Malta Today has joined the current entertaining spree of guessing games on possible election dates and speculating about future political postings and appointments. Fair game, one would say. Fair, too, is the statement in my regard in the last MT Sunday article that “it is said he would definitely prefer to be...”
The words “it is said” mean “it has been rumoured”. Again in the name of free speech and fair play one would let it pass. Even though if the reader is not careful he or she would think, wrongly, that I was heard saying it.
However, the same cannot be said for the caption “vying for the post of…” underneath my photo, which really offended me for its untruthfulness.
“Vying” in my dictionary is to strive, contest, and fight for. I can assure MT that all my past public appointments were granted without any striving from my part. These posts included that of Electoral Commissioner (PM Eddie Fenech Adami – 1987), Chairman of Commission to Investigate the Conference Lines Monopoly (the late Minister Joe Fenech – 1987), Chairman of Authority of Review (Minister Ugo Mifsud Bonnici – 1994), Director CBM (Minister Lino Spiteri – 1996), Chairman MFSC (Minister Leo Brincat – 1997), Chairman MCSD (Minister Dalli – 1999). I have put in brackets the names of the ministers who approached me (most appointments are officially made by the PM or the President of the Republic), and who could all vouch that in none of the cases was there any striving or contesting on my part. In one instance, which I will not name, I had even first learnt of the appointment from the newspapers.
I have always been ready to serve my country in any post which the government had deemed I was suitable for, without any “vying”. I can assure MT that that is how I still want it to be.

Prof. Edward Scicluna
San Pawl tat-Targa

Recently the website of St George’s Basilica in Gozo carried an unsigned article congratulating Fr George Aquilina, OFM, for winning a libel case against me. As if that were not enough, the anonymous writer soon deemed fit to take the opportunity to vent his anger and animosity against me. He referred to my writings as “of a demagogic nature” and “ignored by serious historians”.
As far as I am concerned I am not expecting any “serious historians” to take any special notice of my historical articles. For me it is enough that such people as Fr Aquilina, Fr Grech and the “anonymous writer” are in fact taking notice.
But what is more important: let me assure all your readers that on my part I will not ignore the writings of “serious historians”. If their historical contributions are deficient, unscientific, erroneous, or still worse, prejudiced against the Gozo Cathedral, they will not escape my criticism.
Taking me to Court, fining me, and threatening me with imprisonment will never stop me from criticising anyone posing as “serious historians”. The proof of my words lies in my last criticism against certain history impostors, especially the one who signed his “historical” articles under the pseudonym “Malta fl-Antik’.
In his article, the anonymous writer did not fail to show his “good” intentions when he quoted from another sentence pronounced against me by the Court of Magistrates, Gozo, on February 23, 2006. But then, being “honest”, he did not mention the fact that this sentence was annulled by the Court of Appeal. As far as I know, annulled sentences end up as if they have never been pronounced and are never quoted, except by such people as “anonymous writer”.
Consequently whatever has been said in that sentence is no longer of concern to me. After all it was the Court of Magistrates (Gozo) that was proved wrong, not me.
I am no history teacher, lecturer or professor, shackled by my duties or position. I am simply a writer who defends the principles of historical truth at all costs by subsidising my own publications in the public interest and defending myself in the Courts of Malta and Gozo.

Anton F. Attard
Victoria

Having a look at this year's pre-budget document, I noticed an initiative the government will be taking up in the upcoming budget. Graduates who would like to continue their Masters abroad, in any field of study, will benefit from this initiative.
Basically the initiative sustains that whoever will continue with their Masters abroad, will have tax reductions in the three years following to their graduation, until the expenses related to the costs of the Masters are “refunded”. Currently, the My Potential scheme works on similar lines but favour IT students. However, the government now is choosing to make a step forward. I am quite sure that a number of youths will eventually apply to proceed with their Masters abroad, and this eventually will result in the attainment of experience in foreign work practices. This is a concrete example of how a government must face the current competitivity challenge of our country. Endless documents and boastful ceremonies do not attract youths to the government. Opportunities and facts will.
As a graduate I feel lucky to be living in a country were the government has launched a number of initiatives that can help me in improving my employability. This complements the new companies from different markets that are investing in Malta, eventually enlarging the possibilities of a suitable career for new graduates like myself. For this I would like to thank the Maltese Government.
 
Ray Bartolo,
Burmarrad

For the sake of the younger generation and for the sake of the over 40s whose memory is in the habit of playing tricks on them, I quote from page 408 of “A Chronicle of Twentieth Century Malta”, by Joseph Bonnici and Michael Cassar.
As an introduction I want to remind readers that on Monday 15 October 1979 thousands of Labour supporters were celebrating the 30th anniversary of Dom Mintoff’s leadership of the MLP. Till then, Mintoff was still considered “Is-Salvatur ta’ Malta” (picture p. 353).
I quote: “Parliament opened that evening after the summer recess and a splinter group broke off from a demonstration of support in St George’s Square and want on a rampage. They set fire to the NP club in Queen’s Square and proceeded to the Times building in St Paul’s Street, also setting it on fire. The fire raged for six hours and caused some half a million pounds worth of damage. Apart from the material loss in property, furniture and equipment, the Times photographic archive was lost. At Birkirkara other protesters attacked Dr Fenech Adami’s home, damaging furniture and assaulting Mrs Fenech Adami…” As far as I know there were no arrests. No comment on my part.

Giov. DeMartino
Mosta

In the wake of the Nationalist Government's awful administration in these last few years, I decided to watch Mr Saviour Balzan's programme "Reporter", and listen to the interview with Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi.
Dr Gonzi demonstrated throughout the entire interview that he brings no depth of experience, expertise or leadership whatsoever to the office of the Prime Minister. This is a pity for the country since our centralised system of Government needs indeed a strong headship and a well thought-out vision of administration.
Too many occasions arose during which Mr Gonzi's responses to questions were merely refusals to answer in an appropriate explicit manner. The implications were that he had not foreseen that such queries would have been put forward and therefore had not rehearsed the appropriate answers.
I have to confess that I've never been impressed by the Nationalist Party leader, and following his very poor performance, I never will be. He is by far the most dreadful Prime Minister of these last decades.

Charmaine Calleja
St Paul’s Bay

Alfred Sant says that Labour is always honest. He goes on to say, “We have understood the country’s need for change and we will give you that change.”
This is the same Alfred Sant who last October held a press conference at Hondoq ir-Rummien stating that the 85 per cent of Qala residents opposed to the development were justified in their opposition. The same Alfred Sant who called the marina project an exploitation of priceless land and not what Gozo or Qala needed, a stance I might add which won Labour a lot of support in the area. The same Alfred Sant who now says that he is in favour of a marina.
This seems to be a rather strange interpretation of honesty. In Great Britain we are used to politicians going back on their word. However, they usually wait until they are elected before doing so!

James A. Tyrrell,
Northern Ireland

Some process that is not clear has transferred the Ta’ Cenc plateau from public ownership to a foreign entity, Real Finanz AG.
This is not a Maltese Company. This means that any profit from this development will be lost to the Maltese economy.
My real concern is that the taxpayer/voter will have to pay for the provision any new roads, electric cabling, water pipes and for sewage disposal to an area of land which is a long way from the locality of Sannat. The overseas developer will take all the profit away. Thus, the benefit to the Maltese economy could prove a mirage.
I understand that the sale of Government land needs Parliamentary Approval. It would be reassuring to know how and on what date this was given. I hope that someone will disclose the details of the contracts and reassure the citizens/voters of this country that all is in order.
As a lawyer trained in another jurisdiction (England and Wales) I find it surprising that the rights of access to the Ta’Cenc plateau which have been enjoyed by generations of the inhabitants of Gozo, and of Sannat in particular, can be extinguished without any apparent public process. Mere omission from the documents is surely not sufficient. If I buy a property here, which has a well from which my neighbour has the right to draw water, surely that neighbour does not lose his right because the Notary does not include it in my final deed.

Philip Sandars
Sannat

Editor’s note: Real Finanz was a foreign company. It is now a fully owned Maltese company.

Following reports that Dr Mario Spiteri is no longer acting as one of Government’s chief spokespersons on health education issues, as one of his principal opponents over the years, I want to wish him the best of luck for the future.
It was reported that one of the issues that may have contributed to the decision to replace Dr Spiteri may have been that he failed to consult on a wide-enough basis before the public smoking ban was introduced.  I was one of the GRTU’s advisors in the discussion process with Government at the time and I can say that there was more than sufficient consultation, at least from what I could see.   
We eventually had to agree to disagree, as has to happen in a democracy, but any residual discontent at the way the smoking ban was introduced certainly should not be laid at Dr Spiteri’s door. In fact, there was some resentment only because a certain impression had been given at the political level about the way the ban would impact small operators and when the ban was eventually introduced, the impression given was found to have been just that, an impression, with the reality being entirely different.  This was not the fault of any public servant involved in the discussions.
I hope that Dr Spiteri’s removal will not mean that our public duels over the years will come to an end: they were enjoyable always.

Andrew Borg Cardona
Valletta

On Saturday 8 September, my wife and I lived a magical experience offered to us by ReflexMania. Marc Almond (ex Soft Cell singer) as expected, was the star of the evening at the Eden Arena, St. Julians. This was an event both my wife and I had been looking forward to for weeks, having been Soft Cell fans from the start of their successful career, and Marc Almond's solo career to date.
The whole evening lived up to our expectations and most of us met up with friends we had not met in years even though we all live on this small island. Marc Almond as usual was at his best and the crowd participated utterly. The set highlighted songs from both his solo career to date and Soft Cell respectively. The star himself exclaimed on that same night that he would definitely come back to Malta.
We would like to thank all those who were involved in such an organisation, especially DJ Alex Grech, who also manned the 1980s party that night and his team. Special thanks go also to Ms Jackie Aquilina who was a major asset in making this dream materialise.

Tonio Pace
Siggiewi

Just a comment about the note on St Thomas More accompanying Raphael Vassallo's article on college names last Sunday. It is said that "More's chief claim to canonisation took the form of his headstrong resistance to Henry VIII's plans to divorce his first wife..." It is well to note that this headstrong resistance of this most loyal and learned of Henry's subjects was the result of a life constantly close to God that left him no room for compromise and no accommodating arrangements to satisfy Henry's whims.

Michael Camilleri
Victoria