Parliament approves Sham’oon Hameed for HRCM, Samau misses second term

Parliament on Wednesday approved former Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM) Secretary-General Sham’oon Hameed as a member of the commission, ending sitting member Samau Ahmed Najeeb’s bid for a second term.

Samau was appointed to the HRCM in October 2021 during the administration of former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih. With her five-year term approaching its end, President Dr Mohamed Muizzu submitted the names of Samau and Sham’oon to Parliament last week for consideration.

The President ranked Sham’oon first in his order of preference.

Both candidates were assessed by Parliament’s Human Rights Committee, which also ranked Sham’oon first. According to the committee report, Sham’oon received a score of 92%, while Samau received 86%.

Parliament voted first on Sham’oon’s nomination during Wednesday’s sitting because he was the candidate ranked first.

His appointment was approved with 57 votes. No MPs voted against the nomination, while some opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) members abstained. Several MDP MPs voted in favour.

With Sham’oon receiving parliamentary approval for the vacant seat, a vote on Samau’s nomination was not required.

Sham’oon previously served as Secretary-General of the HRCM and has held positions in government and the arts sector.

He holds a Master’s degree in Music and has served in positions at the National Centre for the Arts, including as Director General.

During the previous MDP administration, Sham’oon served as Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Arts, Culture and Heritage.

He received the National Award of Recognition for Public Service in the field of music in 1992.

Sham’oon is the son of the late Abdulla Hameed, who held government posts, and is a nephew of former Presidents Maumoon Abdul Gayoom and Abdulla Yameen.

Samau has a background in law and holds a Master of Laws in Human Rights Law from Melbourne Law School.

Before joining the HRCM, she worked at the Attorney General’s Office from May 2015 until October 2021, including in its Human Rights and International Affairs Division.

Her work at the Attorney General’s Office included civil litigation, legal advice and legislative drafting.