President Confers National Public Service Award to 148 Veteran Recipients

On Saturday, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih honoured 148 veteran state employees with the National Award for Public Service, marking their public servitude in their respective fields. The awards were presented to the recipients at a special function held at the Maldives Centre for Social Education (MCSE).

The National Award for Public Service was introduced in order to recognize individuals who have diligently served the nation for more than 35 years and steadfastly contributed to the development of their working fields. Apart from the nominees, the President also awarded the accolade to those who have served the state for over 45 years, however, did not yet receive the distinction. Out of the 148 recipients, 48 were identified via records collected by the President’s Office and submitted to the National Awards Committee.

A total of three individuals were acknowledged during the ceremony for having served the state for more than 50 years. These three distinguished awardees are:
1. Ms Aminath Waheedha – Director of the Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) Blood Bank, for her service of over 52 years.
2. Mr Ahmed Rasheed – former Chief Magistrate of Raa Atoll, for his service of over 51 years.
3. Lt. (Retd.) Ahmed Manik – retired servicemen of the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF), for his service of over 50 years.

The National Award for Public Service encompassed 65 individuals from different islands for their long servitude. The National Awards Committee evaluated and finalized the recipients, of whom 24 were women. Many civil servants received the award, who had fulfilled various capacities in government offices and institutions. Following the award presentation, Ms Mariyam Mohamed Sameer, a clinical nurse at IGMH spoke a few words on behalf of the recipients. Additionally, Ms Aneesa Ahmed, the chairperson of the committee also shared and addressed the audience during the ceremony.