MMC: Media control silences people, urges President to veto bill

The Maldives Media Council (MMC) has urged the President not to approve a controversial bill, even if parliament passes it, stating that controlling the media amounts to silencing the voice of the people.

A bill aimed at regulating the media was introduced in parliament, leading to a special parliamentary sitting on Wednesday for its prioritization. Outside the parliament building, journalists gathered to protest the proposed legislation.

Despite the protests, the bill was accepted in parliament with the support of 49 government-aligned Members of Parliament (MPs).

The MMC held a press conference on Wednesday evening to articulate its concerns regarding the bill. Hussain Sageef, the council's president, asserted that the bill would impede press freedom and poses a threat of journalism regressing by many years.

Sageef, who also serves as the CEO of Thiladhun Online, emphasized the importance of consulting experts in the field when drafting such legislation.

Consequently, he called for the bill to be withdrawn and for all further parliamentary work on it to cease.

Fathimath Nahudha Faiz, a member of the Media Council, highlighted that the bill's implications extend beyond freedom of expression and journalism, reminding that press freedom is intrinsically linked to the public's rights.

She noted that the bill, introduced by Abdul Hannan Abubakr, an independent MP from Thulhaadhoo Constituency with government affiliations, would impact not only journalists but also individuals expressing their views on social media.

Other MMC members have also appealed to MPs to withdraw the bill.

While the MMC voices its concerns, Ibrahim Falah, PNC parliamentary group leader and Inguraidhoo MP, controversially stated at Wednesday’s sitting that journalists should be "impaled."

މީޑިއާ ކޮންޓްރޯލް ބިލާ ގުޅިގެން މީޑިއާ ކައުންސިލުން ބާއްވާ ނޫސްވެރިންގެ ބައްދަލުވުން https://t.co/zRrv3nhQoz

— sun.mv (@sunbrk) August 27, 2025

The Media Council swiftly responded, demanding that Falah apologize to all journalists for his remarks.

Regarding the bill, some of Maldives' most seasoned veteran journalists held a press conference on Tuesday, expressing skepticism that the bill would be amended significantly at the committee stage in its current form. They urged for the bill to be dropped and a new one to be drafted with input from relevant authorities and external experts.

The Media Bill, if passed, would impose fines ranging from MVR 5,000 to MVR 25,000 on individual journalists, with media outlets facing potential penalties of MVR 100,000.

Furthermore, the proposed legislation would grant a commission the authority to revoke media outlet registrations and suspend newspaper operations even before a full investigation into alleged infringements. The bill also allows the President to appoint three members to this media regulatory commission, including its chairman.