Rauff Hakeem facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Hon. Rauff Hakeem MP
රවුෆ් හකීම් ரவூப் ஹக்கீம்
Minister of Urban Development, Water Supply and Drainage
In office 12 January 2015 – 3 June 2019
President	Maithripala Sirisena
Prime Minister	Ranil Wickremesinghe
Minister of Justice
In office 22 November 2010 – 28 December 2014
President	Mahinda Rajapaksa
Prime Minister	D. M. Jayaratne
Preceded by	Athauda Seneviratne
Succeeded by	Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe
Minister of Posts and Telecommunication
In office 28 January 2007 – 16 December 2007
President	Mahinda Rajapaksa
Prime Minister	D. M. Jayaratne
Minister of Ports Development and Shipping
In office December 2001 – April 2004
President	Chandrika Kumaratunga
Prime Minister	Ranil Wickremesinghe
Preceded by	Mahinda Rajapaksa
Succeeded by	Mangala Samaraweera
Minister of Internal and International Trade Commerce, Muslim Religious Affairs and Shipping Development
In office 19 October 2000 – 20 June 2001
President	Chandrika Kumaratunga
Prime Minister	Ratnasiri Wickremanayake
Succeeded by	Ronnie de Mel
Deputy Chairman of Committees of the Parliament of Sri Lanka
In office 25 August 1994 – 18 August 2000
Preceded by	Ariya B. Rekawa
In office 14 September 2000 – 10 October 2000
Succeeded by	Lalith Dissanayake
Leader of Sri Lanka Muslim Congress
Incumbent
Assumed office 2000
Preceded by	M. H. M. Ashraff
Member of Parliament for Kandy District
Incumbent
Assumed office 2010
In office 2000–2004
Member of Parliament for Ampara District
In office 2004–2008
Succeeded by	A. M. M. Naushad
Member of Parliament for National List
In office 2008–2010
Preceded by	Basheer Segu Dawood
In office 1994–2000
Member of the Eastern Provincial Council for Trincomalee District
In office 2008–2008
Succeeded by	A. U. Razik Fareed
Personal details
Born	(1960-04-13) 13 April 1960 (age 65) Nawalapitiya, Ceylon
Political party	Sri Lanka Muslim Congress
Other political affiliations	Samagi Jana Balawegaya
Alma mater	Royal College, Colombo, Sri Lanka Law College
Profession	Attorney-at-law

Abdul Rauff Hibbathul Hakeem (born 13 April 1960) is a politician from Sri Lanka. He is currently a Member of Parliament (MP), representing the Kandy area since 2010. Mr. Hakeem is also the leader of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), which is the largest Islamic political party in Sri Lanka.

Early Life and Education

Mr. Hakeem was born on April 13, 1960, in Nawalapitiya, a town in the Kandy District. He went to Royal College, Colombo for his schooling. After that, he studied at the Sri Lanka Law College and became an attorney-at-law. Later, he earned a Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree from the University of Colombo.

Political Journey

Rauff Hakeem began his political journey by joining the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) in 1988. He met the founder of the SLMC, M. H. M. Ashraff, while working as a lawyer.

Early Roles in Parliament

From 1992 to 2000, Mr. Hakeem served as the general-secretary of the SLMC. In 1994, he became a National List MP in the Parliament of Sri Lanka. This means he was chosen by his party to be an MP, rather than being elected directly by voters. He also became the Deputy Chairman of Committees in Parliament.

Becoming a Minister

After the death of the SLMC's founder, M. H. M. Ashraff, in 2000, Rauff Hakeem became the national leader of the party. He was elected as an MP for the Kandy District in the 2000 parliamentary election. He was then appointed as a Minister, in charge of areas like trade, Muslim religious affairs, and shipping.

In 2001, Mr. Hakeem was re-elected as an MP for Kandy. He then became the Minister of Ports Development and Shipping.

Changes in Government

In 2004, Mr. Hakeem was elected as an MP for the Ampara District. However, his party was not part of the new government, so he lost his ministerial position.

In 2007, the SLMC joined the government again, and Mr. Hakeem was appointed as the Minister of Posts and Telecommunication. He later resigned from Parliament in 2008 to run in a provincial council election for the Eastern Provincial Council. After that, he was appointed as a National List MP again.

Recent Political Roles

Mr. Hakeem was re-elected as an MP for the Kandy District in the 2010 parliamentary election. In November 2010, he became the Minister of Justice.

In 2014, his party decided to support a different candidate for president, so he was removed from his ministerial role. However, after the new president, Maithripala Sirisena, won the election, Mr. Hakeem was appointed as the Minister of Urban Development, Water Supply and Drainage in 2015.

He was re-elected as an MP for Kandy in the 2015 parliamentary election. His role changed slightly to Minister of City Planning and Water Supply.

In the 2020 parliamentary election, Mr. Hakeem was re-elected as an MP for the Kandy District. He was also re-elected in the 2024 parliamentary election, continuing to serve the people of Sri Lanka.

Personal Life

Rauff Hakeem is married to Shanaz, who owns an ice cream shop in Colombo.

Electoral History

Mr. Hakeem has been elected to Parliament multiple times. Here is a summary of his election results: