Parliament Committee Backs Safa, Saraahath and Farshath for New Media Commission

Parliament’s Committee on Independent Institutions has endorsed former Maldives Broadcasting Commission (Broadcom) president Safa Shafeeq, former Broadcom member Aminath Saraahath Izzath, and former Civil Service Commission member Mohamed Farshath for seats on the newly established Maldives Media and Broadcasting Commission. 

The new body will comprise seven members under recently enacted legislation, with three appointed by Parliament and four chosen by the media sector—two representing broadcasters and two from other media outlets.

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An election had been scheduled for 11 October, but the Elections Commission of the Maldives later confirmed that four members were appointed without a formal vote after uncontested races. Three of the four applicants for broadcaster seats met eligibility criteria, and one subsequently withdrew, automatically seating the remaining two; only two candidates applied for the “other media” seats, leading to their selection without contest. The appointed members are former Broadcom member Zamath Ahmed Waheed, former Media Council president Hussain Shageef, Simaha Naseem, and Abdulazeez Ibrahim.

According to the committee report,10 people applied to join the Media Commission and two withdrew before interviews. The committee interviewed eight candidates and assigned marks. Farshath scored 90.50%, Safa 88.88%, and Saraahath 87.88%. Other candidates did not reach the 75% threshold required for names to be forwarded to the full chamber. Applicants included former Broadcom member Moosa Rilwan and the dissolved Maldives Media Council’s vice-president Ibrahim Mohamed.

The Maldives Journalists Association (MJA) has raised concerns over the law and the commission’s formation, arguing the process lacked transparency and independence. In response, the MJA has initiated steps to create an independent Press Council Committee as a self-regulatory body, with its final structure expected by 22 October. With four industry members already seated and three parliamentary nominees now endorsed by committee, the commission’s full composition awaits parliamentary approval to become fully operational.