Attorney General Ahmed Usham has stated that there is no reason to reject the Media Regulation Bill currently being reviewed in Parliament.

The bill, introduced by Thulhaadhoo MP Abdul Hannan Abubakur, was adopted during an out-of-session sitting and is now at the committee stage. Since its introduction last week, the bill has drawn criticism from journalists, who have staged protests outside Parliament, the President’s Office, and Muliage, demanding its withdrawal.

A large number of journalists continued demonstrations in front of the President’s Office today, where President Dr Mohamed Muizzu met with the Maldives Journalists Association (MJA) to hear their concerns.

Usham noted that the Attorney General’s Office is examining the bill and that it can be revised and corrected, rather than withdrawn. He said the government intends to make amendments to certain provisions.

He also highlighted that the Maldives Media Council (MMC) had submitted a draft media bill to the Attorney General’s Office in 2022, and that the current version is not significantly different from that draft. According to him, the earlier proposal by MMC had included stricter provisions.

Despite the protests, Usham maintained that addressing concerns requires more than expressions of opposition, and that changes will be made through the parliamentary process.