President Mohamed Muizzu has defended his government's media control bill, passed by the People's Majlis to limit freedom of expression.
Speaking on the Rayyithunnaa Eku (With the People) podcast on Wednesday, Muizzu said the bill would ban writing "whatever comes to mind."
"In my view, a human being cannot have the right to write everything that comes to their mind without regard to the truth and whatever happens to the other person," he said.
On Tuesday, the government exploited its supermajority in the parliament to push through the draconian legislation, which would control both social media.
The government is now facing pressure after rushing the restrictive legislation despite appeals for its withdrawal.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) also called on Muizzu to reject the bill and "uphold his pledge to protect media freedom."
The US embassy in Male' also called on the government to uphold the right to freedom of expression and freedom of the press.
On Wednesday, Sri Lankan journalists demonstrated in front of the Maldives High Commission in Colombo to show solidarity for Maldivian journalists.
