The Independent Institutions Committee of the People's Majlis has again passed the "Maldives Media and Broadcasting Regulatory Bill" (Media Bill), incorporating the recommendations of the Counsel General.

The committee passed the bill yesterday while journalists were expressing concerns and protesting for the bill to be rejected from the Majlis. A Majlis session has been scheduled for today to decide on the bill on the Majlis floor.

As a result, journalists have been protesting near the Majlis building since this morning, calling for the bill to be rejected.

A committee meeting was scheduled for 2:00 PM today to further review the bill, but it was later postponed to 2:30 PM and started around 3:00 PM.

Opening the committee meeting, the committee chair Hussein Riza, MP for Maafushi constituency, said that according to Majlis regulations, after a committee reviews a bill, makes amendments, and prepares a report, the bill must be sent to the Majlis Counsel General for legal advice on whether it conflicts with the Constitution or laws, within three days at most before the committee chair signs the report.

However, as the regulations state that the committee decides how to act on the Counsel General's legal advice, he opened the floor for members' opinions on how to proceed with the Counsel General's recommendations on this bill.

During this opportunity, Ibrahim Shujau, MP for Baarah constituency, said he notes for the record that the bill does not conflict with the Constitution or any existing law. Therefore, he proposed to pass the bill with the Counsel General's recommendations.

Shujau's proposal was seconded by Abdullah Shareef, MP for Kelaa constituency.

At this point, MDP member Meekail Ahmed Naseem, MP for Galolhu South constituency, requested an opportunity for members to read the bill with the Counsel General's recommendations before the committee passes it.

Meekail said it would be wrong to pass the bill at 3:18 PM without allowing time to read these recommendations, given that a Majlis session is scheduled for 4:00 PM today to decide on this bill.

He also questioned how they could vote on the bill without having read it.

The committee passed the bill as Shujau proposed, while Mickail was loudly protesting and calling for time to read the bill.