The Maldives Media Council (MMC), the statutory custodian of newspapers, has expressed grave concern over the recently passed Maldives Media and Broadcasting Regulation Bill, warning that if ratified by President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, it will establish a law that controls the media.

In a statement released following Parliament’s approval of the bill yesterday, the MMC noted that journalists, media organizations, civil society groups, and international press freedom advocates had repeatedly raised concerns over the legislation.

Despite this, the bill was passed without addressing the issues raised.

The Council said it has formally appealed to President Muizzu not to ratify the bill.

The MMC stressed that if the government’s aim was to find a lasting solution to media-related challenges, extensive consultations and a research phase involving broad national participation should have been carried out.

Instead, the Council criticized the decision to rush the bill through while Parliament was in recess, describing the process as lacking transparency.

MMC stated that if ratified in its current form, this bill would become a law that controls the media, narrowing press freedom and enabling tools to silence critical voices.

The Council warned that the legislation could empower the suppression of investigative journalism and weaken the media’s role as a watchdog against corruption and abuse of power, functions it described as essential pillars of democracy.

The statement further underscored that while the bill would dissolve the MMC itself, the spirit of free journalism in the Maldives would endure beyond institutional structures.