The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) on Thursday called on Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu to reject a proposed media bill introduced in Parliament, saying it would severely undermine press freedom and place the media under government control in the country. The bill, introduced in the Maldives Parliament on August 18, 2025, aims to replace existing media regulatory bodies with a new commission that would have significant powers over the media.

The bill was introduced by independent lawmaker Abdul Hannan Aboobakuru, with its first reading held Tuesday morning. The bill would dissolve the Maldives Media Council and the Maldives Broadcasting Commission, replacing them with the Maldives Media and Broadcasting Commission. The proposed commission would have seven members, with the president empowered to appoint three of them and select the chairperson. The four remaining members, elected by the media, could be removed by a parliamentary vote.

The proposed commission would have the power to impose fines on journalists and media outlets, temporarily suspend registrations, and pursue judicial orders to cancel registrations. It could also block websites, halt broadcasts, and investigate cases retroactively. The CPJ warns that these provisions would severely restrict independent journalism and erode the Maldives’ democratic space.

CPJ Asia-Pacific Regional Director Beh Lih Yi said,

President Mohamed Muizzu must uphold his pledge to support media freedom by ensuring this regressive bill is withdrawn. Creating a new commission, stacking it with presidential appointees, and then granting it sweeping powers to fine, suspend, and shutter news outlets as it sees fit would destroy independent journalism and erode the Maldives’ fragile democratic space.

The Maldives Journalists Association (MJA) has also expressed strong opposition to the bill, calling it a “grave threat” to press freedom. In a statement on Tuesday, the MJA condemned the new bill, describing it as one that “poses a direct threat to press freedom and seeks to place the media under government control.” They further stated that journalists and media outlets were not consulted during the bill’s drafting and that it would criminalize reporting.

The new bill follows a similar one submitted by Hannan back in November 2024, which was later withdrawn after strong opposition from the media and President Muizzu, who had expressed his opposition to controlling the press. The president asked his party, the People’s National Congress, which controls Parliament, to vote against that bill. Muizzu and Hannan did not immediately respond to CPJ’s email requesting comment.