News
Hizbullah’s Hira Foundation though not registered had a certificate of registration
By Rathindra Kuruwita
Former Governor of the Eastern Province M. L. A. M. Hizbullah’s Sri Lanka Hira Foundation (SLHF) was not registered with the Department of Social Services as a social service organization, Dhammika Wasalabandara, a Social Service officer at the Social Services Department yesterday, told the Presidential Commission of Inquiry probing the Easter Sunday carnage.
Earlier, the State Counsel leading the evidence asked the witness whether the department had registration documents of the foundation and Wasalabandara replied that they did not have any.
However, the Commission drew the attention of the witness to a letter provided by the Social Services Department to the Hira Foundation on July 20, 2011, saying that the foundation had been registered.
Wasalabandara, after referring to the document said that while the letter said that the Foundation had been registered, the Department did not possess registration documents.
He said that Additional Director General Mohammed Sameel of the Department, who had issued this letter to the Hira Foundation, was not in the service when the document was issued.
“We don’t have these documents in our files,” he said.
Former Additional Director General of the Social Services Department Mohammed Hanifa Mohammed Sameel, who also testified after Wasalabandara admitted that it was wrong to issue the letter to the Hira Foundation.
Sameel said he had issued a letter stating that the Hira Foundation had been registered under the Social Services department following a request made by the Foundation.
Commissioners pointed out that according to a circular issued in 1999, the Social Services department no longer could register Non- Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and social services Organisations. That circular added that the registration of all social services organizations and NGOs registered under the Social Services Department up to 1999 had been cancelled.
A Commissioner asked the witness whether it had been legal to issue a letter in 2011 stating that the Hira Foundation was registered under the Social Services department.
Samil acknowledged that issuance of the letter was not appropriate. When asked whether the permission of the Director General of the Social Services department had been sought before issuing the relevant letter to the Hira Foundation, Samil said he had not done so and if approval had been sought, the Director General would not have given it.
Former Governor of the Eastern Province Hizbullah also appeared before the Commission yesterday.
Samil also told the PCoI that he had known Hizbullah for a while. “During my tenure as the Director of the Department of Muslim Religious and Cultural Affairs, he used to speak to me about matters such as registration of mosques, the importation of dates for the Ramadan season and the Mecca pilgrims quota.”
When Samil was at the Muslim Religious and Cultural Affairs Department, the institution came under the former Prime Minister D. M. Jayaratne. Chairman of the PCoI asked the witness why he had discussed those matters with Hizbullah.
The witness said almost all Muslim politicians had discussed issues related to Muslims with him on various occasions. However, he added that he had never violated the procedure.
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
