I have been in Malaysia for ten days now. It is a long way away from the troubles at home in Male’ – the ongoing killings, street violence, reports of sexual child abuse on an epdiemic scale, rule of anarchy and power in the hands of street gangs and looters and criminals on the loose, and the break-neck politics for the annihilation of the others by leading political parties – from within and without, and a government who believes all is well.

Since the August Constitution, the country’s leaders – both in government’s ruling party and the opposition, have taken it upon themselves to improve their conditions and neglect the long sustainability of the country while maintaining its heritage of hospitality intact. The Maldives today has no peace and tranquility to offer visitors to our shores.

I am staying in Malaysia with friends of my son, who is undergoing medical treatment for an injury from an accident. They have offered to put us up in their house as one of they have a visitor room which is vacant and one of the brothers will also be away for industrial training back home.

During the last couple of days I have had the opportunity to also be with my son’s friends who are frequent visitors to say a hello to him. One thing that has impressed me is how these young people are full of energyand life yet completely free of negativity and destruction that we see so much in abundance at home. Hence, they are kind and caring.

I just wondered to myself how do we build this into our homes. I believe that our young people need the physcial and emotional space to engage with the simple things in life. The provision of such space is what is not possible within the constraints of the crowded capital Male’. It is perhaps time that we put up the Maldives National University main campus somewhere with a lot of space and room for young people to be themselves away from the unnecessary pressures of Male’.

A university campus island or islaand with the option of facilities that may be rented to private colleges is a dream that perahps our country needs to realize to move to a civilized existence from the anarchy and chaos that we currently live in.