MP Meekail alleges media control bill drafted by AGO, doubts Hannan even read it

Ahmed Meekail Ahmed, a lawmaker from the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) alleged on Tuesday that the contentious media control bill was drafted not by Thulaadhoo MP Abdul Hannan Aboobakr who sponsored it, but by the Attorney General’s Office (AGO), adding that he doubts independent but pro-government parliamentarian even read the 52-page bill.

On Monday, Hannan submitted a new bill that seeks to dissolve the Maldives Media Council (MMC) and the Maldives Broadcasting Commission (BroadCom), replacing them with a single regulatory body — the Maldives Media and Broadcasting Commission.

According to the Maldives Media and Broadcasting Regulation Bill, the new seven-member commission will be 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.

The new bill follows a similar one submitted by Hannan back in November 2024, which was later withdrawn following pushback from media.

The first reading of the bill was held at the Parliament on Tuesday morning.

Joining the preliminary debate on the bill, Meekail alleged that the ruling People’s National Congress (PNC), in wielding the power of its supermajority in the Parliament on a mission to find new ways to “lock up and silence the media and jail journalists.”

“Honorable Speaker, I condemn in the harshest terms this government-planned dirty game the Honorable Thulaadhoo MP is being made to play here on orders from President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu,” said the South Galolhu representative.

“Honorable Speaker, I doubt the Honorable Thulhaadhoo MP even read this 52-page bill. Honorable Speaker, we don’t even know if he read these 52 pages. This bill was drafted and sent here straight from the Attorney General’s Office.”

Meekail said that while Hannan may have been elected as an independent, the government’s involvement is clear from the PNC lawmakers’ full backing of the bill.

He described the controversial bill as another step in democratic backsliding in the Maldives under PNC’s leadership.

“Honorable Speaker, this marks a dark day in this 20th parliamentary assembly,” he said.

The new bill empowers the proposed commission to impose major penalties against media outlets as well as individual journalists. 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.

As the bill was read and debated on at the Parliament, a group of journalists sat in the gallery holding their hands to their mouth in silent protest of the proposed changes.

The bill has also been rejected by the Maldives Journalists Association (MJA), which describes it as unacceptable changes designed to “completely kill” press freedom in the Maldives.

But while the MJA and the opposition protest against this new bill as a threat to press freedom, it is backed by the government, which insists the legislature is designed to empower the press and protect press freedom.