Security guards forcibly removed journalists from a meeting room at the Parliament on Wednesday, as they demanded an explanation from the Independent Institutions Committee after the ruling People’s National Congress (PNC)-majority committee decided for the second consecutive day to bar press from its review a contentious media bill that seeks to replace the existing self-regulatory system with a government-controlled commission.
On August 18, Thulhaadhoo MP Abdul Hannan Aboobakr, an independent lawmaker aligned with the government, submitted a bill that seeks to dissolve the Maldives Media Council (MMC) and the Broadcasting Commission of Maldives (BroadCom), replacing them with a single regulatory body — a seven-member Maldives Media and Broadcasting Commission (MMBC), composed of four members elected by the media and three appointed by the President of the Maldives with parliamentary approval, with the President also given the authority to appoint the commission’s head. It also empowers the MMBC to impose major penalties against media outlets as well as individual journalists, including during the investigative stage.
The bill, widely panned both local and international journalism groups, is openly backed by the PNC administration. The Parliament has been working through recess on the bill, with the Independent Institutions Committee setting a September 15 deadline to complete all work on the legislature.
The committee had decided to bar press from its meeting on Tuesday, citing the need to protect the personal information of ordinary citizens who submitted comments regarding the bill. Journalists had gathered outside the Parliament Building in protest, demanding transparency.
But the committee decided to bar press again on Wednesday, drawing immediate protest from the journalists who were in the committee room to cover the meeting.
Muzayyin Nazim, a journalist from Dhauru, told Sun that committee members had refused to answer despite being repeatedly asked for a reason for barring press from the review of bill that journalists have such serious concerns about.
He has that he, along with other journalists, were then forcibly removed from the meeting room.
Videos taken from phones show half a dozen security guards dragging journalists out of the room. Some were carried out.
Media Control kuraa bill ge committee sirrukurumun, dhekolhu hedhi noosverin gadhakamun nerefi#sunonline #news #sunonlineheadlines #latestnews #dhivehinews #maldivesnews pic.twitter.com/uPTIJJHMdo
— sun.mv (@sunbrk) September 10, 2025
The Parliament’s standing orders require for sittings and committee meetings to be open to public and press. But some committee meetings are held behind closed-doors, if it requires discussion of confidential or sensitive matters. This requires a majority vote.
Once a committee votes to hold a closed-door meeting, all others are required to leave the room. Failure to leave the room usually leads to the committee suspending its meeting until the room is cleared.
Forcibly removing journalists from a committee meeting is unprecedented.
According to the Parliament’s standing orders, circumstances where it is permissible to hold closed door meetings are; when the information under discussion poses a threat to national security, when it involves confidential information collected by law enforcement agencies, and when it involved private information of individuals or information the disclosure of which could be damaging to their reputation.
Last week, the Maldives Journalists Association (MJA) submitted a petition endorsed by 151 journalists from 41 media outlets, urging the Parliament to reject the bill.
Despite continuous protests from journalists, the Independent Institutions Committee has set a September 15 deadline for the bill, with a 10-day window for public opinion, and a three-day window for consultation with stakeholders.
Both the members of the MMC and the BroadCom, as well as media representatives, who were summoned to the committee last week, expressed concern over the planned changes.
In addition to allowing the President power over appointment of its members, the new bill also empowers the proposed commission to impose major penalties against media outlets as well as individual journalists, including during the investigative stage. This includes:
Fines of MVR 5,000 -25,000 against journalists for failure to comply with the commission’s instructions.
Fines of up to MVR 100,000 against media outlets and magazines for legal violations.
Temporary suspension of registrations during ongoing commission probes.
Permanently revoking registrations through the courts.
Blocking websites during ongoing probes.
Ordering the cessation of broadcasting.
Power to investigate media content that dates back to a year.
Following mounting pressure over the contentious provisions, President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu insisted that his administration remains “100 percent pro-media” and has no interest in controlling the press. He said that the administration would recommend amendments to the bill through the Attorney General’s Office, but has not committed to instructing the withdrawal the bill – as is demanded by journalists.