Dear Jason, ‘funwashing’ will not exonerate you

Jason Micallef has every right to be elated over the success of Pitbull’s concert at Ta’ Qali, which was the largest-ever music concert held in Malta.

He has every right to hold a differing opinion to those who prefer to see the Ta’ Qali picnic area in a much greener state than it has been reduced to.

He is free to be critical of Arnold Cassola and those whom he believes are the killjoys of Maltese society.

But Jason Micallef is also a politically-appointed public official and so what he says and how he acts is also reflective of the entity he runs and the government that put him there.

So, when Micallef posted aerial shots of the crowd at the Pitbull concert and mocked Cassola for ‘moaning’ about the Ta’ Qali picnic area being turned into a gravel pit, he was way out of line.

No amount of people present for the concert will exonerate Micallef from his responsibility as a public official to answer for his actions. On his watch, the Ta’ Qali picnic area was buried in gravel and no amount of ‘funwashing’ can change that.

Pitbull or no Pitbull, Micallef remains answerable for his actions even if he pathetically tries to muddy the waters with irrelevant drivel. He remains responsible for the hundreds of thousands of euros spent on a project that should have seen grass sprout by last December. The grass never appeared despite the very wet weather last winter. And the details associated with the project remain hidden. We still don’t know how the decision was made, who the experts were, what type of gravel was used and why, and why the works were carried out by direct order?

But back to the numbers, which seem to impress Micallef a lot. The presence of 40,000 people for Pitbull’s concert does not mean that each and every person in that crowd agrees with Micallef’s actions and behaviour. It’s ridiculous to even believe so.

On the contrary, those people had every right to go and enjoy themselves at the Pitbull concert while still wanting a green picnic area in Ta’ Qali which families can enjoy in the winter months. One does not exclude the other.

There are ways of ensuring that large open spaces used for big concerts can be protected from damage. The issue is not a binary choice between a picnic area and a concert area. The issue is one of finding the right balance between preserving an area’s natural characteristics while allowing the space to be used in moderation for large events.

But we don’t expect someone like Micallef to grasp the concept of balance or moderation. He has never admitted wrongdoing throughout the gravel saga. Instead, his behaviour continues to be that of someone driven by spite against all those who criticised his actions. It just happens that his own boss, the prime minister, admitted things could have been done better at Ta’ Qali. But Micallef won’t bite the hand that feeds him generously.

Instead, he goes for the easy targets; the ones he can set his loyalist baying dogs on. This is why he mocks Cassola; not for his arguments but for what he is. Because that is precisely what a schoolyard bully does—he provokes, mocks and never admits wrongdoing, turning himself into the victim to justify the bullying.

It is a shame that the Labour government allows people like Micallef to tarnish its image. It is unbelievable how ministers responsible for appointing Micallef in his various public roles are scared to rein him in whenever he makes insidious remarks. The responsibility falls on them to ensure that public officers—in this case, someone who is politically-appointed—on their watch behave and act in a manner that befits their role as servants of the public.

If Micallef cannot handle criticism and his only way of dealing with it is through snide remarks, provocation and insults, then he should get out of the kitchen. He would be better off tending to his own garden, where he can do as he pleases—even cover it in gravel, if that is his idea of fun. But then again, we will not hold our breath.