
While acknowledging the 4,000-year-old Maldivian civilization, Dr. Muizzu appealed to the intellectual community in the country to conduct more research and disseminate information about the Maldives to the public.
He highlighted his interest to see more scientific research being carried out which would form the basis for developing evidence-guided policies on national development.
President Dr. Muizzu also stressed on the importance of passing down knowledge to the future generations, and said he wishes to see the next generations "grow up respecting Islam, and upholding its values and ethics". He also emphasized on the importance of making the children diligent, responsible and loyal to the country and religion with the incorporation of modern methods of teaching and communication.
He also noted that the right to learn about the history and geography of Maldives should not be taken away from Maldivian students.
In this sense and regard, the newly inaugurated President announced he will launch a national project to revive Maldivian patriotism. He added that the project is aimed "towards opening the minds of the people and to acquaint them to the courage, determination and virtues" of the Maldives' ancestors.
President Muizzu also noted that through the project, the government will build an environment appropriate for the mental and spiritual development of the children, and promised to bring comfort to the "hopeful hearts" of the parents who "make sacrifices day and night" to raise their children.
The new President further ensured that his government will value knowledge and accord respect and dignity to the scholars. He also ensured a safe and peaceful environment for religious scholars to write and preach, promising his government will support the endeavors of religious scholars.
While starting his speech at the presidential inauguration ceremony held at the Republic Square, he directed his first sentences towards the historic ground;
"Today is a historic day—a day of hope. Maldivians embark on a new journey, unfurling our sails to return to our homeland, the country of Maldivians. Today, we begin realizing our dreams. It is the day when our hearts yearn for answers to our worries. This square, a part of our sacred homeland, is where Shaheed Hussain Adam and many other Maldivian heroes made their ultimate sacrifice, they fought to protect the country and our religion."
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