Committee set to finalize media control bill by September 15

The Independent Institutions Committee has decided that the work on the Maldives Media and Broadcasting Regulation Bill will be completed before September 15.

During the committee meeting held on Thursday, MP for South Fuvahmulah constituency, Ibrahim Hussain, stated that the deadline for the committee to complete the Maldives Media and Broadcasting Regulation Bill is 15 September 2025. He also proposed that the announcement for public comments on the bill be open from Thursday until September 6.

MP Hussain's proposal was seconded by MP for Kelaa constituency, Abdulla Shareef.

Several journalists and members of the public have been claiming that the work on the media control bill is being rushed.

The media control bill, crafted to eliminate independent media, was submitted to the People's Majlis on 19 August 2025. The People’s Majlis accepted the bill on 27 August 2025, during an extraordinary sitting. The vote to accept the bill was passed with the majority of the main ruling People’s National Congress (PNC), while several journalists and opposition members were protesting.

49 lawmakers voted in favor of the bill, while 12 lawmakers voted against accepting it.

The legislation was submitted to parliament by Thulhaadhoo MP Abdul Hannan Aboobakuru, with backing from the government behind the scenes.

Under the proposed law, a newly established Maldives Media and Broadcasting Commission would be granted wide-ranging authority to enforce a code of conduct for media outlets and journalists. The bill outlines a series of penalties for violations, including fines and broadcast suspensions.

If a journalist or media worker breaches the code of conduct, the commission would be empowered to take disciplinary action. Failure to comply with an ordered correction could result in fines ranging from MVR 5,000 to MVR 25,000.

Additional enforcement powers include the ability to instruct broadcasters to issue corrections, publish offenses publicly, impose preventative measures, and levy fines up to 10 percent of the outlet’s revenue from the previous year. The commission could also suspend specific programs, halt the broadcast of certain content, or seek court orders to revoke broadcasting licenses.

Print media such as newspapers and magazines would also fall under the commission’s purview, with potential fines for violations ranging between MVR 5,000 and MVR 100,000.