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editorial
| By Saviour Balzan
Pull the other leg, Mr. Minister
The treachery at the Mnajdra temples led Education Minister Louis
Galea to come up with a Cultural Heritage Strategic Plan (CHSP).
We have looked at this document and we can only cry with remorse.
Is Dr Galea being serious when he presents us with this CHSP report?
Anyone in the business of worrying over the cultural heritage has
seen these carefully photocopied proposals before. There is nothing
innovative here. Those who have languished as the world around us
falls apart cannot take Dr Galea seriously.
Perhaps Dr Louis Galea is not aware of the work that has been accomplished
by his predecessors and other related institutions. Or rather what
has not been accomplished.
One such body is the Planning Authority, which has a singular strategy
of its own and works hard at protecting our cultural heritage on
paper (and nowhere else).
And when we say singular we mean it. Because this what is so typical
of this government – a widespread lack of coordination.
The salient problem is that the Museum Department and others appear
to function separately and more unfortunately in a state of drowsiness.
Drowsiness is in fact a kind word, considering that several funds
from foreign organisations were available to the Museum’s Department
to help out at Mnajdra but were not utilised.
Let us ask the curator, Mr Anthony Pace, a very simple question:
Why were these funds not used?
He can then tick one of four multiple choice answer: (a) I forgot
(b) I had no time (c) I had no ideas (e) I had too much on my plate.
Having said this, one must also add that the onus of responsibility
lies flatly and squarely with the curator of the Museum, who has
been an exemplary role model of what is not needed in a manager
and doer.
And what we cannot agree to is Dr Galea’s assertion –
which he made on NET TV – that it is not his job as minister
to see things through.
Then whose job is it to see things through, may we ask?
Dr Galea, like any other minister, is the managing director of a
company. In this case the company is called Education and Culture.
It is his job to ensure that the Anthony Paces in his company carry
out their job effectively. If they do not, then he should ask them
to act or be axed.
Dr Galea is, of course, used to grey skies and rainy days. But today
this has nothing to do with that part-time Fawwara tale or that
Auxiliary Workers’ Scheme reportage, it has to do with incompetence
and with our sacred heritage. The one that has no votes or partisan
agendas.
And coming up with a Cultural Heritage Strategic Plan at the very
last moment purely for the media circus is no way to deal with a
crisis.
A sad day for justice
The other day we witnessed two extraordinary court decisions, the
first one was the person who took his car across a zebra crossing
and killed a person.
That person was fined Lm500 and had his licence withdrawn for a
ridiculous time period.
The other was the Lm25 fine for those who beat up Tarcisio Mifsud,
the financial comptroller at Enemalta who happens to be a labourite
and brother of Alfred Mifsud, the Super One chief.
The beatings were undertaken by two Nationalists, who appeared to
be overjoyed with the 1998 election results.
In both cases the court decisions cannot be called banal or ridiculous
but downright offensive.
The judiciary who decided upon these fines have, in our view, reneged
on a basic principle.
Now, we have said more often than not, that the judiciary is not
beyond reproach. More so, when we remember that the Maltese magistrates
and judges are chosen by politicians.
Some magistrates and judges have impeccable records. Some are clear,
consistent and serious. Others with all due respect do not.
There are others who express sentiments, which often go against
the grain of what one expects from a fair and just judiciary.
There is far too often a detachment from reality, a sense of disregard
for public opinion or worse still the gravity of the crime.
If killing a person on a zebra crossing or organising a political
beating in the private salon of a senior parastatal official is
not thought of as a worrisome event, then our judiciary are party
to ignorance and irrelevance.
And yes, the media should start to stand up for John Citizen and
more still for the victims of crime.
As things stand today, Maltese society are party to one big lobby
group by the name of mid-dawl ghad-dlam, from light to darkness.
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