Former Secretary General of the Maldives Media Council, Mohamed Farsath, has been appointed Chairman of the Maldives Media and Broadcasting Commission.

The appointment was confirmed during Monday’s parliamentary sitting, where 49 members voted in favor of Farsath’s appointment and nine members voted against.

Under the Media Control Act, the authority to appoint the Chairperson of the Commission rests with the Parliament. Farsath, who was already serving as a member of the Commission, was among the three members appointed by the legislature.

Parliament received limited applications for membership representing the media sector in the Commission.

As the number of applicants matched the available seats, the four media representative positions were filled without a competitive selection process.

The appointed members of the Maldives Media and Broadcasting Commission are as follows:

Representing broadcasters:

- Abdul Azeez Ibrahim, Moonimage/Sh. Funadhoo

- Zam’ath Ahmed Waheed, Mala/GDh. Thinadhoo

Representing media organisations:

- Simaha Naseem, Valleyge/GDh. Rathafandhoo

- Hussain Sageef, Hisan/HDh. Vaikaradhoo

The Commission consists of seven members in total, comprising representatives from both broadcasters and media organisations.