President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu met with representatives from the Maldives Journalists Association (MJA) on Thursday, during which he said that his administration is “100 percent pro-media” and will be proposing amendments to certain provisions of the contentious media control bill.
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 Maldives Broadcasting Commission (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 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 Parliament, which is currently in recess, held an extraordinary sitting as journalists demonstrated against the bill outside the Parliament on Wednesday, during which the ruling People’s National Congress (PNC) used its supermajority to accept the bill into the Parliament and send it to the Independent Institutions Committee for review.
Dozens of journalists later gathered outside the President’s Office and the presidential residence Muliaage, demanding a meeting with President Muizzu, before they were pushed back by riot police.
Journalists protest against the media control bill outside the Parliament building on August 27, 2025. (Sun Photo/Maaniu Mohamed)
Journalists gathered outside the President’s Office again on Thursday morning in silent protest. When met by Information Minister Ibrahim Waheed (Asward) and Ibrahim Khaleel, Minister at the President's Office for Strategic Communications, they repeated their call for a one-on-one meeting with President Muizzu to share their concerns.
President Muizzu agreed to a meeting at 01:30 pm Thursday, attended by leading journalists including; Ahmd ‘Hiriga’ Zahir, the editor of Dhauru, Hussain Fiyaz Moosa, the CEO and chief editor of Adhadhu, Mohamed Junaid, the executive director of Maldives Journalists Association (MJA), Muizzu Ibrahim, the managing editor of Mihaaru, and Fathimath Nahudha Faiz, a member of the Maldives Media Council (MMC).
In a statement following the meeting, the President’s Office said that President Muizzu told the journalists that he has “no intention for the government to interfere in media regulation, control, or appointments to regulatory bodies” and also provided assurance the government will propose “amendments to certain provisions of the bill.”
“He underscored that this Administration is “100 per cent pro-media” and reaffirmed the Government’s ongoing support for the sector. The President also highlighted that numerous initiatives have been undertaken, and continue to be implemented, to foster a favourable and enabling environment for the media,” reads the statement.
President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu exits the President's Office after a meeting with media representatives on August 28, 2025. (Sun Photo/Maaniu Mohamed)
Following the meeting, Hiriga, a veteran journalist with over three decades of experience, said that they shared concerns regarding not only the media control bill, but also remarks made by Ibrahim Falah, the ruling People’s National Congress (PNC)’s top lawmaker, suggesting that journalists should be executed by impalement for spreading false information.
Falah had made the remarks during the preliminary parliamentary debate on Wednesday on the contentious government-backed media control bill. The Parliament majority leader’s suggestion that journalists should be executed by ulubeyndhun or impalement - an ancient torture and execution method - sparked widespread condemnation, with the MJA demanding a public apology from Falah as well as the ruling party.
“When we spoke to him about that, the President shook his head like this and said the remarks were regrettable,” said Hiriga.
He added that the journalists reiterated their demand that the bill be withdrawn.
“Our request remains for the bill to be withdrawn. The President said he would think about it, and would seek counsel from the Attorney General,” he said.
Journalists protest against the media control bill outside the President's Office on August 28, 2025. (Sun Photo/Maaniu Mohamed)
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.
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 media outlets and other stakeholders.