The Maldives Journalism Association MJA states that journalists from 41 media organizations signed a petition rejecting the new media bill at the Committee stage in Parliament.
MJA submitted the petition earlier today to the Parliament as well as to the President's Office.
It said 151 journalists signed the petition, and they collectively called on the Parliament to reject the bill that looks to muzzle the press.
MJA said that according to their estimates, Maldivian journalists number between 170 to 200, meaning that more than half of the journalists in the country have signed the petition.
MP for Thulhaadhoo Constituency, Abdul Hannan Abubakur, submitted the bill earlier this month, which proposes to combine the Media Council and the Broadcasting Commission to form a new entity that would regulate media practices in the country.
The bill includes strict penalties for media organizations and individual journalists, including fines and suspension of licenses.
Media organizations in the country say that the bill will snatch the rights of reporters and restrict freedom of expression, and speech.
