President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has on Wednesday evening conferred the National Award for Public Service to 117 long-serving public employees. They received recognition at the official ceremony to mark the occasion of the 54th Republic Day of the Maldives.

The National Award for Public Service is the most prestigious award conferred by the President to individuals who have served the nation for over 35 years and are observed as diligent and steadfast workers who have contributed towards the development of their respective fields.

Five recipients were among those who received the National Award for Public Service for completing over 50 years of public service.

They include:

1- Ibrahim Zaki, Senior Supervisor Consultancy at the Official Residence of the Vice President, served more than 56 years.

2- Colonel (Retired) ‘Ranvikkaa’ Adam Manik, served more than 52 years.

3- Lieutenant (Retired) Umar Mohamed, served more than 51 years.

4- Ibrahim Haleem, Chief V.I.P Waiter Consultancy at the Official Residence of the President, served more than 50 years.

5- Faiza Abdul Gadhir, (Retired) Deputy Director General at the High Court of the Republic of Maldives, served more than 50 years.

Among the 117 recipients who received the National Award for Public Service, 32 individuals were female, while 30 individuals signified public employees who served in the islands. The recipients of the award include public employees who served the state in various capacities in different ranks, some of whom belong to the Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF), Maldives Police Service (MPS), and other uniform bodies.

The National Awards Committee conducted the process of selecting recipients for the National Award for Public Service.

The Director, Air Navigation Services and Aerodromes at the Maldives Civil Aviation Authority, Fathimath Ramiza, spoke at the ceremony on behalf of the recipients.

The National Award for Public Service is to be conferred annually at the official ceremony to mark Republic Day. However, as the award is newly announced and considering the large number of recipients, the government has decided to present half of the awards at the official function to be held later this year to mark National Unity Day.