Qasim Ibrahim, the leader of Jumhoory Party (JP) and longtime parliamentary representative for Maamigili constituency, has been admitted to the Indhira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) in Male’ City.
Sun has been informed that the 74-year-old politician was admitted to the IGMH on Tuesday.
He remains hospitalized, but is showing signs of improvement, reports a credible source.
However, the exact nature of his illness is unclear.
Qasim had been at the Sun Island Resort, where he usually resides as of late, when he suffered health complications, leading to him being rushed to the hospital in Male’.
Outside of politics, Qasim is widely recognized as one of Maldives’ most successful businessmen. He ventured into the world in 1976 as a young man of 26, by mortgaging personal property and securing a loan of MVR 15,000.
He is now the head of Villa Group, a business conglomerate that is involved in tourism, aviation, education, fuel trade, groceries and more.
Qasim Ibrahim and his wife Aishath Nahula at the ceremony held at Kunooz to launch JP's women's wing, "Raiy fiya" in 2019. (File Photo/Sun/Ahmed Awshan Ilyas)
Qasim is also known for his philanthropy, having sponsored the education and medical care of thousands of people over the years.
He has held a number of high-level roles, including as the Speaker of Parliament, as Minister of Finance, and as Governor of the Maldives Monetary Authority.
Qasim has been celebrated for his various contributions with multiple awards and accolades, including with the Order of the Distinguished Rule of Izzuddin in July, and the Order of the Dignified Rule of Muleege Dynasty in 2013.
He also received the General Service Incentive Award in 1988 for contributions to national business development, the same award again in 1995 for services to tourism, and the National Award of Honor in 2007 for his philanthropy.