Parliament’s independent institutions committee approved several amendments and sent the "media control bill" back to the floor. Journalists and members of the public protested inside the committee room as the ruling party majority endorsed the legislation after a filibuster from MP Meekail Naseem, the sole opposition lawmaker on the committee, who read out the bill in its entirety to propose the omission of individual provisions and the renaming of the new regulator as the "Media Control Commission."
The Broadcasting Commission ordered Channel 13 to suspend its primetime broadcast from 8pm to 10pm as punishment over a complaint concerning a People’s National Front event aired on April 17. Remarks made by speakers at the PNF office rally were deemed to have violated the broadcasting code of ethics. The broadcasting regulator also issued a warning to Raajje TV over coverage of a Maldivian Democratic Party protest where an activist’s remarks about President Muizzu’s teenage son were found to have violated the dignity of a child.
The civil service regulation was amended to permit female staff to wear the full-face niqab at work. A dress code that prohibited attire that obscures an employee's identity was replaced with a requirement to display a name tag for officials in roles where their identity must be visible. A separate amendment meanwhile introduced a paid special medical leave under circumstances where a close family member or dependent becomes ill. Any government employee is entitled to 30 days of leave annually if the relative or dependent suffers from a terminal illness or a chronic condition. A medical certificate from a licensed healthcare professional must be submitted on their behalf.
A bill on conducting public referendums was passed with in a 62-11 vote during an extraordinary sitting of parliament held during recess. Opposition lawmakers denounced the proposed law as a "tool" for seeking approval for constitutional amendments to prolong the current five-year presidential term beyond 2028, allegations that the majority leader categorically denied as even PNC MP Ibrahim Mohamed, President Muizzu's brother-in-law, expressed support for such an extension and sparked an outcry. The referendums bill was amended at the committee stage to reduce the period for the Elections Commissions to conduct polls when the president or parliament calls a public referendum.
HDC prohibited the operation of motorised vessels in the channel between Hulhumalé phases one and two, a popular spot for swimming.
On his visit to Doha to attend the Emergency Arab-Islamic Summit, President Muizzu was granted an audience with Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, during which he "conveyed his condolences over the fatalities caused by the recent Israeli attack on Qatar and reaffirmed the Maldives’ strong solidarity with the government and people of Qatar."
Speaker Abdul Raheem Abdulla criticised MDP MPs for attending the extraordinary sitting without wearing ties, calling it disrespectful and suggesting revisions to the standing orders to mandate a specific dress code.
