M. N. Abdul Majeed Explained

Honorific-Prefix:Hon.
M. N. Abdul Majeed
Native Name:நஜீப் அப்துல் மஜீத்
Native Name Lang:ta
Honorific-Suffix:MP
Order:2nd
Office:Chief Minister of Eastern Province
Term Start:18 September 2012
Term End:6 February 2015
Predecessor:S. Chandrakanthan
Successor:Ahamed Nazeer Zainulabdeen
Office2:Member of the Eastern Provincial Council for Trincomalee District
Term Start2:2012
Office3:Minister of Co-operatives
Term Start3:2007
Term End3:2010
Office4:Deputy Minister of Post & Telecommunications
Term Start4:2000
Term End4:2001
Constituency Mp5:Trincomalee District
Parliament5:Sri Lanka
Term Start5:2004
Term End5:2010
Term Start6:1994
Term End6:2001
Birth Date:1957 1, df=yes
Birth Place:Kinniya, Sri Lanka
Death Date:22 December 2023 (aged 66)
Death Place:Colombo, Sri Lanka
Birth Name:Mohamed Najeeb Abdul Majeed
Party:Sri Lanka Freedom Party
Otherparty:United People's Freedom Alliance
Relations:A. L. Abdul Majeed
Alma Mater:Kinniya Central College
Zahira College, Gampola
St. John's Academy, Jaffna
Occupation:Politician

Mohamed Najeeb Abdul Majeed (Tamil: நஜீப் அப்துல் மஜீத்; born 1 January 1957 − died 22 December 2023), was a Sri Lankan politician, former Member of Parliament and former Chief Minister of Eastern Province.

Early life and family

Majeed was born on 1 January 1957.[1] He was the son of A. L. Abdul Majeed was Member of Parliament for Mutur from 1960 to 1977 and Deputy Minister of Information and Broadcasting.[1] He was educated at Kinniya Central College, Zahira College, Gampola and St. John's Academy, Jaffna.[1]

Majeed then moved to Colombo and became a junior executive at a shipping company.[1] His father was assassinated on 14 November 1987, allegedly by the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.[2] Majeed returned to Kinniya to take on his father's political mantle.

Majeed died on 22 December 2023 at the age of 66 while receiving treatments at a private hospital in Colombo.[3]

Political career

Majeed contested the 1989 parliamentary election as one of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party's candidates in Trincomalee District but failed to get elected.[1] In 1993 he became chairman of Kinniya Divisional Council.[1] Majeed joined the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) in 1994 and contested the 1994 parliamentary election as one of its candidates in Trincomalee District. He was elected to Parliament as the sole SLMC representative from Trincomalee District.[4] The SLMC contested the 2000 parliamentary election as part of the People's Alliance (PA) in Trincomalee District. Majeed was re-elected, this time as a People's Alliance candidate.[5] He was appointed Deputy Minister of Post and Telecommunications.[1]

The alliance between the SLMC and PA crumbled in 2001 and the SLMC joined the opposition United National Front. Majeed contested the 2001 parliamentary election as one of the UNF's candidates in Trincomalee District but failed to get re-elected.[1] The SLMC contested the 2004 parliamentary election on its own in Trincomalee District. Majeed re-entered Parliament as the sole SLMC representative from Trincomalee District.[6] Then the SLMC suffered a series of rebellions and splits and on 30 May 2004 Majeed was expelled from the SLMC.[7] In October 2004 Majeed was appointed Minister for Trincomalee District Rehabilitation and Development.[8] Majeed then joined two parties formed by former SLMC members, firstly the National Congress led by A. L. M. Athaullah and then the All Ceylon Muslim Congress led by Rishad Bathiudeen.[1] In 2007 he re-joined the SLFP.[1] Majeed was appointed Non-Cabinet Minister of Co-operatives in January 2007.[9]

Majeed contested the 2010 parliamentary election as one of the United People's Freedom Alliance's candidates in Trincomalee District but failed to get re-elected after coming third amongst the UPFA candidates.[10] He was then appointed Presidential Coordinator for the Trincomalee District and SLFP organiser for Mutur Electoral Division.[1]

Majeed contested the 2012 provincial council election as one of the UPFA's candidates in Trincomalee District and was elected to the Eastern Provincial Council (EPC).[11] The UPFA became the largest group on the EPC but didn't have a majority. After some horse trading an agreement was reached between the UPFA and SLMC which allowed the UPFA to form an administration with the support of the SLMC.[12] Under the agreement between the UPFA and SLMC a UPFA nominee would serve as Chief Minister for two and half years after a which a SLMC nominee would become Chief Minister.[13] Majeed was appointed Chief Minister by Governor Mohan Wijewickrama and was sworn in on 18 September 2012 in Colombo in front of President Mahinda Rajapaksa.[14]

Notes and References

  1. News: Jeyaraj. D. B. S.. NAJEEB ABDUL MAJEED MAKES HISTORY AS THE FIRST MUSLIM CM OF SRI LANKA. Daily Mirror. 22 September 2012. 23 September 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20160921025409/http://www.dailymirror.lk/opinion/dbsjeyaraj-column/22121-najeeb-abdul-majeed-makes-history-as-the-first-muslim-cm-of-sri-lanka.html. 21 September 2016. dead.
  2. News: Ferdinando. Shamindra. Political killings: from S.W.R.D to DM. The Island. 21 January 2008.
  3. https://www.lankadeepa.lk/obituary_notice/හිටපු-මහා-ඇමැති-නජීබ්-අබ්දුල්-මජීඩ්-අභාවප්%E2%80%8Dරාප්තවේ/242-644995 හිටපු මහා ඇමැති නජීබ් අබ්දුල් මජීඩ් අභාවප්‍රාප්තවේ
  4. Web site: Result of Parliamentary General Election 1994 . Department of Elections, Sri Lanka . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20101006015411/http://www.slelections.gov.lk/pdf/Results_1994%20GENERAL%20ELECTION-SM01.PDF . 6 October 2010 .
  5. Web site: General Election 2000 Preferences . Department of Elections, Sri Lanka . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100826002922/http://www.slelections.gov.lk/pdf/preference2000GE.PDF . 26 August 2010 .
  6. Web site: General Election 2004 Preferences . https://web.archive.org/web/20100304015514/http://www.slelections.gov.lk/pdf/Preference2004GE.pdf . dead . 2010-03-04 . Department of Elections, Sri Lanka .
  7. News: SLMC high command sacks three parliamentarians. 30 May 2004. TamilNet. 5 December 2009.
  8. News: Dissident SLMC MPs sworn in as ministers. TamilNet. 30 October 2004.
  9. Web site: New Cabinet of Ministers sworn in. Current Affairs. Government of Sri Lanka. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20100628094649/http://www.priu.gov.lk/news_update/Current_Affairs/ca200701/20070128new_cabinet_ministers_sworn_in.htm. 28 June 2010. dmy-all.
  10. Web site: Parliamentary General Election – 2010 Trincomalee Preferences . https://web.archive.org/web/20100513034918/http://www.slelections.gov.lk/pdf/GE2010_preferences/Trincomalee_pref_GE2010.pdf . dead . 2010-05-13 . Department of Elections, Sri Lanka .
  11. Web site: Preferences . https://web.archive.org/web/20140429044507/http://www.slelections.gov.lk/pdf/ele_2012/Candidates/Trinco_FREV.pdf . dead . 2014-04-29 . Department of Elections, Sri Lanka .
  12. News: Ferdinando. Shamindra. President bags East with Hakeem's help. The Island. 18 September 2012.
  13. News: Bandara. Kelum. PC polls: SLMC to share Chief Minister Post in East. Daily Mirror. 20 September 2012. 23 September 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20121027153012/http://dailymirror.lk/opinion/172-opinion/22063-pc-polls-slmc-to-share-chief-minister-post-in-east.html. 27 October 2012. dead.
  14. News: Majeed sworn in as Eastern CM. Daily Mirror. 18 September 2012. 23 September 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120922085308/http://www.dailymirror.lk/news/22010--majeed-sworn-in-as-eastern-cm.html. 22 September 2012. dead.