Maldives Parliament approves Shammoon Hameed for HRCM

The Parliament of the Maldives has approved the appointment of Shammoon Hameed as a member of the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM). The decision follows a nomination by President Mohamed Muizzu, who ranked Hameed as his first preference.

Hameed secured a 92% score in an assessment by the Parliament’s Committee on Human Rights and Gender, surpassing sitting member Samau Ahmed Najeeb, who received 86%. Hameed previously served as the Secretary-General of the HRCM and held roles such as Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Heritage. His academic background includes a Master’s degree in music.

The appointment of Hameed effectively ends Samau Ahmed Najeeb’s bid for a second term. During parliamentary debates, some members raised concerns regarding the scoring process, specifically questioning the relevance of educational qualifications, noting the discrepancy between Hameed’s music degree and Samau’s Master’s degree in Human Rights Law.