The Voice of the Maltese No. 114

The Voice of the Maltese (driven by the voice of its readers )

Issue 114

o on nlliin ne e m ma ag ga az ziin ne e

November 10, 2015

ge lo n A t S t r o F i ts o t d e r o t s re y r o l g r e m r fo

Different scenes of Fort St Angelo that has been restored to its former glory in Birgu at a cost of â‚Ź14.5 million and would be hosting the 53 leaders of the Commonwealth states and governments present for the CHOGM Summit November 27-29 (report on page 15)

2 The Voice of the Maltese

Tuesday November 10, 2015

Maltese Cultural Exchanges with Australia

The Cosmos Wind Ensemble during their performance in Melbourne

MauriceCauchi

O

ver the past few weeks there has been a significant input of Maltese cultural events to Australia. In the past such events have been few and far between and have left our Maltese brethren overseas in a state of cultural limbo.

Firstly, as part of CHOGM Cultural Outreach concert programme, the visit by the Cosmos Wind Ensemble, described as 'Malta's most dynamic chamber music ensemble', gave concerts in Sydney and Melbourne where a considerable audience turned up to listen to them.

A programme consisting essentially of music by Maltese composers, including not only the inevitable Charles Camilleri, but also the younger composers Albert Garzia and Ruben Zahra. This music, so inspired by the Maltese environment, certainly evoked a sense of nostalgia.

The second event which has hit Australia is the film Simshar, hailed as the first-ever Maltese film to get international distribution.

Already making a considerable impact in the wider cinematic scene, this film deals with the very topical and equally distressing theme of migrant and refugee upheaval and the threats they face as they endeavour to escape impossible conditions at home and search for safe havens away from home.

It has been the dream of Maltese migrants to see films where actors speak Maltese (albeit not always with a perfect dialectical accent) in a genuine Maltese environment.

More importantly perhaps is the idea behind this film and the message that

it propagates. It highlights the dangers faced by those who are so desperate that they prefer to face almost insuperable odds and often succumb to terrible tragedies at sea.

It is an intelligent film that puts a human face to the asylum seekers who are all too often portrayed as a nameless, faceless – and therefore less than human - problem that Europe is forced to deal with.

It clearly implies that once any normal person is made aware at first hand of their vicissitudes, even the most hardened anti-migrants are quite likely to change their negative views and come to sympathise with their plight. (In this respect one is reminded of a recently produced SBS film: 'Go back to where you came from', which is equally powerful in this respect.)

The subtlety of Simshar comes from the way it conveys most of its emotional impact and message through the experience of a Maltese fishing family, who must also battle the sea to survive.

Some might have hoped for glitzy panoramic views of Malta aimed at well-heeled tourists. Instead we get a gutsy, raw and powerful exposĂŠ, a realistic picture of life at sea. We have also been largely spared the exaggerated overacting which has been the regular fare on local productions for television.

At long last, we have a genuine Maltese product that we are proud to show to the general international public.

A proud sponsor of The Voice of the Maltese website: www.breakawaytravel.com.au

Breakaway Travel 94 corner of Main & Campbell Streets, Blacktown NSW ...... for all your travel needs.

Tel (02) 9622 7799 blacktown@breakawaytravel.com.au

Tuesday November 10, 2015

The Voice of the Maltese 3

Malta shelters - World War II I

n the last issue of the Voice of the Maltese I introduced myself, and explained that following the death of my father and after World War II broke out, along with my family we went to live Gozo in the hope of finding a safer place. It was a new venture for us, but we found solace in the Gozitan people who were very helpful, so much so that a great friendship developed between the local people and Maltese refugees.

Needless to say that when it was time for us to go to school in October, the kind of education we had during the war was different from normal.

More about that later, as now I will be writing a few articles about the public shelters the space allotted for experience of the Maltese dureach person was two square feet. Being the Second World War and sides being a little more spacious prihow we lived during that time. vate shelters also enjoyed more privacy.

What I will be writing about is

By September 21, 1941, there were from personal experience. Todabout 2,000 shelters on the Island. One ay I will focus on the Air Raid of them in Mellie˙a had very long corShelters dug during the war to ridors, an anti blast chamber, rooms for protect the people. families, and a maternity section; it was One has to bear in mind that 500 metres long.

Malta was the most bombarded Staying or living in shelters for a concountry in the theatre of war. In siderable time was far from pleasant. I a span of two-and-a-half years caught pneumonia and was on the Malta suffered more than 3,000 doorstep of heaven. In fact at one time air raids. It is estimated that bemy mother thought that I was already tween 16 and 17 thousand tons dead. The humidity of the rock and the of bombs were dropped on our PWD workers digging tunisland, an area of just 316 nels for shelters during WWII constant contact with various types of characters could create problems as square kilometres. We could not avoid the bombing. The only place of refuge was under- well. But fear covered a great number of differences.

While shelters saved thousands of lives during the war they ground shelters.

At the time, the Public Works Department employed a could also serve as a menace. They could even serve as a trap. number of persons to dig shelters for the public, while many During one of the air raids, at about 2.45 pm on March 21 families began to dig their own private shelters. At the en- 1942, two bombs hit a shelter in Gafà Street, Mosta. One of trance of these shelters was an Anti-blast chamber so that the the bombs fell just in front of the entrance; the other in front blast from the bombs would hinder fire-flames descending of the emergency exit. Apart from the usual 20 families who normally used this shelter, there were also a number of workunderground.

From this chamber one entered into long corridors with cu- men who had taken refuge therein on their way back home bicles on either side where people could sit on a stool they from Mellie˙a.

A Mrs Giovanna Vella narrated later, that every time the would have carried with them every time an air raid was announced. Naturally space was very limited in shelters. In sirens wailed, she, together with her husband Bartholomew and their six children used to run to this shelter.

When the two bombs exploded simultaneously she heard a sound resembling large iron chains being dragged down the shelter steps, heard deafening noises and saw streaks of fire flashing all along the shelter killing or injuring every person in its wake; with children and adults all screaming and crying.

All of a sudden perfect silence reigned and pitch darkness fell. Around Giovanna were corpses, one of them her own son Joe. She said his body shrunk with the blast. The tragedy became even worse when she learned that her husband and another son, Charles were also killed, at the shelter’s entrance.

After about an hour, the RAF (Royal Air Force), ARP (Air Raid Precaution) and other volunteers arrived to rescue the trapped persons. They forced an opening in the rubble to take out the survivors, victims and corpses.

One of the shelters dug during That day 31 persons lost their lives in Mosta. the war that has been restored

MALTA: Echoes from the past DorisCannataci

In the next issue: other shelter tragedies resulting from heavy enemy bombings.. and more

4 The Voice of the Maltese

.

.

Ghaziza

Tuesday November 10, 2015

Malta:

Heart and Home M

on boarding the AndyBusuttil plane and hearThe final of a ing Maltese spoken over the two-part article intercom, even though I can never understand what people say on airplane intercoms, I felt oddly unsettled.

Flying over Malta kept bringing back the lyrics of one of Skorba’s songs ‘Qalbi Mieg˙ek’, sung in Maltese, that calls to the Island saying how “…you are found in my blood and in my body and I, by the grace of God, will return to once again see you.”

None of this prepared me for my reaction on landing on Maltese soil. I remember walking into the terminal, feeling almost like I was in a daze. I remember tears streaming down my cheeks as I approached the Customs and Immigration official sitting behind his glass screen. I remember the quizzical look on his face and I remember saying to him in what I thought afterwards was remarkably clear Maltese, SkuΩani. Kont tlaqt lejn lAwstralja mal-familja tieg˙i meta kelli 12-il sena u din lewwel darba f’dak il-˙in kollu li ©ejt lura lejn Malta.”

I asked him to excuse me as I stood there crying like a baby. He looked at me very gently and kindly passed his hand through the port on his screen to take my hand and said softly: “Welcome home”. The words, though uttered gently, sounded to me like ‘WELCOME HOME!!!!’ I was finally home. A totally unpredicted and unpredictable experience for me within minutes of landing on home soil.

If you had told me this would be my reaction, I would have thought it possible but, to me, my nationality had become profoundly evident. It was as if something invisible had taken hold of me and embraced me warmly. From that moment on, from In this photo taken at the taxi driver who took us to our Air B ‘n the National folk fesB in Birgu, to every person we encountered tival in 2007, Andy is on the Islands of Malta and Gozo, there seen singing the Malwas nothing but a warm welcoming home tese song 'Qalbi to the prodigal son. I had come home.

Miegħek' which is one There was never again any doubt as to of Skorba's songs. He who I was and where I belonged. I was says it is his song of home. yearning for Malta I visited the street that both my maternal and conveys emotion. and paternal grand-parents lived in: triq San Mikiel, Marsa. My mother and father had both been raised there. They were, in fact, second cousins. Dad has been dead for 15 years now but he was still alive in that street. Mum is still alive and a robust 88year-old living in Australia but she still walked those streets.

I knocked on a door and my cousin, Maria, on my dad’s side answered it. We hugged and I remember tears yet again streaming down my cheeks. She called her sister Rita in from across the road. Once again hugs all round and sharing of story.

alta was a destination during a holiday that my wife and I were to go on back in 2009. Unfortunately, 10 days before the departure time, a driver approaching my wife’s car from the opposite direction lost control and slammed into the driver’s side door of her car. The result was two weeks confined to bed in hospital for multiple fractures including a fracture to her pelvis, multiple rib fractures and internal injuries.

This was followed by six months of rehabilitation and a further 2-3 years of recovery. The trip was off. Six years later, in September 2015 we were off. Although it was quite a late stage in my life to do so, I had to answer the question as to where I belonged and what was my true nationality.

England was the first port of call. I returned to the places of my childhood. I expected to feel a deep sense of emotion on returning there. Yet what struck me when I visited the places of my childhood between the ages of 5 and 10 was, with one fleeting exception, only a sense of curiosity.

The attachment I felt was to the place where I had spent most time with my sister who was an extremely important person in my childhood. Sadly she died three years ago. Going back to those places held some memories of our early lives together but that was all that they held.

They also held memories of my life with my mum and dad. But that was all that they held. The deep sense of connection that I expected was missing. I left those places feeling after more than 50 years that they were now behind me. I felt that I was able to complete the cycle and move on.

On to Gatwick airport (coincidentally the airport from which we left England to fly to Malta all those years ago) to catch an Air Malta plane to Malta. Immediately

*Continued on page 5

The Voice of the Maltese 5

Tuesday November 10, 2015

‘Home’ at last after more than 50 years *from page 4 Naming the ones who had died from amongst my cousins and catching up with the ones who had survived. I found it so easy to

Postscript:

When we flew away from the Islands I found myself crying. They were tears of joy and belonging but I also recognised them as tears of sorrow, genuine sorrow. I was yet again leaving home.

love these people whom I had not seen for so long and not even communicated with over that period of time. This was Malta and this was the true ‘Malta Story’. I was home.

Andy at the Harbour's edge thinking about the enormity of The Great Siege which is the subject of the next Skorba concert series about the history of Malta

main.

Having said that, experience also tells me that there hen I look back on my are many of Maltese herlife, it is clear that a sense itage born here (in Ausof belonging to a cultural tralia) who also still feel a group, a cultural identity is insense of belonging to, and deed important to many peoyearning for, their home ple. This sense of cultural culture.

I’ve had young identity comes deeply from men in tears come up to me within, yet it can also be one after a Skorba concert and that is shared by those who surthank me for bringing their round you. homeland to life for them.

When I first went to Malta as That experience, for me, the only non-Maltese speaking has always been the one child in the local primary that I have truly treasured. school I was an oddity and To gratefully accept Aussomewhat of a curiosity but tralia as a home and to there was never any doubt that contribute to it as well as I was Maltese. I was treated as to take from it is necessuch and everyone pronounced sary. my name as it ought to be proTo never nounced. forget one’s Coming to Australia in those roots, to early days of the 1960’s was find that quite different. In those days sense of bemigrants were undoubtedly longing for treated as ‘different’. You which we weren’t Australian at that stage yearn and and it is likely you would never to embrace become truly Australian: there and never would always be something that would identify you as be ‘other’. ashamed of In those days Australia was still subject to the ‘White them is Australia’ policy and even Indigenous Australians were also necespersona non grata. Numbers of Maltese immigrants sary. into Australia were low up until the late 1940’s probaTo do both bly due to the Immigration Restriction Act of 1901. is essential.

Maltese were not treated as ‘White European’ as were It won’t be immigrants from such places as the UK, Holland, too long France etc. From the late 1940’s onwards the place of before I go Maltese people as valued resources for a developing nahome tion was clearly recognised. It is quite likely that those again, and of Maltese heritage born in Australia and raised in I look forAustralia would be more likely regarded as ‘Aussie’.

For those like myself, born and raised elsewhere, the Andy enjoying his first ˙obΩ biΩ-Ωejt in ward to 50 years with genuine Maltese bread that day. uncertainty of the gift of national identity would re-

W

MALTA TRAVEL

Incorporating Pendle Hill Travel A division of Felice Travel Pty Ltd ABN 71 073 235 408 Licensed Travel Agent Lic. No 2TA4425

Join Monica Ledger on the 21-Day Canadian Tour & Alaska Cruise on September 7, 2016. Only 40 passengers can join, 35 already joined! Only 2 couples, single lady and single male left! You got only till November 30, to book!

Perth to Broome special Tour: - Join Charlie on this exciting tour – August 20 to 30, 2016. All inclusive tour - nothing extra to pay! Whale watching cruise and Sunset Dinner Cruise! Already 12 clients have joined the group! Call Charlie on 9631 2689 or 0412 523 893.

165 Dunmore St., Wentworthville NSW 2145. Phone: (02) 9631 2689 Fax: (02) 9636 5949 Email: charlie@maltatravel.net.au Website: www.maltatravel.net.au

6 The Voice of the Maltese Malta Int International ernational Challenge Marathon

Tuesday November 10, 2015

C CALENDAR ALEND AR OF OF E EVENTS V E N T S 2015/16

CHOGM

W WWW.VISITMALTA.COM/EN/EVENTS W W.VISITMAL VISITMALT TA . C OM / EN / EVENTS

06/09-04/12 29/10-21/11 19/11-07/12 20/11-22/11 27/11-29/11 08/12 13/12 19/12-21/12 19/12-06/01 21/12 25/12 31/12 Dec -Jan Dec 03/01 16/01-30/01 Feb 05/02-09/02 10/02

Siege ge Exhibition, Grandmast Grandmaster’s The Great Sie er’s P alace, V Palace, Valletta alletta Festival Medit Mediterranea erranea Malta Int International ernational Organ Festival Malta Int International ernational Challenge Marathon CHOGM eC onception of the Immaculat Feast of Immaculate Conception Republic Day Republic Euromed Y oung Sailors Challenge Young Cribs & Christmas Ar Cribs Artt Exhibition e, Mnajdra Temples Temples Winter Solstic Winter Solstice, Christmas Day New Y Year’ New Year’s Eve ear’s Ev e Bethlehem ff’Ghajnsielem ’Ghajnsielem

2016

New New Year’s Year’s C Concert MCC, Valletta oncert at MC C, V alletta Valletta Valletta Int International ernational Baroque Festival Business LLeaders eaders Malta Carnival Carnival ccelebrations Valletta, elebrations in V alletta, Gozo Floriana & Nadur Go zo St. Paul’s Paul’s Ship Feast of of St. Shipwreck wreck

28/02 19/03 25/03-27/03 31/03 31/03-03/04 03/04 15/04 16/04, 23/04 & 30/04 18/04 22-24/04 27/04-10/05 01/05 June 07/06 28/06 29/06

Vodafone V odafone Malta Marathon off St Joseph Feast o Good Friday & East Easter er Sunday edom Day; R egatta in the Freedom Regatta Fre Grand Harbour Annie Mac presents L ost & Found Malta Lost X Terra T riathlon XTerra Triathlon Ge orge C ross C ommemoration George Cross Commemoration Malta Int ernational Fire works Festival International Fireworks Malta Me chanised Fire works Festival Mechanised Fireworks Opera+ W eekend Weekend Malta Int ernational Music International Festival & C ompetition Competition Labour Labour Day erranean Ghanafest Mediterranean Ghanafest – Malta Medit Folk Music Festival Sett e Giugno Sette Isle o cial off MTV Malta Spe Special eter & St aul; Feast o off St St.. P Peter St.. P Paul; -Imnarja Summer Folk Festival Updated Events L L-Imnarja Calendar

in GUARDIA

Shows during 2015

Shows during 2016

December 27

January 3 | February 7, 28 | March 6, 13, 20 April 3, 10, 17, 24 | May 1, 8, 15, 22 October 9, 16, 23 November 6, 13, 20, 27

Held on Sundays, as per dates above.

Starts at 11 finishes at 11.45 am.

for more information: tel: 2291 5440/1/2 • info@visitmalta.com • www.visitmalta.com

The Voice of the Maltese 7

Tuesday November 10, 2015

Id-“Drummer” Malti Paul Farrugia

- kaΩ çar li fejn hemm ir-rieda hemm it-triq PaulVella

minn Melbourne

F

’Melbourne minn dejjem konna xxurtjati li kellna muΩiçisti Maltin madwarna, kemm Ωg˙ar u wkoll kbar. Wie˙ed minnhom li ilni nafu ˙afna snin huwa Paul Farrugia imwieled fl-1944 fil-Furjana.

Qabel emigra lejn l-Awstralja fl1954 meta kellu g˙axar snin u nofs, Paul kien jattendi l-iskola tal-Gvern, u b’˙al ma kien ji©ri dak iΩ-Ωmien lewwel kien jemigra l-missier biex i˙ejji xi post fejn toqg˙od il-familja, imbaghad jitilg˙u l-membri l-o˙ra tal-familja. F’dan il-kaΩ telg˙u Paul, ˙uh Teddy u o˙tu Evelyn. Imma qabilhom kien emigra ˙uhom ie˙or, Freddie, meta kienu telg˙u f’daqqa ˙afna tfal emigranti u marru jg˙ixu f’Perth b˙ala studenti.

Meta Paul ©ie l-Awstralja l-familja lewwel marret tg˙ix f’Coburg, u hemmhekk beda jattendi l-iskola privata ta’ San Pawl. Wara attenda Coburg Tech u meta temm l-istudji beda ja˙dem b˙ala apprendista b˙ala hosiery mechanic. Wara ˙adem ukoll ta’ mekkanik tal-magni tal-˙jata.

Fejn g˙andha x’taqsam il-muΩika, l-ewwel ˙ajra g˙aliha bdiet sa˙ansitra minn Malta meta b˙ala tifel Ωg˙ir kien jie˙u parti fil-marçi talBanda Vilhena. Kien i©orr il-katuba.

Meta tkellem mieg˙i Paul qalli wkoll li ta’ xi tmien snin kien ˙a parti Ωg˙ira fil-film Malta Story b˙ala wie˙ed mit-tfal fl-iskola. Jiftakar li kien t˙allas lira g˙al dan ix-xog˙ol.

Fl-Awstralja beda jinteressa ru˙u filmuΩika meta kellu madwar 14-il sena. Kien imur jara gruppi jdoqqu u kien jitg˙allem xi ˙a©a minn hawn

u xi ˙a©a minn hemm. Imbag˙ad iddeçieda li jibda jdoqq id-drums. Ammetta li qatt ma tg˙allem muΩika imma kien idoqq bl-udit, ji©ifieri li tg˙allem tg˙allmu wa˙du u kien idoqq, kif jg˙idu bil-Malti, bil-widna.

Imma kif jg˙idu: fejn hemm ir-rieda hemm ittriq tant li wasal fejn ried u xtaq.

Fl-1961 beda jdoqq ma’ banda Pharoahs, kull ©img˙a fil-Brotherhood of St. Laurence, f’Fitzroy. Wara ssie˙eb mal-Melbourne Drifters, banda populari ˙afna li kienet iddoqq f’˙afna lokalitajiet.

Imbag˙ad sie˙eb lil The Dynamics ta’ Johnny Farrugia li kienu jdoqqu f’ti©ijiet, u ballijet Maltin.

Kienu wkoll daqqew fil-kunçert li tat il-kantanta mag˙rufa Maltija Mary Spiteri fis-Sydney Opera House.

Paul kien ukoll jakkumpanja lillkummidjant Malti Johnny Catania meta kien jg˙ix fl-Awstralja u jirrekordja xi makjetti. Wa˙da minn dawn kienet “Viva Malta”.

Il-muΩiçist Malti daqq ukoll mal country rock band, bl-isem ta’ The Speedsters, u spiçça l-karriera ta’ muΩiçist attiv idoqq mat-Three Aces and a Jack li kienu jdoqqu f’˙afna avvenimenti Maltin.

Paul semmieli wkoll li g˙all-˙abta tal-1965 flimkien ma’ ˙utu Paul u Teddy, kif ukoll Ωew© muΩiçisti o˙ra,

Paul Farrugia illum kienu jiffurmaw il-banda Brothers Incorporated. Kienu jdoqqu ˙afna drabi fil-Melita Club li hu klabb tal-Maltin ta’ Lixandra. Fil-karriera muΩikali tieg˙u Paul ©ieli wkoll kien ikanta.

Barra muΩiçist, Paul kien ukoll attur u kien jirreçta fuq il-palk. Kien anke ˙adem ma’ Albert Marshall meta dan kien g˙amel Ωmien jg˙ix fl-Awstralja.

B˙az-zokk il-ferg˙a, u l-entuΩjaΩmu ta’ Paul g˙all-muΩika wirtu wkoll ibnu Darryn, li hu muΩiçist mag˙ruf ˙afna li daqq fuq g˙add ta’ programmi televiΩivi b˙al Hey Hey It’s Saturday, fil-West Side Story, Thriller, u wkoll akkumpanja lil Tom Jones, John Farnham, Jim Barnes, Marcia Hines, u o˙rajn. B˙al missieru, anke Darryn idoqq id-drums.

Xellug: Paul Farrugia fuq id-drums, u (fuq) ma’ The Dynamics. Mixxellug: Kevin Buhagiar, Paul, Johnny Farrugia, George Buhagiar u Greg Micallef

8 The Voice of the Maltese

Tuesday November 10, 2015

Have your say/Xi trid tghid?

Your letters/ L-ittri tag˙kom ...

Simshar portrayed Malta as itself Charles N. Mifsud J.P. from Burraneer NSWwrites:

The Voice of the Maltese on nlliin ne e m ma ag ga az ziin ne e o

is is a bi-lingual (in English and Maltese) fortnightly online publication specifically targeting all Maltese living abroad with emphasis on the Australian scene. is online magazine is sent via email by request.

Subscription is free.

Editors: Malta: Joseph Cutajar Australia: Lawrence Dimech: MOM, OAM, JP email address: maltesevoice@gmail.com Letters for publication in The Voice either in Maltese or English should be e-mailed to: maltesevoice@gmail.com.

Now you can also join us on facebook: https://www.facebook. com/groups/thevoiceofthemaltese

t last we Maltese-Australians were able A to see the Maltese film Simshar in Aussie Theatres. We even had special previews in both Sydney and Melbourne.

The film is the brainchild of it's co-writer and director Rebecca Cremona, who upon her return to Malta in 2008 was fascinated by the "story" the tragedy at sea of the fishing boat Simshar and those who were on board on that fateful night in July 2008.

Rebecca had just finished her studies in film work in the USA, when she started working on her project in which she wanted to showcase Malta and some of its culture.

As she herself said, many foreign companies did films made in Malta, but in them, Malta was always portrayed as some other place, like the film Munich for example when Malta was portrayed as Israel. Rebecca was assistant director to US director Steven Spielberg on that film. So she had a burning desire to show Malta as Malta to the outside world, in order to depict some of its culture, like the Maltese Festa, the festa fireworks, etc.

Rebecca also very cleverly intertwined the refugee crises (a world phenomenon) that has hit Malta, with the Simshar tragedy on the high-sea, and that of Simon Bugeja's family, for whom life has changed dramatically.

My wife and I had the pleasure of watching the film in Malta in June 2014 and also meeting with this young Rebecca Cremona.

She was impressive, courageous and determined to bring Simshar to Australia, the first Maltese film professionally made for the world market and the first Maltese film

ever to be entered, accepted for consideration for an Oscar in the Foreign Language Film Category, and to win so many awards.

However, Rebecca has done more than that. She has broken the Ice and found the key for other Maltese film directors and producers to tap in the Aussie market and bring other Maltese productions of this high standard to Australia.

Some interesting facts about the Simshar story: *There were ships that sailed past the crew in the water fighting for their life but failed to help them. They left them there to die because they thought they were irregular immigrants. *Simon's normal weight before the fishing trip was around 90 kilos; when he was rescued after seven days without food or water, he weighed just 35 kilos. *It is believed that Simon Bugeja spent more time in the sea than any other person who was rescued alive …a world record perhaps?

Finally I would like to thank Rebecca Cremona for her work and bringing Simshar to Australia, and also those who helped me in my efforts to advertise and promote Simshar within the Australian-Maltese Community especially in NSW, including Joe Deguara, Marisa Previtera, Helen Azzopardi, Lilian Taliana, Dorothy Gatt, Alfrida Micallef, and Doris Scicluna and Sam Galea.

My thanks also to The Voice of the Maltese, Lawrence Dimech and Joseph Cutajar, the MCC of NSW and the committee of the MCA of NSW for their support.

Hopefully, this will not be Rebecca’s only film "Down-Under".

Thank you Rebecca for Shimshar Nancy and Felix Serg from Baulkham Hills NSW, write: cannot but praise and recommend all Maltese people to watch the interesting Simshar film. It was a pleasure to travel to Palace Chauvel at Paddington NSW with my husband to watch this thought provoking film. We were both enraptured by this captivating story, details, and scenery of Malta, etc.

The endearing actors were credible and true to Maltese characters. I felt so proud this has taken its place alongside other ‘international festival films’.

After the viewing, patrons from the audience and ourselves met just outside the entrance to the cinema door and had a spontaneous long discussion. We debated certain aspects of the film, today’s situation in regard to refugees, Muslim culture, the Maltese fishing family, etc.

These patrons were a variety of nationalities, Australian, Hungarian, Jewish, Italians, English, and me as the only Malteser in that group. If it weren’t for parking restrictions we would have spent all night debating. The other people were most impressed

I

with this film and wanted to know what other Maltese films to watch!

Kudos to Rebecca Cremona, writer/director, and Kukumajsa Productions, for this magnificent film.

I was compelled to send emails with details to my contacts in Australia and around the globe, praising its merits, and recommending them not to miss it.

My husband and I were also doubly-pleased to hear our Maltese language spoken in the film.

Thank you Rebecca!

So grateful to The Voice

Frank Cassar from Balmain, NSW writes: hank you for managing to acquire the services of two very good writers such as Doris Cannataci and Andy Busutttil whose first contributions were published in the last issue of The Voice of the Maltese.

I am always so full of praise for what you are doing with this publication, but the contents in the last issue, particularly the articles by the said writers continue to add much value to the publication. I think I would be voicing the opinion of the readers by expressing my gratitude for your great contribution to the Maltese community.

T

The Voice of the Maltese 9

Tuesday November 10, 2015

Emanuel Camilleri - the New President of the MCC of NSW

T

he Maltese Community Council of NSW has a new president for the year 2015-16, Emanuel Camilleri. A few days ago, I met Emanuel and asked him few questions, in order for the readers get to know him better.

Q: I know you have been active with the Maltese Cultural Assoc. of NSW as well as the Maltese Welfare (NSW) and for a number of years was also delegate to the MCC of NSW. Tell us about your involvement with the MCC. Emanuel: I remember sitting at my first MCC meeting surrounded by old-timers who had been part of the MCC for what seemed an eternity. At that time, Fred Fenech, our president, was working very hard trying to find a base from where the MCC could run its operation. My first observation was the need for fresh new ideas; how to utilise the new technology that existed; the need to plan for the future and to formulate plans for our aging community.

Q: Prior to accepting the nomination as the MCC’s 13th president, in which projects were you involved?

Emanuel: I was basically involved in every project the MCC had on its plate - the setting up of the MRC, including the library and archives; the setting up of new technology through Wi-Fi; the computer classes for seniors; acquiring printing, photocopying and scanning equipment; setting up welfare services at the Central Coast; meeting with politicians and councillors; assisting in the MCC weekly radio programme and applying for grants needed to keep the MCC operational.

An ongoing project is to extend the building of our premises, a heritage-listed head-

Interview by MarkCaruana master’s cottage in Parramatta West to give us more room where we can hold small functions for the community. I must stress, that without the assistance and mentoring of Lawrence Dimech, the past MCC president and the assistance of my colleqgues and the support of Holroyd Council, none of the above would have been possible.

Q: What is your planned vision to meet the needs of the Maltese community in the near future?

Emanuel: The future is always a challenge but with the experience I have gained in these past years, thanks to my colleagues, I am confident I will make an effective president. I have a good and experienced team behind me; we will plan the years ahead wisely and with God’s help we will achieve our goals. We still have some unfinished business to attend too, like the SBS issue of radio-time reduction of hours for the Maltese community.

Q: How do you think you would formulate the strategies required as president?

Emanuel: Strategies are formulated by good planning and a sense of vision; every challenge will be looked at on its merit, analysed and dealt with.

Q: Tell us something about settlement as an adolescent immigrant to Australia.

Emanuel: I came to Melbourne, Australia as a seventeen-year-old in 1962 with my father, born in Hal Luqa and known as Jimmy Tal-Fjur among the Maltese ghannejja; later the rest of our family joined us.

During a visit to Sydney, I met my wife Theresa. We had two children and are grandparents to three boys and a stepdaughter who lives in the USA. For years, we had a clothing business at Yennora NSW. During that time, I acquired my private pilot license as one of my achievements.

After my retirement I wrote two books; then I got involved with the Maltese community; the rest is history.

10 The Voice of the Maltese

Tuesday November 10, 2015

Perspettiva L-indi©eni fil-˙abs A version of this series in English may be found in the author's blog at: http://ivancauchi.blogs pot.com

kitba ta’

IVAN CAUCHI

D

an l-a˙˙ar, waqt konferenza g˙al ViΩitaturi Uffiçjali tal-˙absijiet ta' NSW, tg˙allimt li madwar 27% talpopolazzjoni tal-˙absijiet fl-Awstralja huma indi©eni1 (ji©ifieri Abori©ini jew nies ta' Torres Strait), dan meta l-proporzjon ta' indi©eni fil-popolazzjoni ©enerali Awstraljana huma biss ta' madwar 3%. Ir-rappreΩentanza indi©ena fil-˙ab- sijiet hija straordinarja, u allarmanti.

A˙na l-Maltin m'g˙andniex esperjenza ta' popolazzjoni abori©ina. Jien niftakarni kont sorpriΩ meta wasalt l-Awstralja, jew iktar speçifikatament f'Sydney, fil-˙ajja ta' kuljum ma nnutajtx nies li kienu ovvjament abori©ini, ˙lief g˙al xi w˙ud f'postijiet mag˙rufa mat-turisti, b˙al Circular Quay.

Kien xi snin wara li ndunajt li g˙alkemm ma jidhrux, diversi nies abori©ini jistg˙u jkollhom karna©©jon bajda, u sa˙ansitra Persuna ta’ dehra bjondi u g˙ajnejhom blu. tradizzjonali Kien feta˙li g˙ajnejja Ziju abori©enu waqt Abori©ina iç-çerimonja taç-çittadinanza, li kien jidher Anglo-Sassonu, li kien spjegali li sar ˙afna ta˙lit tal-komunitajiet matul iΩ-Ωmien.

Irrid ng˙id li madwar l-Awstralja, fi stati o˙ra b˙al Queensland u speçjalment in-Northern Territory, hemm ˙afna iktar persuni li g˙andhom id-dehra tradizzjonali Abori©ina.

Ni©u lura g˙as-sitwazzjoni fil-˙absijiet. Biçça statistika o˙ra hi li adulti abori©ini ji©u mitfug˙a l-˙abs 13-il darba iktar minn dawk mhux abori©ini, u g˙all-minorenni l-istatistika hija ta' 24 darba!

Din is-sitwazzjoni hija biss eΩempju wie˙ed tal-qasma fil-˙ajja bejn dawk abori©ini u dawk le, fejn tal-ewwel jistennew tul ta'

ghal kull 100,000

Persuna ta’ dehra tradizzjonali Abori©ina fl-Awstralja alko˙ol u drogi, mard mentali u esperjenza miç-çokon talvjolenza.

Fl-ivvja©©ar tieg˙i madwar l-Awstralja jien stajt nara b'g˙ajnejja persuni abori©ini fis-sakra ma' jarawx art, Ωdingar fit-toroq, u tlajjar bla skop. Madankollu rrid ng˙id li dawn l-affarijiet rajthom ukoll f'nies mhux abori©ini; ˙alli nkun çar li dawn mhumiex biss karatteristika ta' nies indi©eni.

Huwa ta' dispjaçir li ninnota f'dak ir-rapport tal-Gvern, li g˙alkemm xi miri ta' rapporti ta' qabel intla˙qu (b˙at-tnaqqis filmortalità tat-tfal), o˙rajn ma ntla˙qux (b˙ar-rati ta' vjolenza domestika u fil-komunità) jew sa˙ansitra marru g˙all-ag˙ar (b˙aΩΩieda qawwija fir-rata ta' nies mitfug˙a l-˙abs, l-aktar taΩΩg˙aΩag˙).

Na˙seb li ˙afna nies ma jifhmux limpatt dejjiemi ta' dak li g˙addew minnu l-indi©eni f'dan il-pajjiΩ.

Ja˙sbu li l-politika ta' firda, it-te˙id sfurzat tat-tfal eçç sar ˙afna g˙exieren ta' snin ilu, u issa m'g˙adhomx isiru u g˙alhekk issa kollox sewwa.

G˙alhekk meta jisimg˙u b'dawn ilproblemi, ˙afna nies aktarx iwa˙˙lu fl-indi©eni stess, qishom dawn qed jag˙Ωlu l-problemi li jinsabu fihom. indi©eni Kemm hu a˙jar li kieku lkoll nuru mhux indi©eni i ftit iktar rispett lejn din il-kultura anIr-rata ta’ ˙absin adulti (Sors: Overcoming Indigenous Disadvantage - Key Indicators 2014, Fig 4.12.2'. tika tag˙hom, li g˙andha s-sbu˙ija u ˙ajja iqsar, rata iktar g˙olja ta' mortalità tat-trabi, sa˙˙a ag˙ar u karatteristiçi uniçi tag˙ha, b˙al ma g˙andna a˙na l-Maltin. Min livelli iktar baxxi ta' edukazzjoni u impjiegi, fost l-o˙rajn.2 qieg˙ed mix˙ut fl-art u qed jipprova jqum, g˙ajnuna g˙andu Ir-rapport tal-Gvern Awstraljan 'Overcoming Indigenous Dis- bΩonn u mhux stmerrija. advantage', li ilu ji©i ppubblikat madwar kull sentejn mill-2003, Referenzi jikkwota lil diversi riçerkaturi li jissu©©erixxu li hemm kawΩi profondi ta' dawn in-nuqqasijiet, imsej˙a kollettivament 'trawma 1. http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/4517.0, retrieved 3/11/2015 inter©enerazzjonali' b'riΩultat tal-effetti tal-kolonizzazzjoni, telf 2. http://www.australianstogether.org.au/stories/detail/thegapindigenoustal-art, il-lingwa u l-kultura, it-tnaqqis tal-identità kulturali u spir- disadvantageinaustralia, retrieved 4/11/2015 3. Overcoming Indigenous Disadvantage: Key Indicators 2014; Commonwealth of itwali, it-te˙id sfurzat tat-tfal, razziΩmu u diskriminazzjoni.3 Dawn huma apparti effetti iktar immedjati b˙all-abbuΩ tal- Australia; Chapter 1.5 The Historical Context

The Voice of the Maltese

Tuesday November 10, 2015

11

A general view of those attending. Inset: Mr. George Vella (left) with Mark Caruana.

Friends of Don Bosco hold annual event

t is not a very large association but its contribution to IDoncharity is legendary. The Past Pupils and Friends of Bosco held their 28th annual dinner dance at the Mandavilla Function Centre at Horsley Park NSW. In conjunction with this event they also conduct a guessing competition and all profits are channeled to the Salesian missionaries abroad who work with poor disadvantaged youth in countries such as South Sudan, Ethiopia, India and others.

This year George Vella Manager of Breakaway Travel of Blacktown, one of the benefactors was publically ac-

knowledged and thanked as he has been assisting the association for many years. The evergreen Joe Apap again provided the entertainment and the MC was popular singer Joe Galea.

Mark Caruana, the president of the association thanked all the regulars, staunch supporters for attending the annual dinner dance. “The full house sign usually goes up two months before the event. This being the bi-centenary year of the birth of Don Bosco the association would donate a further $10,000 to alleviate the hardship at the Salesian missions,� the president said.

MCCV Survey on the Third New channel for SBS on food, culture level, special needs ome weeks ago, Mich- of the decisions they make.

Generation of Maltese in Australia ael Ebeid CEO & Man- They face an ever evolving aging Director of Sta- and competitive environment, he Maltese Community Council of Victoria is conducting a surtion SBS complained that with new media players and T vey to obtain a picture of the Third Generation of Maltese in SBS’s funding situation has more content choices than Australia. We are particularly interested in their knowledge about

S

Malta and Maltese culture. This will enable us to determine the degree of culture maintenance among our third generation.

Teenage children (aged 10 to 17 years), whose grandparents (or great grandparents) were born in Malta, are invited to fill in the following questionnaire. The survey questionnaire is also available for download from the MCCV website.

Completed forms may be returned as a scanned electronic copy or in paper form.

BY EMAIL: Scan the completed form and email it to the email address of Prof Maurice Cauchi mnc25@optusnet.com.au

BY POST: Post completed form to: Prof Maurice Cauchi, Maltese Community Centre, 477 Royal Parade, Parkville, Victoria 3052 The information provided will be treated in the strictest confidence.

Please pass this survey form and request for survey participation on to your children, friends and acquaintances.

Survey participants will be eligible to win one of five prizes of $100 each. To be eligible, participants are required to complete the survey form including their name and email or postal address. The winners will be drawn from eligible participants who submit a completed survey form by not later than 30th November 2015.

worsened in the last two years with a further $55 million cut from the government. But these cuts did not stop him from his intention to launch a new free-to-air channel dedicated to food and culture on the SBS 3 spectrum.

As a result, SBS will be the only free-to-air broadcaster with a truly dedicated genrebased channel.

Mr Ebeid said that Australian audiences have been coming to SBS for years to discover and explore the world and its cultures through their distinctive food programming, and established a real point of difference in their programming from the commercial networks.

Mr Ebied reminded us that the SBS Charter is at the heart

ever, demanding innovation.

SBS has always been highly adept at identifying new opportunities, he said.

The commercial returns from the new channel will in time be able to help SBS to offset the expected sector revenue declines in advertising from its main channels as audiences fragment.

The SBS CEO said the market is expecting a slow decline in the coming years allowing SBS to maintain its returns to invest in Australian commissioned content.The latest adventure of SBS in the food market was in the failed publication of the monthly food magazine FEAST that ceased publication in April this year.

12 The Voice of the Maltese

Tuesday November 10, 2015

Roundup of News About Malta

Malta to be established as centre of dialogue for peace and prosperity

A

ddressing the 9th Global Residence and Citizenship Conference in Dubai, Prime Minister Dr Joseph Muscat said that Malta has a strong economy and is one of the top European performers in terms of the economy, and that Malta’s citizenship by investment (IIP) was not done to fix the island’s economy or for money, but to access only the best talent and investment to Malta which would otherwise not have been accessible.

He said that Malta’s citizenship by investment is “tight, capped at 1,800 applicants, and has the most rigorous due diligence, because we are only after the best talent and investors.’’

He gave an overview of Malta’s economy, which, he said, is the fastest growing economy at 5.1 per cent. The reason for that, he added, is because finances are in check, with the deficit at 1.6% of the GDP. He pointed out that at the same time, the government reduced

energy tariffs, Prime Minister Dr cutting income Joseph Muscat at tax for the third the Dubai meeting year running, gave free universal childcare, and increased budgets on education and healthcare, which are both free for all Maltese citizens.

“In other words, we are managing to strengthen our public finances simulMalta has achieved a lot altaneously as we lighten the cost of government burden on fami- ready, but there is more room for lies and businesses,” Dr Muscat it to grow and for investors and global citizens to find a safe said.

He said that Malta’s employ- haven where to invest and reach ment rate stands at the highest other destinations, that is why it ever-recorded levels in its his- is opening up to investment in tory, and the country also has the new economic sectors such as third lowest unemployment rate healthcare, energy, education and in Europe. “Our economy is at logistics.

Speaking about the upcoming the cutting edge of global world summits which will see trends,” he said.

the gathering of some 100 head of states and governments, who will meet in Malta to discuss some of the most pressing issues, from migration to climate change and security, Dr Muscat said: “The Valletta Summit on Migration and the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting will once again establish Malta as a centre of dialogue for peace and prosperity.”

Nationalist MP resigns European Commission forecasts: Parliamentary seat

N

ationalist MP Joe Cassar submitted his resignation from parliament, in the wake of accusations that he had accepted gifts from a businessman during his time as Health Minister in 2011. His resignation comes in the wake of reports revealed by the Malta Today newspaper that as minister he had not declared over €8,000 in house works paid for by a donor, a property entrepreneur.

Such resignations are a rarity in Maltese politics; however, Cassar’s resignation follows that of another former Minister, Giovanna Debono, who resigned from the PN parliamentary group also after reports by MaltaToday on the alleged misappropriation of public funds by her husband. But Mrs Debono retained her seat in the House as an independent.

In his resignation letters to Speaker Anglu Farrugia and his party leader Simon Busuttil, Cassar said he was giving up his parliamentary seat because of what he described as “a ferocious attack” on his character that put pressure on him and his family.

He denied having done anything wrong and insisted that he was the victim of “character assassination”.

A day earlier, the NP Leader had insisted that there was no reason Cassar should resign from the party, despite the revelations that the payment in house works by the businessman.

In the coming weeks a casual election would be held to fill the seat vacated by Dr Cassar.

Maltese economy will grow by 4.3% this year

W

hen it comes to economy, Malta has received another clean bill of health from the European Commission that in its regular autumn economic forecast said that the Maltese economy is to grow by 4.3% this year, which is its highest growth rate in the past decade. This largely mirrors the government’s own projections, made in the Budget for 2016.

In its summary the Commission said that exceptional investment in 2015 is expected to lead to a peak in Malta's GDP growth, which is set to moderate over the forecast horizon, but to remain above its long-term average. Public finances should benefit from the favourable macroeconomic conditions while unemployment is expected to stay at low levels".

The commission went on to say the increase comes mainly from a boost in investment, particularly equipment investment, which is related to the construction of a new power plant. Private consumption is also forecast to contribute significantly to growth, as real disposable in- comes are

rising as a result of robust employment growth, growing wages and low inflation.

Public sector’s contribution to growth is also projected to be positive, though less than in 2014. Malta’s current account balance is expected to remain in surplus despite the fact that net exports, are likely to prove a drag as domestic demand growth is leading to higher imports and export growth for goods has been weak.

Real GDP growth is forecast to moderate to 3.6% in 2016 and to 3.1% in 2017, but still remain higher than its long-term average. The expected moderation stems from the completion of the large-scale energy investment projects, scheduled by 2016, and the expiration of the previous programming period of EU funding.

The report also indicates that the Malta deficit is expected to narrow further.

As to employment growth this is projected to moderate somewhat in 2016 and 2017, but it is set to remain robust and thus help to keep the unemployment rate at low levels.

The Voice of the Maltese

Tuesday November 10, 2015

13

Roundup of News About Malta

Fort St Angelo: from a place of war to one of dialogue among world leaders

A

s he inaugurated Fort St Angelo in Birgu (Vittoriosa) after its restoration including Cabinet members, the diplomatic corps and Heritage Malta members, amongst others, that from a place of war, the fort, that will house the 53 leaders of the Commonwealth states and governments present for the CHOGM Summit later on this month, it would be used to bring together people of different beliefs, religion and race.

The restoration project on the fort that sees a substantial part of it returning to its former glory cost of €14.5 million. It was kickstarted in 2007 and was given a stronger push over the past months in order to use it during CHOGM. He said: “It is a historical twist to see the Fort, once a place of war, serving as a place to welcome dialogue among leaders of different race, beliefs and religion.”

After 1530, the Order of St John turned Fort St Angelo into its headquarters and between 1530 and 1558 even housed the

Malta names second judge in European CJ

M

alta’s contribution to the European Court of Justice is to further increase with the appointment of Chief Justice Silvio Camilleri who has been nominated by the government as its second judge in the ECJ. The nomination follows an agreement reached in the European Parliament for the number of judges at the court to be doubled. As a result, Malta will be getting a second judge.

Mr Justice Camilleri will join Dr Anthony Borg Barthet in the ECJ

Fort St Angelo (see also collage on front page)

Grand Master’s residence.

The transfer of the Order’s headquarters to Valletta in 1571 and the crafting of an impressive network of defensive lines around the Grand Harbour and along the coast during the subsequent hundred years diminished temporarily the relevance of the Fort as key for the defence of Malta.

Slowly, the Fort began to lose its strategic value and proposals were even put forward for its destruction. However, thanks to the “progress in technology of war”, it was revived in the 1600s and was once again

Malta launches Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund

alta has launched the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (2014-2020) M and would be investing €23 million in a number of projects aimed at targeting the national objectives identified in the Programme.

At the launching, Parliamentary Secretary for EU Funds Ian Borg, said the funds would target better processing of applications and the integration of those recognised as refugees, education for those granted asylum and more efficient returns policies.

Ian Borg also launched the first calls for applications under the said Fund. They include projects implementing integration measures for third country nationals and voluntary return measures.

Other calls directly target the activities of specific entities, such as the Ministry for Education with regard to educational measures

Malta hosting international fortnight before A the CHOGM Summit on migration summit, this week (November 11/12) Malta tives of the African

is hosting the Valletta Summit on migration at the MCC with the participation of European and African leaders who will be discussing migration issues with African and other key countries concerned.

The conference will build on existing cooperation processes between Europe and Africa, particularly the Rabat and Khartoum processes on migration, and the EU-Africa Dialogue on Migration and Mobility.

The EU and Africa will work in a spirit of partnership to find common solutions to challenges of mutual interest.

The participants for this international summit are EU member states, countries members of the Rabat and Khartoum processes, observers to the Rabat process, representa-

hailed for its strategic potential as a major coastal gun battery.

In June 1798, the Fort offered no effective resistance against the French invasion and ended up being used as the headquarters of the French army.

Union commission and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) commission, the United Nations (UN) and the International Office on Migration (IOM) The summit will address the challenges but also the opportunities of migration. It will also recognise that migration is a shared responsibility of countries of origin, transit and destination.

Discussions among participants will focus on five specific areas: root cause, legal migration channels, protection of migrants and asylum seekers, exploitation and trafficking of migrants, and cooperation on return and readmission

undertaken for third country nationals, the office of the Commissioner for Refugees and the Immigration Police in relation to activities of forced return.

Meanwhile, thanks to a new jobs centre to be opened next year, migrants will no longer have to strike illegal employment deals on roadsides and Marsa roundabouts. The initiative would help regularise migrant employment as well as weed out abuse.

The centre announced in the Budget earlier this month and that has yet to be given an official title, would be operated by the Employment and Training Corporation and would provide employers with coupons to be ‘paid’ to the migrants that in turn would be exchangeable for cash back at the centre to ensure minimum standards of wage and overtime are enforced.

The centre will also act as a job brokerage – listing potential migrant employees’ skills and qualifications and cross-referencing them with potential employers.

L Le eo o ’’ s s Ve Ve h h ii c c ll e e R Re en n tt a a ll s s Guaranteed cheapest rates All vehicles in NRMA road Service Low holding Deposit Discount for weekly rentals Shuttle service to the Airport Phone: 9622 2208 Mob: 0418 405 271 102 Kildare Rd Blacktown NSW 2148

14 The Voice of the Maltese

Tuesday November 10, 2015

Il-Papa Fran©isku jippresiedi s-Sinodu dwar il-familja li sar dan l-a˙˙ar fil-Vatikan

Ma ˙admux g˙al xejn

F

l-a˙˙ar artiklu tag˙na ktibna dwar kemm fis-Sinodu tal-Isqfijiet li sar fil-Vatikan, l-Isqfijiet Maltin Mons.

Mario Grech u Mons. George Frendo tkellmu favur li jkunu hemm bidla fil-mod li l-Knisja t˙ares lejn dawk li g˙al ra©unijiet serji jibdew ˙ajja ©dida fiΩ-Ωwie©.

Jidher li l-˙idma ta’ dawn l-Isqfijiet, u ta’ o˙rajn, tat ir-riΩultat mixtieq g˙ax kif qal lIsqof Mario Grech, minn dan is-Sinodu ˙are© messa©© poΩittiv lil dawk l-individwi li huma dispoΩati (koppji li jg˙ixu flimkien iΩda mhumiex miΩΩew©in) jew iddivorzjati

u li ilhom g˙al diversi snin imxenqa millpreΩenza ta' Ìesù f'˙ajjithom.

Fost il-miΩuri li qed jirrakkpmanda s-Sinodu hemm li jkun hemm t˙ejjija akbar g˙al dawk il-koppji li se jing˙aqdu fis-sagrament taΩ-Ωwie©. MiΩur’o˙ra, li tibdel sewwa dak li kien ji©ri qabel, hija dik li persuni dispoΩati jew iddivorzjati jkunu aktar integrati f'g˙aqda wa˙da mal-Knisja.

B˙alissa individwi dispoΩati jew divorzjati ma jistg˙ux jag˙mluha ta' parrini jew ikunu katekisti jew letturi u issa dawn irrestrizzjonijiet jistg˙u jitne˙˙ew.

Il-Mentalita` qed tinbidel

J

idher li l-˙idma tal-Gvern fil-qasam tal-LGBT qed t˙alli l-frott mhux biss g˙ax qed jg˙in lil dawn in-nies ikollhom ˙ajja a˙jar u qed ippo©©i lil Malta fuq ta’ quddiem, jekk mhux quddiem nett, fejn jid˙lu d-drittijiet ta’ dawn il-persuni, iΩda wkoll qed tibdel il-metalita` u l-attitudni tal-poplu Malti u G˙awdxi.

Fi st˙arri© li Eurobarometre tal-Unjoni Ewropea g˙amel fl-2009 kien hemm biss 39% tal-Maltin li kienu lesti jaççettaw li jkollna Prim Ministru ‘gay’. Fla˙˙ar st˙arri©, li sar dan l-a˙˙ar, il-perçentwal tela’ g˙al 61%, Ωieda ta’ 22%. Fil-fatt din kienet l-akbar Ωieda filpajjiΩi kollha tal-Ewropa. Sa˙ansitra 58% qalu li kienu lesti li jaççettaw li jkollhom Prim Ministru ‘transgender’.

IΩda min-na˙a l-o˙ra jidher li lma©©oranza tal-Maltin g˙adhom marbuta bi s˙i˙ mar-reli©jon nisranja, g˙ax 40% biss qalu li kienu lesti li jaççettaw li jin˙atar Prim Ministru li jkollu xi reli©jon o˙ra.

G˙alkemm il-figura ta’ 89% li ma jsibux diffikulta` li jkollna Prim Ministru mara ©iet meqjusa mill-istampa b˙ala sinjal li Malta ma tbatix minn diskriminazzjoni sesswali, personalment kont nistenna li l-figura tkun aktar g˙olja

meta wie˙ed iqis li sa mal-1956 kellna Ministru mara fil-Parlament Malti u fittminijiet kellna wkoll l-ewwel President mara.

Sinifkanti wkoll li 81% huma talfehma li dawk li jkunu transgender (i˙ossuhom li jappartienu lis-sess lie˙or) kellhom jing˙ataw il-façilita` li jing˙ataw id-dokumenti me˙tie©a (b˙al ng˙idu a˙na karta tal-identita, passaport, eçç) fejn ikunu mniΩΩla skont issess li j˙ossu li huma.

IΩda filwaqt li l-Maltin g˙andhom fehma progressiva dwar LGBT, jaqg˙u lura sewwa fejn tid˙ol it-toleranza g˙al dawk li huma ta’ razza jew reli©jon differenti. Sa˙ansitra 35% qalu li ma j˙ossuhomx komdi ja˙dmu ma’ Musulmani, u anqas minn 33% japprova li wliedhom jid˙lu fiΩ-Ωwie© ma’ persuni Musulmani.

Fid-dawl jekk persuni b˙al dawn g˙andhomx ikunu ammessi g˙as-sagramenti (fosthom li jkunu jistg˙u jitqarrbnu), lIsqof qal li s-Sinodu ma tax konkluΩjonijiet konkreti iΩda ppreΩenta orjentament fejn qal li “dawn il-persuni g˙andhom ji©u akkumpanjati minn saçerdoti bi kriterji indikati mill-Isqof ˙alli jag˙mel dixxerniment u jaraw Alla x'inhu jg˙idilhom fil-kaΩ tag˙hom".

L-Isqof wera x-xewqa li l-Papa jissokta jibni fuq din il-miΩura u jispeçifika x'inhuma dawn il-kriterji.

L-akbar g˙add ta’ bdiewa A

ktarx li ˙afna kienu jimma©inaw li l-akbar g˙add ta’ bdiewa kien jinsab f’xi post f’G˙awdex jew fl-in˙awi ta’ Malta mag˙rufa g˙allprodotti ta’ biedja b˙all-Im©arr u l-madwar.

Imma minn st˙arri© li sar instab li hu r-Rabat (Malta) li g˙andu l-akbar g˙add ta’ bdiewa r©iel 394 - segwit mis-Si©©iewi bi 369 u l-Mosta bi 350. Óafna jabbinaw il-biedja mal-ir©iel, iΩda fil-fatt fil-GΩejjer Maltin g˙andna wkoll nisa rre©istrati b˙ala bdiewa. Din id-darba l-akbar g˙add jinsab isSi©©iewi – 79 – segwit minn ÓaΩ-Ûebbu© (Malta) bi 58 u r-Rabat (Malta) b’54 Kif mistenni l-inqas g˙add ta’ bdiewa qieg˙ed fixxaqliba l-o˙ra ta’ Malta - il-Birgu, il-Furjana, l-Isla u Ta’ Xbiex fejn hemm bidwi wie˙ed biss f’kull lokal. Mil-lat tan-nisa hemm seba’ lokalitajiet fejn m’hemm l-ebda bidwi mara. Dawn huma l-Birgu, Bormla, l-Isla, l-Imdina, Santa Luçija, il-Belt Valletta u x-Xg˙ajra.

Sintendi, wie˙ed ma jistax jikkalkula l-art ma˙duma f’kull lokal skont l-g˙add ta’ bdiewa li hemm fil-lokal, g˙ax u˙ud minnhom ja˙dmu raba’ li mhix fil-lokal fejn jg˙ixu.

l-Maltin mhux lIn˙obbuha Iinbid biss ilgilgu, g˙ax lanqas l-birra! ma joqog˙du lura

fejn tid˙ol il-birra, tant li nstab li ta’ kull sena l-Maltin jixorbu 21 miljun litru ta’ birra.

Is-sena li g˙addiet, ras g˙al ras, kull Malti xorob 48 litru ta’ birra. Infatti nstab li l-Maltin

jixorbu aktar birra mill-Ispanjoli, It-Taljani, ilPortugiΩi u l-FrançiΩi (na˙seb li dawn l-aktar li jinΩlilhom g˙asel l-inbid li tant huma mag˙rufa g˙alih).

Imma Ωgur li ma nag˙mlu xejn ˙dejn içÇekoslovakki li ras g˙al ras jixorbu 144 litru fis-sena, tliet darbiet daqs il-Maltin. Warajhom il-ÌermaniΩ, l-Awstrijaçi u l-Polakki.

The Voice of the Maltese

Tuesday November 10, 2015

15

Mix-xena tal-˙ajja Maltija 2

Silfu 67 sen’o˙ra

N

a˙seb li ma nkunx immur Ωmerç jekk ng˙id li lil Michael Buttigieg, jew a˙jar Kieli kif kienu jafuh n-nies tarra˙al, Alla silfu 67 sena.

G˙ax qed nikteb hekk?

G˙ax Michael Buttigieg, li miet dan l-a˙˙ar fl-eta’ ta’ 90 sena, kien wie˙ed minn dawk li fit-30 ta’ Ottubru tal-1948 rnexxielu jsalva mill-ag˙ar tra©edja tal-ba˙ar li qatt se˙˙et filfliegu ta’ bejn Malta u G˙awdex.

Dakinhar g˙add ta’ G˙awdxin u xi Maltin inqabdu Malta billi l-vapur t’G˙awdex ma kienx qed ja˙dem bejn il-GΩejjer min˙abba l-maltemp. Allura malajr g˙amlu kuntatt m’G˙awdex biex imur luzzu g˙alihom.

Il-Luzzu mar il-Marfa (minn fejn qabel kien jaqsam il-vapur g˙al G˙awdex) u bl-insistenza ta’ dawk li riedu jaqsmu g˙al G˙awdex, sid il-luzzu aççetta li jg˙abbi lil kul˙add, anke jekk dawn kienu aktar milli suppost i©orr il-luzzu.

Tal-luzzu kellu jçedi quddiem il-protesti ta’ xi passi©ieri li kellu, u minflok da˙al fejn xtaq biex jevita l-qilla tal-ba˙ar, dawwar irrotta g˙all-Im©arr... imma l-luzzu ma wasal qatt, g˙ax belg˙u l-ba˙ar...f’Óondoq ir-Rummien u mieg˙u bela’ wkoll 23 passi©©ier.

Flimkien ma’ tlett persuni o˙ra, Kieli Buttigieg irnexxielu jsalva u bil-g˙ajnuna t’Alla je˙lisha minn ˙alq il-mewt.

Insomma twieled mill-©did, u d-destin ried li dan imut propju f’g˙eluq is-67 sena minn meta se˙˙et dik it-tra©edja, meta fuq il-post fejn se˙˙et it-ta©edja kienet qeg˙da ssir iççerimonja ta’ tifkira.

Politiçi “Calling it a day” -elezzjoni ©enerali g˙adha lura – issir fl- elett fil-Parlament biex jg˙in u mhux biex L 2018 – g˙alkemm il-partiti politiçi ji©i assassinat il-karratru tieg˙u: “Jekk ilMaltin jibqg˙u g˙addejjin bir-rankatura sa politika waqg˙et g˙al dawn il-livelli, jien minn ftit wara li tg˙addi l-elezzjoni. Tant li di©a` bdejna nisimg˙u bin-nominazzjonijiet ta’ kandidati g˙al dawk l-elezzjonijiet.

IΩda filwaqt li qed jitfaççaw uçu˙ ©odda fuq iΩ-Ωew© na˙at, issa bdejna nisimg˙u wkoll b’uçu˙ ‘qodma’ li jidher li kif jg˙idu l-IngliΩi, are calling it a day, u di©a` ˙abbru li ma kienux se jo˙ro©u g˙all-elezzjoni ©enerali li ©ejja.

Fuq in-na˙a tal-Partit Nazzjonalista hemm Giovanna Debono, eks Ministru g˙al G˙awdex (Attwalment minn ftit tax-xhur ilu m’g˙adx qed tifforma parti mill-grupp parlamentari Nazzjonalista, billi kienet irriΩenjat minn dan il-grupp wara li Ωew©ha ©ie mixli fil-Qorti dwar abbuΩi ta’ xog˙ol), Fredrick Azzopardi – it-tnejn eletti minn G˙awdex u Charlo’ Bonnici.

Min-na˙a tal-Partit Laburista, hemm Joe Debono Grech, eks-Ministru u wie˙ed millaktar membri, jekk mhux l-aktar membru, li ilu jservi fil-Parlament. Attwalment Debono Grech ©ie elett l-ewwel darba fl-elezzjoni tal1966 u baqa’ ji©i elett f’kull elezzjoni li saret wara.

RiΩenja

a semmejna l-politiçi li mhux se jer©g˙u L jikkontestaw, ma nafx x’se tkun il-poΩizzjoni f’dan ir-rigward tal-eks-Ministru Nazzjonalista, Joseph Cassar, li kif forsi smajtu jew qrajtu (ara pagna 12) dan l-a˙˙ar irriΩenja mill-Parlament wara diversi allegazzjonijiet li saru fil-konfront tieg˙u.

Fir-riΩenja tieg˙u Cassar stqarr li hu kien

mhux lest li nkun aktar parti minnha. Jiena d˙alt fil-politika biex ng˙in lill-˙addie˙or, imma ma d˙altx biex isir assasinju tal-karattru tieg˙i,” qal.

Kliem meqjus.

Imma tg˙id il-politiçi u l-˙afna kummentaturi u artikolisti mo˙˙hom fil-politika, ma setg˙ux jirrealizzaw minn qabel x’se jkun irriΩultat tal-kampanja esa©erata li kellna fla˙˙ar snin li kienet timmira lejn diversi politiçi? G˙ax kif jg˙idu l-IngliΩi, “what goes round comes around” dan g˙ax jekk wie˙ed ma joqg˙odx attentat çerti strate©iji jistg˙u jag˙mlu b˙al boomerang u jispiççaw jergg˙u lura f’wiççek jew f’wiçç s˙abek.

Stedina g˙al LEJLA TA’ TAGÓRIF

Il-monument fiΩ-Ûewwieqa biex jitfakkru dawk li mietu fit-tra©edja tal-1948

Il-qag˙ad ta˙t il-5,000

idher li it-tnaqqis tal-g˙add ta’ nies Jmaming˙ajr xog˙ol matul din l-a˙˙ar sena kienetx xi ˙a©a ta’ darba, g˙ax g˙adu kif t˙abbar li matul ix-xahar ta’ Settembru l-g˙add ta’ dawk jirre©istraw g˙ax-xog˙ol niΩel g˙al 4,924, ji©ifieri 1,675 inqas minn Settembru tas-sena ta' qabel.

L-a˙˙ar darba li dan l-g˙add intla˙aq kien kien f’Settembru tal-1981, ji©ifieri li dan kien l-inqas g˙add ta’ nies jirre©istraw f'Settembru fi kwaΩi 35 sena.

Fit-tnax-il xahar li g˙addew, kull jumejn, g˙axar persuni sabu ja˙dmu. Dan jikkuntratsa ma dak li se˙˙ bejn l-2008-2013 meta b˙ala medja kull jumejn persuna aktar kienet tispiçça tirre©istra.

Interessanti l-fatt li l-akbar tnaqqis kien fost iΩ-Ωg˙aΩag˙ tant li fl-a˙˙ar tnax-il xahar kien hemm tnaqqis ta’ kwaΩi 360 minnhom bla xog˙ol.

It-tnaqqis kien ukoll evidenti f’G˙awdex fejn matul ix-xahar ta’ Settembru kien hemm biss 640 persuna jirre©istraw g˙axxog˙ol.

J’Alla meta ji©i Settembru ie˙or inkun nista’ ng˙idulkom li l-figura ta’ dawk jirre©istraw g˙ax-xog˙ol kompliet tonqos.

Tibdiliet fil-Pensjoni, il-Kura talAnzjani u s-Superannuation Kif dawn jistg˙u jaffettwaw lilek???

L-Erbg˙a, 25 ta’ Novembru fis-7.30 p.m.

Our Lady Queen of Peace Church, Dun George Preca Hall, 198 Old Prospect Rd, Greystanes 2145 Mrs Marie Louise Muscat li hija esperta f’dan il-qasam tal-ippjanar finanzjarju tispjega b’mod sempliçi u tkun tista’ twie©eb ukoll g˙all-mistoqsijiet tag˙kom bl-IngliΩ jew bil-Malti.

G˙al aktar tag˙if çemplu lil Lawrence Dimech 9631 9295

Sponsored by

www.fiducianfs.com.au Ph. 9231 2133 Marie Louise Muscat is a representative of Fiducian Financial Service Pty Ltd ABN 46 094 765 134 AFSL and Australian Credit Licence 231102

16 The Voice of the Maltese

Tuesday November 10, 2015

A quick glimpse at Australia

Former Australian PM chastises Europe

F

ormer Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott who was the keynote speaker at the second annual Margaret Thatcher Lecture at London’s historic, ornate Guildhall said in his pre-dinner speech that there has been at least a hint of Thatcher about his government citing the stopping of the refugee boats, the repeal of the carbon tax, budget repair, free trade agreements and a readiness to call out Russia for the shooting down of a civilian airliner.

The recently ousted PM said that Europe’s compassion towards refugees is leading into a catastrophic error. The imperative to “love your neighbour as yourself” attitude of most Western countries accepting refugees en mass was dangerous and is at the heart of every Western policy, but right now this wholesome instinct is leading much of Europe into catastrophic error. He warned of the dangers of unchecked immigration, and implored it to follow Australia's lead and bar asylum seekers from entering.

“All countries that say ‘anyone who gets here can stay here’ are now in peril, given the scale of the population movements that are starting to be seen. There are tens perhaps hundreds - of millions of people living in poverty and danger, who might readily seek to enter a Western country if the opportunity is there and who could blame then? Yet no country or continent can open its borders to all newcomers without fundamentally weaken itself. This

Ousted Australian PM Minister Tony Abbott addressing the annual Margaret Thatcher lecture in London

is the task that the countries of Europe now run through misguided altruism,” he said.

In his first major speech since his removal from office Mr. Abbott went on to say he had loath to give advice to other countries while he was Prime Minister but said that Australia was the only country that had successfully defeated people smuggling, and this experience should be studied.

“Turning back the boats would require

massive logistics and expenses, it will gnaw at our consciences – yet it is the only way to prevent a tide of humanity surging through Europe and quite possibly changing it forever,” concluded Mr. Abbott.

The lecture, given in Thatcher’s memory, accompanied a fund raising event for the Margaret Thatcher Centre, which aims to educate feature generations about the late British PM’s life, values and achievements.

No more coal? ver the next 10 years Australia plans to double its coal O exports. If it goes ahead, the Carmichael mine in Queensland’s Galilee Basin would export more than 2 billion tonnes of coal over its lifeline and that is one mine; Australia has dozens of coal projects on the drawing board.

Sixty-one prominent Australians have pressed Prime Minister Turnbull to stop any new mines and to put an international moratorium on coal on the agenda of the 2015 Paris COP 21 climate summit.

The 61 have signed an open letter featured in full-page advertisements in Fairfax Media newspapers calling on the host of the December talks, French President Francois Holland and the Australian PM to oppose the new coal development in Queensland. The open letter says Australia has a larger share of seaborne coal markets than Saudi Arabia has of world oils’ market.

Malcolm Turnbull is expected to attend the Paris climate talks and then fly to Malta for the Commonwealth Head of Governments Meeting (CHOGM).

The Voice of the Maltese

Tuesday November 10, 2015

17

A quick glimpse at Australia

Australia becoming a lawless state - AI says lobal human rights or- it comes to treatment of G ganisation Amnesty those seeking asylum, AusInternational has taken out tralia is becoming a lawless

A reprieve for the Illawarra district

I

t was indeed a reprieve for the 4,500 workers at BlueScope Steel and thousands of others in the Illawarra region when the State Government gave the troubled steelmaker $60 million in payroll tax relief over three years in addition to the $180 million the company will gain as a result of workers agreeing to pay freezes and the loss of 500 jobs.

Ms Gladys Berejiklian the NSW Treasurer said that she wants it made clear that this is a one-off unique solution for BlueScope specifically and that the NSW government had not established a precedent of granting concessions to troubled business in order to protect jobs.

University of Wollongong researchers have found that the steelworks contribute $3.3 billion yearly to the Illawarra economy. South Coast Labor Council Secretary, Arthur Rorris said it is an amazing result and a reprieve for the region that has already been doing it tough.

It is said that the Australian government must ensure their steel industry is supported through government procurement and strict anti-dumping measures.

a full page advertisement in The Sydney Morning Herald calling on Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to set up a royal commission to investigate Australian officials who paid people smugglers to return a boat of asylum seekers to Indonesia.

Amnesty International says they committed a transnational crime and put dozens of lives at risk. They also mentioned a possible second case of paying to a crew intercepted by Navy and Border Force in July 25 of a boat with 25 asylum seekers from Bangladesh, Myanmar and Pakistan.

Anne Shea from Amnesty International said that when

and abuses committed in secret under the Australian Government’s “Operation Sovereign Borders”.

The Australian Government has attempted to justify the secrecy surrounding operation sovereign borders by claiming that the policy undermines people smuggling and protect people from harm.

Many people trusted the government to do the right thing. Instead, the government has abused that trust, the full page advertisement said.

Amnesty International as tobacco, Mr. Joyce said “No, it should not be com- claims 521,882 supporters pared to cigarettes and obviously that would make the in Australia and seven milwhole thing a farce. lion supporters worldwide.

Meat lovers told processed meat hazardous to their health he World Health Organisation, WHO, an agency T of the UN declared processed meat a carcinogen, like tobacco, and said red meat is probably one too.

This announcement has alarmed bacon lovers and sent the beef industry into furore.

A working group of 22 experts from 10 different countries reviewed the scientific literature on the carcinogenicity of red meat and processed meat.

A majority of the group concluded that the consumption of processed meat caused colorectal cancer and the consumption of red meat probably caused colorectal cancer.

Australia surpassed the US to claim the title of world’s most voracious meat eaters – distinction we held more than 30 years ago, in 1982. Australia devoured 90.21 kilograms of meat a person in 2014, 170 grams more a person than the Americans.

Within hours of the report Senator Barnaby Joyce said, “if you got everything that the WHO said was carcinogenic and took it out of your daily requirement then you are kind of heading into a cave.

Asked if meat should be in the same group

state.

The full page advertisement on the SMH claims that Amnesty International has uncovered credible evidence of serious crimes

MICHELLE ROWLAND MP FEDERAL MEMBER FOR GREENWAY Proudly serving the areas of: Acacia Gardens, Blacktown*, Girraween, Glenwood, Kellyville Ridge, Kings Langley, Kings Park, Lalor Park, Parklea, Pendle Hill, Prospect*, Quakers Hill*, Riverstone, Rouse Hill*, Schofields, Seven Hills, Stanhope Gardens, The Ponds, Toongabbie*, Vineyard *Parts of

230 Prospect Hwy, Seven Hills 2147 Ph: 9671 4780 Email:

Michelle.Rowland.MP@aph.gov.au

www.facebook.com/mrowlandmp Twitter: @mrowlandmp

18 The Voice of the Maltese

Tuesday November 10, 2015

Antoine Said Pullicino 1938-2015

Mewt ta’ ©urnalista u xandar veteran f’Sydney LawrenceDimech

M

a kienx ilu wisq li ©ie lura minn mawra f’Malta flimkien ma’ martu. Kien ilu Ωmien jissilet ma’ problemi mediçi imma nhar it-30 ta’ Ottubru l-©urnalista u xandar veteran Antoine Said Pullicino miet fleta` ta’ 77 sena fid-dar tieg˙u f’Sydney imdawwar b’martu Jane u l-familja.

G˙al 37 sena dan il-Malti kien mhux biss il-le˙en tal-programmi Maltin fuq r-Radju SBS iΩda wkoll il-mo˙˙ u lmutur. L-esperjenza tieg˙u b˙ala ©urnalista, im˙arre© sewwa f’Malta u bi studji fl-Ewropa g˙olla l-programmi minn NSW f’livell professjonali.

L-intervisti diversi tieg˙u, l-aktar ma’ persuni distinti li ji©u jΩuruna minn Malta kienu mhux biss fattwali u provokattivi imma wkoll bilançjati. L-istess jista’ jing˙ad g˙all-kummenti tieg˙u dwar ix-xena politika Maltija.

Antoine studja fil-Liceo u ggradwa mill-Universita` ta’ Malta fil-baçellerat fit-Teolo©ija, u licenzjat fit-Teolo©ija.

G˙amel kors fil-©urnalimΩu mal-London School of Journalism. L-Arçisqof Michael Gonzi kien anke bag˙tu jipprattika l-©urnaliΩmu fl-Ewropa fi Ωja-

F’Malta jmut ukoll Chas.Abela Mizzi tit jiem ilu Malta wkoll tilfet xanF dar u ©urnalist veteran mag˙ruf, il-kariΩmatiku Charles Abela Mizzi li miet nhar l-1 ta’ Novembru fl-eta` ta’ 81 sena.

Meta fl-1962 Charles telaq minn mal-gazzetta Il-Berqa biex ing˙aqad mal-istazzjon Nazzjonali tax-Xandir dak iΩ-Ωmien ir-Rediffusion, jien kont d˙alt minfloku. Kien hu li llonçjani fil-karriera ©urnalistika tieghi.

Charles kien xandar popolari u b’le˙en li jiddistingwieh fost o˙rajn.

Kien ukoll wie˙ed mill-ewwel preΩentaturi fuq l-istazzjon tat-televiΩjoni f’Malta u g˙al erba’ snin kien jaqra l-a˙barijiet. Wara n˙atar ukoll kap tal-kamra tal-a˙barijiet u u deputat kap ta’ Xandir Malta. RIP ˙abib

Antoine Said Pullicino rat lil gazzetti Kattoliçi mag˙rufa b˙all Osservatore Romano, La Croix ta’ Franza u l-Catholic Herald fl-Ingilterra.

Niftakar din il-©rajja fil-˙ajja kmieni tal-©urnalista Said Pullicino. L-Arçisqof Gonzi kien çempilli biex nintervistah qabel imur jistudja fl-Ewropa. Dak iΩΩmien kont sub-editor mal-©urnal ta’ kuljum f’Malta, “Il-Berqa”.

Antoine fissirli l-esperjenza li kellu meta f'Ottubru 1962 beda l-Konçilju Vatikan it-Tieni. G˙all-ewwel tlett xhur tal-Konçilju po©©ewh b˙ala l-iskrivan tad-desk IngliΩ u kellu x-xorti jiltaqa’ ma’ ©urnalisti ta’ fama mid-dinja kollha.

Lura Malta n˙atar editur tal-a˙barijiet tal-gazzetta, Le˙en is-Sewwa u fi tlett snin beda ja˙dem ma’ saçerdoti o˙ra biex iwaqqfu kumpless ©did g˙all-©urnalizmu kattoliku f'Malta, u ©ie mqabbad jie˙u ˙sieb il-bini tal-kumpless tal-gazzetta l-©dida “Il-Hajja”. G˙al ˙ames snin anke serva b˙ala d-direttur mani©erjali tag˙ha, u direttur.

Antoine emigra lejn l-Awstralja fl1974. G˙alkemm di©a` ©urnalist b’esperjenza sab li biex tid˙ol fil-©urnaliΩmu tal-kitba fl-Awstralja ma kienux jaççettaw g˙ajr çertifikati lokali. G˙alhekk ˙tie©lu ja˙dem f’xi xog˙ol ie˙or u da˙al ja˙dem b˙ala credit officer ma’ kumpannija Awstraljana. Hemm dam ja˙dem g˙al g˙axar snin.

Sena mill-wasla tieg˙u f’Sydney iltaqa’ ma Joe (Valentin) Barbara, ˙abib tieg˙u minn Malta li talbu jwasslu g˙al laqg˙a li fit-Town Hall ta’ Sydney. Din kienet il-laqg˙a strorika li rat it-twaqqif talmoviment multikulturali Awstraljan.

G˙aliha attendew fost l-o˙rajn kemm Goug˙ Whitlam u wkoll Malcolm Fraser. Kien f'dik l-istess laqg˙a li t˙abbar it-twaqqif tar-radju etniku bi prova g˙al sitt xhur. Dakinhar ukoll Antoine ©ie ntrodott lil Josephine Zammit (illum

mejta) li talbitu jie˙u ˙sieb l-a˙barijiet g˙all-programm tal-Maltin.

Skont Antoine il-motivazzjoni g˙al dan ix-xog˙ol kien biss li wie˙ed jg˙in lill-komunita’ Maltija tintegra aktar fil-˙ajja Awstraljana u biex ukoll iΩΩomm ir-rabtiet ma’ Malta.

Fis-snin li g˙amel ja˙dem partajm (1975-2012), l-ewwel mar-Radju 2EA imbag˙ad b˙ala kontributur ukoll mar-radju SBS involva ru˙u ˙afna mal-assoçjazzjoni tax-xandara u ©urnalisti etniçi, tant li g˙amel erba’ snin b˙ala segretarju tal-g˙aqda u sentejn o˙ra b˙ala President. Kellu g˙add ta’ laqg˙at ma’ ministri tal-gvern kemm laburisti kif ukoll konservattivi biex jissa˙˙a˙ ir-radju etniku.

Ta˙t il-presidenza tieg˙u l-assoçjazzjoni ssie˙bet mal-unjon tal-©urnalisti Awstraljani li wasslet g˙al ftehim biex ©urnalisti u xandara etnici jkunu mpjegati mhux aktar fuq kuntratti imma b˙ala full/part time kont l-ammont ta’ programmi u d-daqs tal- lingwa.

Fl-1983 fl-okkaΩjoni tal-mitt sena talemigrazzjoni minn Malta g˙all-Awstralja, flimkien mal-Maltese Australian Social and Welfare Association li tag˙ha dak iΩ-Ωmien kien il-President, organizzaw mal-SBS lejla fit-Town Hall ta’ Sydney li fiha ˙adu sehem seba’ kantanti mill-Awstralja u sebg˙a minn Malta.G˙all-okkaΩjoni kienu wkoll ˙ar©u diska.

Il-qofol tal-okkaΩjoni - li xxandret dirett fuq l-SBS u l-istazzjon tax-Xandir Nazzjonali f'Malta - kien id-diskors ta’ Sir Ninian Stephen, il-Gvernatur Ìenerali tal-Awstralja li fa˙˙ar kemm il-kontribut kbir tal-emigranti Maltin f'dan il-pajjiΩ u l-©rajjiet ta’ art twelidna.

Meta kont intervistajtu wara li rtira b˙ala xandar mal-SBS Radio fl-2012, Antoine kien di©a` bassar li fejn jid˙lu l-Maltin il-©ejjieni tar-radju mill-istazzjon SBS ma setax ikun wie˙ed wisq feliçi g˙ax il-komunita’ Maltija li tiddependi mill-ilsien Malti qed kull ma tmur tonqos. Is-sieg˙at ikollhom jonqsu biex jag˙mlu post g˙al ilsna o˙ra u g˙al gruppi ta’ komunitajiet o˙ra li de˙lin fil-pajjΩ mill-Afrika u mill-Asja li jin˙tie©u s-servizzi tal-SBS kif kellhom bΩonnhom il-Maltin erbg˙in sen’ilu.

Fl-2001 Antoine ing˙ata l-premju kulturali Malti (NSW), u dan l-a˙˙ar in˙atar wie˙ed mid-diretturi ta’ St Dominic’s Hostel fi Blacktown.

Huwa kien persuna ta’ integrita` kbira dejjem lest biex jg˙in lill-komunita` Maltija. Minn dejjem ammirajtu u ˙afna drabi tlabt l-g˙ajnuna tieg˙u. Kien wie˙ed mill-aqwa ©urnalisti jekk mhux l-aqwa li qatt kellna fil-komunita`.

Il-mewt ta’ Antoine se t˙alli vojt kbir.

Huwa ˙alla jikbuh lil martu Jane, uliedu Rachael, Rebecca u John Paul, l-ir©iel u n-nisa tag˙hom, neputijiet, ˙utu, qraba u ˙bieb f’Sydney u Malta.

The Voice of the Maltese

Tuesday November 10, 2015

19

Biex tikteb Malti tajjeb Ta˙ri© dwar il-Verb

I

l-qarrejja li qed isegwu din il-pa©na jidher li g˙o©obhom il-fatt li minn xi daqqiet inniedu ta˙ri© dwar dak li nkunu ktibna dwaru biex wie˙ed jasal jikteb Malti tajjeb.

G˙alhekk fil-˙ar©a tal-lum ta’ The Voice qed nag˙mlu aktar ta˙ri© biex wie˙ed ikun jista’ jattwa dak li jkun tg˙allem minn dik li nistg˙u nsej˙ulha lezzjoni fl-Ilsien Malti.

Min˙abba li fl-a˙˙ar ˙ar©a ktibna fit-tul dwar il-Verb, li nfakkru, hija kelma li turi lg˙emil jew l-istat ta’ xi ˙add jew ta’ xi ˙aga, t-ta˙ri© huwa dwar dan.

Spjegajna x’inhuma lMamma u l-G˙erq u

g˙edna li l-Mamma hija ttielet persuna, singular, maskil, tal-Perfett jew Passat, u twie©eb g˙all-mistoqsija: “huwa x’g˙amel?”

Fejn g˙andu x’jaqsam lG˙erq g˙idna li Il-konsonanti kollha tal-Mamma jiffurmaw l-G˙erq tal-verb.

FiΩ-Ωew© kaΩi tajna wkoll xi eΩempji. Illum g˙andna tta˙ri© u l-qarreajja qed ji©u mitluba jag˙tu l-Mamma u l-G˙erq ta’ dawn il-kelmiet.

Ng˙allem, qbiΩt, xeg˙let, norbot, tefg˙u, Ωlaqna, lg˙abt, tikber, smajt, fixklet, ji©bor, naqa’, ˙abbew, fra˙t, i˙abrek, ng˙ajjat, refg˙u, ˙biet, ©rew, u tlajna, sabbart, ˙ammi©t, farrakt, er©ajtu, ©rejt, kissirna, ˙assruhom.

Fil˙ar©a li jmiss nag˙tu rriΩultat ta’ dan it-ta˙ri©.

Maltese wins poetry contest in Sicily l-kittieb/poeta Malti Dr Carmel Mallia reba˙ I11-ill-ewwel premju minn fost 53 parteçipant minn pajjiΩ, fil-konkors mag˙ruf b˙ala “Poezio el

ĉiuj ĉieloj 2015” (PoeΩija minn kullimkien – 2015) li l-g˙oti tal-premjijiet tieg˙u sar fit-18 ta’ Ottubru li g˙adda f’Sant Angelo di Broloin fi Sqallija waqt çerimonja organizzata mill-kunsill lokali tal-post flimkien mal-Federazzjoni Taljana tal-Esperanto.

Dr Mallia reba˙ bil-poeΩija tieg˙u bl-Esperanto: “Balado por poeto” (Ballata g˙al poeta) li hu stess qara (kif jidher fir-ritratt fuq). Wara ©iet tradotta g˙at-Taljan u moqrija.

Fil-konkors ©ew ippreΩentati poeΩiji bl-Esperanto u bit-Taljan minn poeti mill-Bel©ju, ilBraΩil, il-Bulgarija, Franza, l-Istati Uniti, l-Italja, il-Ìappun, il-KaΩakstan, Kuba, Spanja, u MALTA. Ix-xog˙lijiet se ji©u mitbug˙a fi ktieb b’Ωew© lingwi fl-istess ˙in, bl-Esperanto u t-Taljan blistess titlu tal-konkors: “Poezio el ĉiuj ĉieloj”.

DING DONG! Il-˙oss tal-˙ajja Maltija onnha l-˙ajja f’Malta ma tistax timxi ming˙ajr il-˙oss effettiv tad-ding dong. Din ir-realtà hija D riflessa f’kull aspett tas-soçjetà Maltija, tant li kollox qisu jrid jew ikun maqsum fi tnejn inkella frammentat biΩ-Ωew©.

Issib id-ding dong fl-oqsma tal-kultura (Ωew© baned, Ωew© qaddisin), tal-politka (Ωew© partiti, Ωew©t ilwien), tal-isport (Ωew© klabbijiet, Ωew© kampjonati) eçç. Tista’ tibqa’ sejjer hekk sal-parroççi, il-festi, l-g˙aqdiet soçjo-kulturali, il-palk, u Ω-Ωew© gΩejjer ewlenin tal-arçipierku Malti. Ûew© tribuwiet? Sa˙ansitra l-bandiera nazzjonali g˙andha Ωew©t ilwien!

IΩda d-ding dong jispikka l-aktar fil-mod kif fisSeklu 21 nitkellmu bejnietna u nit˙addtu ta’ kuljum fid-dar, fit-triq, fil-knisja, fil-kaΩin, fuq irradju u t-televiΩjoni....u kif niktbu u nistampaw fuq il-©urnali u l-g˙ejjun elettroniçi tal-a˙barijiet.

Il-Lingwa tad-Ding Dong (Horizons, 2015) jitfa’ dawl qawwi fuq il-qag˙da tal-Ilsien Malti llum minn lenti ta’ ©urnalist frustrat li g˙amel karriera s˙i˙a jipprova jsib tarf ta’ dan il-fenominu lingwistiku billi ˙adem, u g˙adu ja˙dem, kemm bil-Malti

kif ukoll bl-IngliΩ, iΩ-Ωew© lingwi (er©ajna!) uffiçjali ta’ Malta.

F’idejk issib kummentarju ˙aj dwar l-annimal stramb li j©ib lisem ta’ “bilingwiΩmu”.

To˙ro© wa˙idha l-mistoqsija: Il-bilingwiΩmu talMaltin ifisser li nistg˙u noqog˙du nfajru biçça bilMalti u biçça bl-IngliΩ jew li, meta rridu jew me˙tie©, nafu n˙addmu Ω-Ωew© lingwi?

Charles Flores i˙ares lejn il-bilingwiΩmu talMaltin matul vja©© fuq Ωew© binarji – s-sarkaΩmu ntenzjonat u r-realtà li ma nistg˙ux na˙arbuha.

Bejnu u bejn ru˙u jara ˙wejje© u veritajiet li forsi fis-sa˙na tal-mument ta’ diskussjoni jistg˙u jaqbΩu lil dak li jkun.

Lejn l-a˙˙ar tal-vja©©, iΩda, ma jonqosx dak ilwaqt çkejken ta’ riflessjoni li joffru l-istudjuΩi tallingwistika biex hekk to˙ro© a˙jar l-istampa mixtieqha tas-sitwazzjoni llum fejn jid˙ol l-uΩu talMalti f’kull qasam tal-˙ajja Maltija.

20 The Voice of the Maltese

Tuesday November 10, 2015

Pawlina tag˙laq il-102 - 60 sena minnhom fl-Awstralja P

awlina Armato iççelebrat il102 sena tag˙ha ftit tal©img˙at ilu flimkien ma’ ˙uha Ω-Ωg˙ir Saviour ta’ 90 sena, li t-tnejn b˙alissa jg˙ixu f’North Western District Private Nursing Home fi Gladston Park fl-iStat ta’ Victoria.

Paolina, li twieldet Birkirkara u hija ir-raba' wilt minn 12 - erba' bniet u disa' subien, emigrat lejn lAwstralja minn Malta fl-1955. Hija dejjem baqg˙et id-dar biex tie˙u ˙sieb ˙utha, filwaqt li ˙utha ssubien li ˙ar©u ja˙dmu biex jg˙inu lill-familja tistabilixxi ru˙ha fil-pajjiz il-©did li g˙aΩlu li jg˙ixu fih.

Tlieta minn ˙ut Pawlina fet˙u negozju ta’ parrukkiera, (hairdressing).

Il-familja Armato emigrat lejn l-Awstralja min˙abba li l-˙ajja kienet saret ftit iebsa g˙alihom.

L-ewwel li ©ew l-Awstralja kienu joqog˙du f’Ascot Vale u wara marru jg˙ixu f’Airport West. Ftit snin ilu tilfu lil ˙uhom, Laurie, li tant kien i˙obb l-Ilsien Malti, kien poeta mag˙ruf u membru tal-Grupp Letteratura Maltija tal-Victoria.

G˙all-ewwel Pawlina kienet ftit imdejqa li ˙alliet Malta imma wara rrealizzat li issa l-Awstralja kienet il-pajjiΩ ©did tag˙ha.

Il-membri tal-familja Armato jidher li jg˙ixu ˙ajja twila, infatti Pawlina qalet lill-korrispodent tag˙na li ommha la˙qet mietet ta’ 105 filwaqt li o˙tha lkbira mietet ta' 100 sena u tliet xhur.

Skont dawk li jafu sewwa lil Pawlina jg˙idu li hija mara ferri˙ija li tiftakar Ωew© gwerer dinjin.

G˙adha attiva taqra l-gazzetti u anke ssegwi t-televiΩjoni, fosthom il-programm The Chase u tag˙mel it-tisliba f'xi gazzetta Maltija.

Mistoqsija tg˙id x'inhu s-sigriet ta’ ˙ajja twila, Pawlina qalet li hi qatt ma pejpet, tie˙u bajda friska kull filg˙odu u tazza nbid a˙mar mal-ikel.

Nifiru lil Pawlina u nixtiequlha aktar g˙omor u sa˙˙a.

St Helena Maltese Australia SC NOVEMBER 14: (Saturday): Get-together at Holy Eucharist, St Albans DECEMBER 19: (Saturday): Xmas function at Melrose Receptions, Tullamarine.

For more information: Phone Victor on 0412 99 13 25 or Mary Abdilla on 03 (9370 51 64)

V O M R e a d e R s please nOte I f yo u are n o t rec e iv i n g t h e V o i c e o f t h e M al te se re gu larly yo u are k in d ly request ed t o let us k no w. do t h e s ame i f yo u h av e c h an ge d y ou r em ai l ad d res s . Ke epi n g yo ur ad d res s e s u pd at ed i s ve ry importan t to us. e- mai l us wi t h t h e de tai ls at: malt esevoi ce@g mai l.co m

Pawlina flimkien ma’ ˙uha Ω-Ωg˙ir Saviour, iççelebraw 192 sena bejniethom

FEAST OF SAINT NICHOLAS SUNDAY 6th DECEMBER 2015 Good Shepherd Parish 130-136 Hyatts Road, Plumpton (Opposite Shopping Centre)

3.00pm - Church Service Festa Mass in English. Principal Celebrant: Fr B Sant mssp assisted by: Parish Priest Fr G O’Dempsey and Fr C Borg mssp; Homily in Maltese by Fr B Sant mssp; The MCA Choir under the direction of Marisa Previtera 4.00pm - Procession: Our Lady Queen of Peace Maltese Band will play Religious Marches Food for Sale: BBQ, Pastizzi, Kannoli, Nougat, Kinnie, Soft Drinks & Maltese Foods 5.00pm - Entertainment DJ’s Tony & Paul from Maltese Radio–SWR FM Direct to Malta; OLQP band; Christmas Carols by the MCA Choir; Entertainment for Children too 6.30pm - St Nicholas Festa Committee Raffle is Drawn 7.00pm - Santa Claus Arrives Lollies and goodies given to all children 8.30pm Fireworks Display Spectacular Extra Special Fireworks Display by FX Display Co. For further information call: Bill Schembri 0416 261 415 or Joe Fenech 0412 009 957

Sunshine or hail – no problem we have a Big Hall

COME AND BRING YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS WITH YOU

The Voice of the Maltese

Tuesday November 10, 2015

21

Community News

Presents

The Maltese RSL Sub Branch of NSW

St John Sydney Xewkija Association

invites the Maltese community of NSW to the Unveiling Ceremony of a Memorial Pla-que in memory of the Maltese men who join- ed the Australian Imperial Forces & New Zealand Expeditionary Forces of World War 1 Sunday, November 15 at 12.30 pm The Maltese Bi-Centennial Monument Civic Park, Civic Avenue, Pendle Hill NSW 2145

Christmas Dinner 2015

Date: Saturday December 5 Location: Mandaville Events Centre 1788 The Horsley Drive Horsley Park Time: 6.30 p.m. to 11.30 p.m.

La Valette Social Centre

Menu: Buffet-style including soft dronks, dessert, tea & coffee

Beer, wine & spirits can be purchased from our licensed bar or BYO Music: Provided by Manuel DJ Cost: $45.00 per guest For ticket sale contact Sam: 0419781568/46841617 Rose: 96285424; Elija: 96226047 Come and support our final fundraiser for 2015 The Maltese Community Council of NSW is conducting a computer class at Maltese Resource Centre 59b Franklin Street, Mays Hill 2145 NSW every Friday between 10.00 am-12.00 For more information contact Em. Camilleri: 0409 744 376

The Maltese Cultural Association (NSW) We will be commemorating a Mass for our dear departed members on Tuesday 10th November 10, at 7pm at Our Lady Queen of Peace, Old Prospect Rd Greystanes NSW. Please attend as it is a holy thought to pray for the dead that they may be loosed from their sins.

Tint eressa k il -kit ba?

Id-direzzjoni ta’ The Voice t˙e©©e© lill-qarrejja li j˙ossu li jew g˙andhom talent g˙all-kitba, laktar bl-Ilsien Malti, imma mhux biss, inkella li ja˙sbu li bi ftit g˙ajnuna jistg˙u jrabbu l-kunfidenza g˙all-kitba, biex jekk u meta iridu, jew jitolbu l-g˙ajnuna tag˙na, inkella sempliçement jibag˙tu xxog˙ol tag˙hom lil: The Voice of the Maltese biex narawh.

Email address: maltesevoice@gmail.com Jekk tkunu tridu wara nippublikaw il-kitbiet tag˙kom.

Christmas Programme

THURSDAY December 24: 11.30 p.m.: Procession with baby Jesus; Carols by La Valette choir under the direction

by Mro. Victor Flordia. Mass sermon by Natasha Tatarinoff followed by Midnight Mass.

SATURDAY December 26: The Centre opens at 5pm.with normal trading. 8.p.m.Ghana (folk singing).

Everyone is welcome. . THURSDAY December 31: New Year’s Eve Dinner Dance. $55 adults, $30 for children. Entertainment by The Falcons. All welcome..

For more information: La Valette: 9622 5847; Frances 0412 320 4320 or Antoinette: 9671 2992

SUTHERLAND & ST. GEORGE MALTESE GROUP The Sutherland & St George Maltese Group are organising a day trip to The Entrance on Friday November 13.

The Coach departs Miranda Community Centre at 7.30 a.m., then proceeds to pick up at Our Lady Queen of Peace Greystanes at 8.30 a.m.

From there we will continue to The Entrance where we will stop for lunch at a club. Joe Galea and others will be there to meet us.

At 3.30 p.m. we will go to see the feeding of the Pelicans, and at approx.

4.00 p.m. will start the journey back to Greystanes, and then continue to Miranda Community Centre to arrive by approx. 7.30 p.m.

For booking (not later than Friday October 30) contact Charles N. Mifsud: 0421 662 298, or Joe C. Deguara: 0408 966 877 Travel by 5-star coach. Fee only $40.

MALTESE LANGUAGE SCHOOL OF NSW

A Division of the Maltese Community Council of NSW Inc.

Learn Maltese!

Classes are available for students from 6 years to adults at all levels of ability in the Maltese language. We have trained and experienced teachers qualified in language teaching and with Maltese study credentials. Learn the Maltese language, the culture, lifestyle, cuisine, traditions and about the amazing history of the island.

Classes at: HORSLEY PARK - SEVEN HILLS - LUDDENHAM For more information and enquiries Call Mary on 9601 2189 Or email: malteselanguageschoolnsw@hotmail.com Supported by the Minister of Education and Training and the NSW Community Languages Schools Programme.

Member of the NSW Federation of Community Language Schools of NSW; Member of the Federation of Maltese Language Schools of Australia; Supported by 16 Maltese associations affiliated with the MCC of NSW. The Maltese Language School of NSW is a Not-For-Profit organisation.

22 The Voice of the Maltese

Tuesday November 10, 2015

Community News Tune In to Radio and Television

Maltese Radio Programmes MELBOURNE, on 3ZZZ 92.3FM or on www.3zzz.com.au. Mondays 5pm, Fridays 5pm, Saturdays 10am.; Last Wednesday each month at 1pm.

MELBOURNE on 98.9 North West FM, each Friday 6.00 - 7.00p.m. Presenter Emmanuel Brincat.

MELBOURNE: STEREO 974 (93180930): 97.4FM Wed (Maltese Magazine) & Thursday (Mer˙ba): 6.00pm to 8.00 pm Co-ordinator – Ray Anastasi In SYDNEY, listen to the MCC radio programmes on 2GLF FM 89.3. Saturdays 6 to 8 a.m. Martese Caruana presents Nostalgia Music; Sundays from 10.00 - 11.00 am: Il˙na Maltin. Both available on demand. Follow same procedure as for MCC programmes, except select programe in reference.

In BRISBANE listen to the Maltese Program on 4EB on Tuesdays 6.00 -8.15am; Sundays 4.15pm to 5.15pm UNCLE SAM DJ (Maltese Radio) tune in to link: www.unclesamdj.com

Isma’ l-programm tar-radju bil-Malti mill-Kunsill Malti ta’ NSW minn fuq l-istazzjon 2GLF 89.3FM. Jista’ wkoll jinstema’ On Demand minn fuq l-Internet www.893fm.com.au (On Demand >Ethnic >Maltese Council 11am) Il-programm ta’ sieg˙a nhar ta’ Óadd fil11.00 a.m. ikun fih l-a˙˙ar a˙barijiet minn Malta, muΩika, tag˙rif, kultura, avviΩi u su©©etti ta’ interess g˙all-Maltin

Listen to John Borg & Glenn Cassar every Saturday at 1.00 p.m. on RADIO 2RRR 88.5FM or on the Internet - www2rrr.org.au ON DeMAND On SBS Radio Day Time Analogue and Digital Friday: 12:00-13:00 97.7fm SBS Radio 2 Saturday: 14:00-15:00: 97.7fm SBS Radio 2 To tune into digital radio you need a receiver or device with a DAB+ chip. Tuning in is by station name not frequency. Digital radio can also be heard via digital TV. SBS Radio 2 is on Channel 38.

The radio programmes can be accessed online (live or catch up) at sbs.com.au/maltese and via mobile phone, using the SBS Radio app. For television news from Malta - SBS 2 TV on Thursdays and Sundays at 8am.

Maltese Programmes on TV and Web VIVA MALTA The GDAY MALTAUSSIE SHOW VIVA MALTA on COAST FM 96.3 on TVS is broadcast in Sydney Community Radio in Gosford Central Every Saturday at 2pm. Repeats on NSW. Aired every fortnight from Mondays 5 pm and Tuesdays 7.30 am 6 pm -7 pm (Next is November 17).

Presenter: Nathalie Gatt.

Watch direct via HYPERLINK: Web streaming on: www.coastfm.org.au. http://ww.tvs.org.au; http://ww.tvs.org.au L-A˙barijiet on SBS TV twice a week nationwide Sunday at 8.00 am on SBS2 (Chan. 32); Thursdays at 8.00 am on SBS2

The SBS MALTESE NEWS

Meetings of Day Care Maltese Groups in NSW Fairfield Active Maltese Seniors Meets on the first Tuesday of the Month from10:00am to 12 noon.

The group meets in the Parish Hall, cnr of Stella Street & The Boulevard, Fairfield Heights.

Daceyville Maltese Seniors Meets on the last Wednesday of the month in the Meeting Room One, No. 3 General Bridges Crescent, Daceyville.

Note: The Groups also arrange regular Bus Trips Come and join us and make new friends.

Merrylands Social Maltese Seniors Meets every second Friday of the month; Miller Room, Memorial Avenue Merrylands from 10.30am to 12.30 am

Llandillo Maltese Seniors

One good turn de serves another

D

edication we have lots of; when it comes to time, we find it as when dedicating oneself to a cause, it’s there. A third ingredient needed to produce an online magazine such as The Voice of the Maltese is financial. To offset that, the production team has been seeking sponsors to help us share that burden with us.

Some have responded positively by advertising the services they offer to their clients on our publication. More is needed, so we call upon others to follow.

In return, our readers are urged to use the services offered by our sponsors.

Malta Society of New Zealand

We now have a Facebook page that former members are invited to join. It is: Mainly-Maltese-in-Auckland: https://www.facebook.com/pages /Mainly-Maltese-in-Auckland/ 396193070527203?ref=hl.

It is open to all who have an interest in the Maltese culture.

Join us on The Voice of the Maltese facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/g roups/thevoiceofthemaltese Greystanes Maltese Seniors Meets on the second Monday of each month at the George Preca Centre of OLQP Church, 198 Old Prospect Road, Greystanes from 10 am to 12 noon

The Sutherland & St George Maltese Group Ongoing: We meet every First Wednesday of the Month from 10:00am-1:00pm Our Meetings/Get Togethers are interesting, informative & entertaining.

Come Join us and make new Friends For more information contact our Coordinator: Charles Mifsud J.P.Phone (02) 9501 5525 – mobile 0421 662 298.

Maltese Seniors Central Coast

Meets on the first Wednesday of each month at the Llandillo Community Hall, Seventh Avenue, from 11am to 1 pm.

You need to contact our Welfare Officer for an appointment.

For all information and referral matters one should call Censina Cefai: Tel: 02 439 000 12 or 0414 267 652

*(All Groups are Sponsored by The Maltese Community Council of NSW).

Please contact the MCC Welfare Officer: Marisa Previtera JP on 0414 863 123. The MCC offices are at 59b Franklin Street (corner with Young St) Parramatta West NSW(next to West Parramatta Primary School)

Tuesday November 10, 2015

The Voice of the Maltese

23

Sports on 2 pages

Looking forward to next fight after September KO defeat M

iddleweight boxer Michael ‘Pretty Boy’ Zerafa, 23 years from Craigieburn Victoria is looking forward to his next fight in December after he was knocked out by 32-year-old US slugger Peter Quillin in Foxwoods Resort in Mashantucket Connecticut, US in September.

Zerafa was removed from the ring on a stretcher and in a neck brace and taken to William W. Backus Hospital in Norwich, Conn. after he survived an alarmingly brutal knockout and succumbing to the WBO world middleweight champion early in the sixth round.

Zerafa is looking forward to his next fight on December 4 in Melbourne Pavillion against an opponent yet to be named. In the New Year he will return to the US where he has been offered a spot at a training camp in New York. This he said could lead him to some more big fights.

As to his fight that went wrong Zerafa said the preparation was not right and they only had five weeks to prepare for that fight. He has now put the last fight behind him and declared that bigger and better things lay ahead.

Michael receiving treatment in the ring after being knocked out by Peter Quillin

Michael Zerafa: looking forward to his next fight in Melbourne after his Round 6 defeat in September in the US Zerafa came in to the fight as a 50- opposition before meeting Quillin.

1 underdog, having fought just once Zerafa, born to an Australian outside of Australia previously, mother and a father, Manny, a marwhile Quillin (32-0-1, 23 KOs) is a tial arts expert born in Malta, says he former WBO middleweight title- first became interested in boxing at holder. age 10. He had around 20 amateur “Pretty Boy” Zerafa, had won 17 of fights and turned pro at age 18 after 18 fights against what have been de- failing to make Australia’s World scribed by the media as moderate Youth Team by losing to 2012 Olympian Damien Hooper.

After the fight against Quillin, who was nine years older, and undefeated in 32 fights against much more formidable opposition and a former WBO middleweight world champion, Michael’s father said,“If it had been my decision he would never have gone to America for that fight,” he said. “My heart sank to my shoes when I saw him being stretchered out, but what’s done is done.

Zerafa’s former manager, David Stanley and promoter Brian Amatruda all blasted the match-up QuillinZerafa as being highly inappropriate.

24 The Voice of the Maltese

Tuesday November 10, 2015

Sports on 2 pages Sports sector to benefit from €10 million investment

S

ports in Malta will benefit from a government investment in capital projects worth €10 million. Announcing the investment, Parliamentary Secretary for Sports Chris Agius (on right) said the projects would be carried out despite the fact that SportMalta had inherited a great debt accumulated by the previous Malta Council for Sport.

That debt, he said, has now been redeemed.

Most of the projects to be carried out, which would be completed by next year, are intended to bring more people to the MaltaSport programmes.

They vary from improvements and maintenance to existing sports complexes’ infrastructure, to the building of other new projects that would increase sports facilities

and improve space for various sports disciplines to practice their sport.

Beside maintenance works to be carried out on the National Pool at Tal-Qroqq, SportMalta would be building a sports village for youths in Santa Venera, that would include two full sized pavilions for sports training in disciplines such as futsal and handball, and the new trend for beach sport.

Other projects include the extension to the Cottonera Sports Complex that would include a pool site and a gymnastic centre, a racing course at Ta’ Qali and Santa Lucia, improvements to the basketball court at Sig- During a press briefing it was stated that 75 giewi, a judo complex at Pembroke, mainte- other associations would benefit from these nance work at the Basketball Pavilion in Ta’ projects and would be joining around 25 othQali, and a shooting range in Gozo. ers that already enjoy existing facilities.

Michelle wins Melbourne Cup to make history his year it was a woman that stopped the naT tion. Michelle Payne became the first woman jockey to ride a winner the Melbourne Cup. She hit back at her doubters after riding Prince of Penzance to victory at Flemington (Melbourne).

Payne was ecstatic after the race and could hardly contain her excitement after riding the 100-1 outsider to victory at Flemington in this race that held annually on the first Tuesday of November. For a few minutes each year, this event stops the nation to watch it. Over 101,000 people were at Flemington and the rest of Australian watched on their TV. After the race Payne said it was a dream come true and was proud to prove people wrong in a sport she described as "chauvinistic sport". She added: I know some of the owners were keen to kick me off, and John Richards and Darren (the owners) stuck strongly with me, and I put in all the effort I could and galloped him all I could because I thought he had what it takes to win

Malta’s Premier League Football

A

the Melbourne Cup and I can't say how grateful I am to them. Women can do anything and we can beat the world.”

Payne pointed out that winning this race “is everybody's dream as a jockey in Australia and now probably the world.” She said she had dreamt about winning the Melbourne Cup from when she was five years old. “I can't believe we've done it.”

fter only two weeks out of it, Balzan regained the top position in the Premier League last weekend after beating Sliema 1-0. It came after back-to-back defeats that pushed them to third position while Valletta took the lead.

But loss of form and five points, in their last two matches, (2-2 draw v Mosta and 2-0 defeat v Pembroke) pushed them back to third place in RESULTS:

Round 11 2-0 0-0 1-0 3-0 0-0 1-1

Birkirkara v Balzan Valletta v Mosta Hibernians v Sliema W. Floriana v Pembroke Tarxien R. v Qormi Naxxar L. v St Andrews

4-1 2-2 2-2 2-1 4-1 2-1

Round 10

Standing Balzan Birkirkara Valleta Hibernians Floriana Tarxien R. Mosta Sliema W Pembroke Naxxar L Qormi St Andrews

Melbourne Vic. achieve League and Cup double

W

Balzan regain top position

Pembroke v Valletta Birkirkara v Floriana Balzan v Sliema W. Hibernians v St Andrews Tarxien R. v Mosta v Naxxar L. v Qormi

Australia A-League

P 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11

a weekend that has given the impression that the championship could be evolving into one of the most enthralling for years.

This belief was further strengthened as Floriana held Birkirkara, who had previously thrashed Balzan 4-1 and stood a good chance of profiting from Valletta’s loss to take over the leadership, to a scoreless draw. As such, Balzan took their chance to leapfrog back W D L F A Pts into the top a point ahead 7 2 2 17 9 23 of both Birkirkara, Valletta 6 4 1 26 10 22 and Hibernians.

7 1 3 19 11 22 6 4 1 19 12 22 Hibernians who lost 6 2 3 18 11 20 ground when they were 5 4 2 18 9 19 held 2-2 by Sliema in 5 3 3 17 12 18 Round 10, are a point fur4 2 5 9 14 14 4 1 6 18 22 13 ther back following their 2 1 8 9 28 7 easy 3-0 win over St An1 2 8 9 18 5 drews who are still search0 0 11 6 29 0 ing for their first points

hile eight of the 10 teams in the A-League continued to fight it out for points, champions Melbourne Victory and Perth Glory were involved in the final of the FFA Cup trophy at AAMI Park. In the end, for the second season running, Perth Glory were unable to etch their name on the trophy as Melbourne Victory beat them 2-0 for a League and Cup double.

When it comes to the championship Sydney FC retained their lead at the top, one point ahead of their opponents on Day 5, Brisbane Roar. The two sides figured in a scoreless draw in greasy conditions on Sydney’s home ground at Allianz Stadium.

In so doing, they retained their unbeaten record as they had registered a Day 4 3-1 away win at Central Coast. Brisbane took advantage of their home ground to beat bottom team Adelaide 3-0.

Next in the standing come Newcastle Jets whose impressive run in earlier games came to a stop by losing 1-2 at home to West Sydney Melbourne Victory (who have a game in hand), Melbourne C. West.

Sydney and Wellington come next on seven points.

Full Results Day 5 Sydney FC v Brisbane R. Adelaide U. v Melbourne C. Central Coast v Wellington Ph. Newcastle Jets v West. Sydney W Day 4 Central Coast v Sydney FC Melbourne V. v Wellington Ph. Melbourne C. v Newcastle Jets Brisbane R. v Adelaide U. West. Sydney W. v Perth Glory

0-0 2-4 1-1 1-2 1-3 3-0 2-3 3-0 1-0