The Best Defense Against Slander Is Sincere Service, Not Suppression of Free Speech - Fayyaz

In a powerful message this National Day, Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) Chairperson Fayyaz Ismail strongly criticized the government’s approach to media regulation, asserting on X  that genuine public service is the true safeguard against slander.

These remarks come as parliament debates a highly controversial media control bill introduced by MP Abdul Hannan Aboobakr, aligned with President Mohamed Muizzu’s administration. The proposed law would dissolve existing independent bodies, the Maldives Media Council (MMC) and the Maldives Broadcasting Commission (BroadCom) in favor of a new Maldives Media and Broadcasting Commission (MMBC), comprised of four media-elected members and three presidential appointees. The President would also have the power to select the commission’s chair.

The legislation empowers the MMBC to impose sweeping sanctions on journalists and media outlets, including high fines, temporary suspensions, and the authority to block websites or halt broadcasts even before investigations conclude.

Media associations including the MMC, the Maldives Journalists Association, and the International Federation of Journalists have denounced the bill as a dire threat to press freedom, warning it would foster a chilling effect on journalistic independence.

Fayyaz further warned that any laws aimed at restricting free speech will be dismantled should the MDP return to power, reaffirming the party’s commitment to reverse what he sees as authoritarian overreach.