The Voice of the Maltese No 126

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

Issue 126

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

April 26, 2016

ANZAC DAY 2016 Commemoration in Malta

H.E. Ms Jane Lambert, High Commissioner of Australia explaining the significance of ANZAC Day

On April 25, Malta, through the Australian High Commission commemorated ANZAC Day 2016 with a moving ceremony at the Pieta Commonwealth War Graves Cemetary with prayers and the laying of wreaths by representatives of the Maltese Government and the Opposition, and a number of High Commissioners of the Diplomatic Corps

Mrs Jill Camilleri, Honorary Consul for New Zealand at the ceremony honouring the death soliders who are buried in Malta

Dr. Geoge Vella, Malta’s Minister for Foreign Affais laying the wreath in front of the Anzac Monument on behalf of the Maltese Government

Mr. Lawrence Dimech laying the wreath on behalf of the Maltese community in Australia

2 The Voice of the Maltese

Tuesday April 26, 2016

Il-periklu tar-ritratti tat-t al fuq l-Internet ˙bieb u l-familja, u dan sar façli aktar minn qatt qabel permezz ta’ siti b˙allFacebook. IΩda filwaqt li l-Internet jg˙in lil familji li jibqg˙u f’kuntatt ma’ xulxin u jie˙du sehem fil-˙ajja ul˙add jaf kemm il-midja ta’ kuljum ta’ xulxin, imma fl-istess soçjali saret popolari. Óafna waqt g˙andu wkoll il-potenzjal li bla juΩawha g˙al g˙anijiet differma’ trid tista’ xxerred aktar tag˙rif enti u mhux dejjem tajbin. Fost lmilli tixtieq. aktar popolari b˙alissa hawn dak Hu ferm importanti li wie˙ed jissetmag˙ruf b˙ala l-Facebook. Hu mezz tja sew il-privatezza fuq il-pa©ni li tajjeb kif wie˙ed jikkomunika, ljuΩa biex hekk jissalvagwarja taktar bejn il-˙bieb. Imma anke fejn tag˙rif personali u l-kontenut lg˙andu x’jaqsam in-negozju. Mhux ie˙or kollu. Jekk le, bla ma jridu se nitratta l-©id li jista’ jo˙ro© minl-©enituri qed iperrçu l-privatezza ta’ nu, imma dak li jien in˙oss li jista’ wlliedhom fil-bera˙ sa minn eta` jkun l-uΩu ˙aΩin tieg˙u. bikrija. Óafna g˙andhom id-drawwa, li G˙alhekk jekk wie˙ed irid jien ma nistax g˙aliha, li fil-pa©ni tal-Facebook tag˙- Xi pariri ta’ sigurta` minn knowthenet jibqa’ jikkontrolla dak li jrid juri, g˙andu jag˙mel minn hom ipo©©u r-ritratti ta’ g˙al min ipo©©i ritratti online: kollox ˙alli jara li jissettja wliedhom u mhux biss jag˙tu cans li jarawhom *Iççekja li s-setting tal-privatezza – mhux biss darba korrettament il-privatezza.

Anke jekk ir-ritratti prezdawk tal-familja tag˙hom- imma regolarment biex hekk tiΩgura li ma nbidilx. jew il-˙bieb, imm’aktar *Qabel tpo©©i xi ritratti online a˙seb sew x’se tag˙mel zjuΩi tieg˙ek qatt mhu se jinminhekk, li jag˙mluhom – st˙arrre© jekk ir-ritratt hux xieraq jew jekk ‘l quddiem sterqu minn xi sit porn pubbliçi, ji©ifieri li jista’ jistax jimbarazza lil uliedek. U jekk se tpo©©i ritratti inkella minn xi ˙add ta’ karattru bestjali, importanti jarahom kul˙add. ta’ tfal o˙ra l-ewwel ˙u permess.

Fid-dinja, f’xi pajjiΩi aktar *Tippruvax tpo©©i ΩΩejjed – m’hem-mx g˙alfejn li li tiftakar li dik li tpo©©i riminn o˙rajn, il-medja ta’ tpo©©i kull ritratt li tie˙u, u fil-fatt uΩa l-midja soçjali tratti tat-tfal online jista’ jkollha riperkussjonijiet li dawk li jpo©©u ritratti pub- b˙ala album tal-familja. bliçi fuq il-Facebook hija *St˙arre© it-tibdl li jsir fis-siti tal-midja soçjali kollha mhumiex mixtieqa.

IΩ-Ωg˙aΩag˙ tal-lum huma wa˙da g˙olja. Din qed tin- – ir-regolamenti jinbidlu minn moment g˙all-ie˙or, kwieta wkoll bil-kbir lill-es- g˙alhekk hu importanti li tkun taf xi drittijiet g˙andek. l-ewwel ©enerazzjoni li qed tikber fi Ωmien meta l-midja perti.

Inkwetanti aktar il-fatt li tant ©en- tratti li jpo©©u fuq il-Facebook, fil- soçjali hija parti integrali minn ituri qed jesponu dawn ir-ritratti bla waqt li 17 fil-mija ˙asbu l-istess dwar ˙ajjithom, g˙alhekk hu importanti ma jiççekkjaw kif jissettjaw il-pri- l-Instagram. Dan minkejja l-fatt li Ω- li wie˙ed jieqaf ftit u ja˙seb dwar vatezza tal-pa©na. Dan ifisser li ç- Ωew© siti ta’ dawn il-midja soçjali jis- kif, meta l-ulied jikbru jistg˙u j˙osçansijiet li dawn ir-ritratti - aktar tg˙u juΩaw ir-ritratti biex jippro- suhom imbarazzati dwar dak ilmilli wie˙ed jimma©ina - jaqg˙u mwovu, jew jirreklamaw is-siti tag˙- kontenut li b˙alissa l-©enituri qed f’idejn nies li mhumiex ta’ kondotta hom bla ma jkollhom g˙alfejn jik- jaqsmu mal-o˙rajn. Çertament li wie˙ed ma jie˙ux tajba u/jew perikoluΩi g˙at-tfal sbu l-permess tas-sid. huma kbar. Wie˙ed g˙andu jifhem Ag˙ar minhekk, ˙afna mill-©eni- gost ikun jaf li dak li jista’ j˙addmu li l-konsegwenti li dawn in-nies turi qed ukoll ipo©©u ritratti ta’ tfal se joqg˙od jist˙arre© ir-ritratti ta’ “˙Ωiena” jistg˙u jiksbu r-ritratti o˙rajn ukoll, u mhux tag˙hom biss, meta l-impjegat potenzjal kien tarhuma xokkanti. fuq il-midja soçjali bla ma mqar jik- bija, g˙alhekk tkun idea tajba li lFtit ilu fl-istampa barranija ©iet ir- sbu permess minn qabel ming˙and issettjar tal-privatezza jkun i©©ustat bl-a˙jar mod possibbli. rappurtata storja li se˙˙et fl-Istati is-sid tar-ritratti.

Bir-ra©un li l-©enituri g˙andhom Uniti fejn mara bl-isem ta’ Brittany Skont ir-rapport ta’ knowthenet, Champagne skopriet li r-ritratti tat- kwart (25 fil-mija) jammettu li qatt ikunu komdi li jpo©©u ritratti fuq iltfal tag˙ha, tifla ta’ tmien snin, u ma talbu permess ta’ dawk in-nies li midja soçjali li jikkontrollaw, imma binha ta’ disa’ xhur ©ew “misruqa” jkunu fir-ritratti qabel po©©ewhom hu importanti li qabel xejn ja˙sbu minn fuq il-pa©na tag˙˙a tal-Face- (ippustjawhom) fil-pa©ni tag˙hom, jekk ir-riratt hux xieraq biex hekk book u bdew jidhru fuq siti porno- u aktar min-nofs ta’ dawk li ˙adu jevitaw li ‘l quddiem jista’ jkun grafiçi fuq l-Internet. sehem fl-ist˙arri© (53 fil-mija) qab- hemm xi riperkussjonijiet li ma jixKien hemm ukoll l-istorja s-sena l- du u po©©ew ritratt ta’ tfal li lanqas tiequx g˙al uliedhom. o˙ra ta’ ritratti li bdew jin˙atfu mill- biss huma tag˙hom.

Join us on Facebook u l-Instagram u bdew ji©u Filwaqt li huwa mod sabi˙ li taqwΩati fuq websites fejn jintwera li sam ir-ritratti tal-familja biex tag˙The Voice of the dawn it-tfal setg˙u ji©u addottati. Hi mel kuntatt ma’ nies li taf, l-aktar Maltese facebook xi ˙a©a li minn forsi xi ftit tad-da˙k familjari u ˙bieb li forsi ma tiltaqax page: nbidlet, g˙al ˙mar illejl g˙ax ir-ri- mag˙hom sikwit, huwa façli ˙afna tratti waqg˙u f’idejn nies perverti. li bla ma trid tpo©©i l-privatezza Tant u tant stejjer b˙al dawn, u tieg˙ek u ta’ wliedek f’riskju serju. ˙afna aktar Ωgur li se jibqg˙u jse˙Il-kap eΩekuttiv tan-Nominet, Russell ˙u. Dan wassal pereΩempju lil kum- Haeworth qal li wie˙ed jie˙u gost panija fir-Renju Unit bl-isem ta’ jaqsam mumenti sbie˙ ta’ wliedu mal-

JosephCutajar

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Nominet, mag˙rufa g˙all-ist˙arri©, ikkummissjonat kampanja ta’ sigurta’ fuq l-Internet mag˙rufa b˙ala knowthenet (kun af l-Internet).

L-ist˙arri© wera li minkejja l-fatt li Ω-Ωew© midja soçjali (Facebook u Instagram) huma l-aktar pjattaformi komuni biex wie˙ed “jibdel ir-ritratti”, 17 fil-mija tal-©enituri qatt ma ççekjaw il-privatezza tal-pa©na tal-Facebook tag˙hom u kwaΩi nofshom (46 fil-mija) forsi ççekjawha biss darba jew darbtejn.

Kienu 2,000 il-©enituri li ©ew intervistati f’dan l-ist˙arri© b’39 fil-mija minnhom jg˙idu li ming˙alihom li huma biss kellhom id-dritt tar-ri-

Find us on: facebook.com/groups/thev oiceofthemaltese/

The Voice of the Maltese 3

Tuesday April 26, 2016

In praise of walking Profs MauriceCauchi

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mprinted in the mind of the average Maltese we find the belief that the function of walking is to get from A to B in the shortest possible time and with the least expenditure of energy. Very few seem to think much of the value of walking as a pastime, as a means of admiring the environment and to rekindle our communion with nature, so charging our spiritual batteries.

From a health point of view, walking has been touted as being a good investment of our spare time, helpful not only to burn superfluous calories, but also to give some strength to sagging muscles.

A recent publication from Harvard University, Walking for Health, has advanced another ‘five surprising benefits of walking’, benefits few of us have actually appreciated.

In the first instance, they refer to extensive recent research involving 12,000 people, which says that walking for an hour a day can reduce by half the effect of obesity-promoting genes. These are genes we all possess

“

Studies have shown that those who did exercises such as walking for at least 20 minutes a day had almost half the number of sick days compared to those who did not exercise or exercised only once a week. Moreover, they were sick for a shorter period of time.

”

and that were once useful when food was scarce, but in the state of abundance in which we now live have become a burden to us, resulting in widespread obesity.

Secondly, even a short, brisk 15minute walk can curb our craving for chocolate and other sugary snacks thus reducing the calorie load in our daily diet. It is difficult to imagine why this should be so, but perhaps

walking by itself helps to take our mind off food.

Perhaps more surprising is the finding reported from the American Cancer Society that women who walked seven or more hours per week had a reduced risk of developing breast cancer, even in overweight women or those on supplemental hormones, factors known to increase the risk of developing breast cancer.

It is well to note that breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in Malta and that the prevalence of this condition among Maltese women is one of the highest in the world.

Equally surprising is the finding that walking five or six miles a week can actually prevent arthritis in hip and knee joi-nts and reduces pain in patients with arthritis. This is thought to be due to increased muscle strength and support in people who exercise regularly.

Finally, walking for at least 20 minutes a day reduces the risk of colds and flu by boosting the immune function.

Studies have shown that those who did such exercises had almost half the number of sick days compared to those who did not exercise or exercised only once a week. Moreover, they were sick for a shorter period of time.

The question is: can we really afford not to indulge in that early morning walk before work, or indeed at any time during the day? It is essential to develop a routine and devote a specific time of day, every day, to exercise.

You do not even have to drive to the nearest park or out into the country: just round the block is adequate.

A brisk walk requires no preparation, no special gear, and no subscription to gyms, nothing except the willpower to live a healthier life.

(First published on timesofmalta.com)

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4 The Voice of the Maltese

Valletta V alletta Gre Green en Festival

Tuesday April 26, 2016

C CALENDAR ALEND AR OF EVENTS 2 2016 016

Gozo Gozo Ultra Trail Trail

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

27/04-10/05 01/05 09/05 30/05 03-05/06 07/06 07/06 08/06-11/07 10-12/06 18-19/06 28/06 29/06 10/07-03/08 10/07-03/08 15-17/07 15-17/07 22-24/07 25/07-05/08 25/07-05/08 July

Malta Int International ernational Music Festival &C Competition ompetition L Labour abour Day The V Valletta alletta Gre Green en Festival Gozo Go zo Ultra R Race ace Earth Ear th Garden Sette Giugno Sette Xaghra Gozo Gozo Figs Festival, Xaghra 19th edition of of the Victoria Victoria International International Arts Festival Arts Ghanafest – Malta Mediterranean Mediterranean Ghanafest Folk Music Festival Agricultural Fair, Fair, Nadur, Nadur, Gozo Gozo Agricultural of MTV Malta Special Special Isle of of St. St. Peter Peter & St. St. Paul; Paul; Feast of L-Imnarja Summer Folk Festival L-Imnarja Arts Festival Malta Arts Ar ts Festival Sliema Arts Marsovin Summer Wine Festival Marsovin ernational Jazz Festival Malta Int International The Farsons Great Beer Beer Festival Joseph Calleja Calleja in Concert Concer t

06-30/08 15/08 27-29/08 27-29/08 07/09 16-18/09 21/09 27/09 01/10 01-02/10 08-09/10 08-09/10 08-09/10 09-11/10 09-16/10 22/10 08-10/11 08/12

Delicata Wine Festival The Feast of of the Assumption of of Our Lady Lady Malta Mediterranean Mediterranean Literature Literature Festival Commemoration Commemoration of of the Great Siege Siege Qala International International Folk Festival Independence Independence Day World World Tourism Tourism Day Notte Notte Bianca BirguFest Mdina Grand Prix Prix Festubru Malta Military Tattoo T Tatt attoo The Malta Tattoo Tattoo Expo 2016 Thunder Cats World Championships Cats World The Rolex Race Rolex Middle Sea Race Malta Darts Dar ts Open Feast of Immaculate of the Immaculate Conception Conception 09/12-03/01/17 Bethlehem f’Ghajnsielem f’Ghajnsielem Updated Events 13/12 Republic Republic Day Calendar 25/12 Christmas Day 31/12 New New Year’s Eve Celebrations Celebrations Year’s Eve

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The Voice of the Maltese 5

Tuesday April 26, 2016

Il-Maltin ta’ Barra jridu l-vot fl-elezzjonijiet ta’ Malta?

LawrenceDIMECH

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l-Maltin li jg˙ixu barra minn Malta, g˙andhom dritt li jivvutaw fl-Elezzjonijiet Ìenerali kif ukoll fl-elezzjoni g˙all-Parlament tal-Ewropa? Bla dubju li din hi mistoqsija li mhux façli jkollha twe©iba ming˙ajr ma wie˙ed jeΩamina sewwa l-implikazzjonijiet, kif ukoll il-konsegwenzi li ©©ib mag˙ha deçiΩjoni tant delikata u importanti, liema talba qed tie˙u rankatura sewwa.

B˙alissa biex tikkwalifika g˙all-vot, hemm fost affarijiet o˙ra li trid tkun residenti f’Malta g˙al perijodu ta’ Ωmien (sitt xhur fl-a˙˙ar tmintax il-xahar u sintendi trid tkun fuq ir-re©istru elettorali).

Dawn ir-regoli jingassaw kompletament lillma©©oranza taç-çittadini Maltin li jg˙ixu flEwropa, fl-Awstralja, flIstati Uniti, fil-Kanada, eçç fuq baΩi permanenti g˙aliex dawn ma jikkwalifikawx b˙ala residenti konformi mal-kostituzzjoni preΩenti Maltija.

Min˙abba ç-çokon tag˙ha s-sitwazzjoni ta’ Malta, hija ferm differenti minn ta’ pajjiΩi o˙ra li jag˙tu d-dritt liç-çittadini tag˙hom li jg˙ixu barra li jkunu jistg˙u jivvutaw (g˙alkemm anke fuq dawn hemm çerti restrizzjonijiet).

Minbarra fl-a˙˙ar elezzjoni ©enerali, l-elezzjonijiet f’Malta huma dejjem ikkontestati b’mod li j˙allu riΩultat finali b’differenza ta’ ftit eluf ta’ voti. L-istess jista’ jing˙ad g˙allelezzjonijiet g˙all-Parlament Ewropew, b˙al pereΩempju f’Mejju tal2014, meta l-a˙˙ar sitt si©©u ©ie deçiΩ b’differenza ta’ ftit voti.

Li kieku ç-çittadini li jg˙ixu barra jit˙allew jivvutaw jinfeta˙ xenarju differenti u l-partiti politiçi jistg˙u jitilfu ˙afna mill-kontroll li g˙andhom b˙alissa. Óafna mill-Maltin f’Malta jidher li huma kontra li dawk li mhumiex residenti f’Malta jing˙atalhom id-dritt tal-vot.

Illum li g˙andna aktar çittadini Maltin tat-tieni u t-tielet generazzjoni li jg˙ixu barra, g˙alhekk jidher li da˙al ukoll aspett ie˙or li jrid ji©i kkunsidrat bir-reqqa.

M’hemm xejn x’juri li Ω-Ωew© partiti politiçi ewlenin qed jipproponu vot g˙al kul˙add, anzi qag˙du attenti ˙afna meta ddikjaraw li jridu ja©©ornaw il-li©i elettorali biex ilMaltin li jgħixu barra u li huma di©a` eli©©ibli għall-vot ikunu jistg˙u jivvutaw f’dawk il-pajjiΩi fejn jg˙ixu ming˙ajr ma jkollhom g˙alfejn imorru Malta biex

jag˙mlu dan.

Dan l-a˙˙ar kien hemm min innota li l-Parlament Ewropew ˙a deçiΩjoni favur l-ivvutar elettroniku minn distanza u g˙alhekk qed issir talba lill-Gvern Malti biex jibdel illi©ijiet Maltin ˙alli jkunu konformi ma’ dawk tal-PE. G˙alhekk ma fiha xejn ˙aΩin li nitolbu lill-Gvern ta’ Malta li jekk i˙oss li dan hu ta’ ©id g˙al pajjiΩna japplika dak li qed jipproponi l-Parlament Ewropej. IΩda rridu niftakru li mhux dejjem hu prattiku li dak li jigi deçiΩ fi Brussel/Strasburgu jkun tajjeb g˙al pajjiΩ Ωg˙ir b˙al Malta.

Imma hemm o˙rajn li jg˙idu li rriΩoluzzjoni tal-PE tinftiehem aktar b˙ala teaser, milli b˙ala xi dokument b'rankatura politika warajh g˙ax dan il-vot g˙ad irid jirçievi unanimita` fost il-gvernijiet tal-UE. Sorsi qrib il-Parlament Ewropew jinsistu li l-proposti mag˙mula mhux se jsibu appo©© mill-kapijiet Ewropej.

“Huma jridu li dil-˙a©a ti©i istituzzjonalizzata; imma hemm reΩistenzi qawwija g˙al dil-˙a©a.

“Sadattant, ˙afna mir-regoli dwar votazzjoni g˙all-PE se jibqgħu regoli nazzjonali, u naraha diffçli li dil˙a©a se ti©i mibdula malajr, issa aktar u aktar bil-qawmien ta' partiti (u gvernijiet) "populisti" fl-Ewropa.

Ji©ifieri minkejja x'intqal fir-riΩoluzzjoni tal-PE, huma d-deçiΩjonijiet li jie˙du l-gvernijiet fil-pajjiΩi rispettivi li se jibqg˙u g˙al Ωmien prevedibbli, in forza”.

Iz-zewg partiti ewlenin Maltin jidher li qablu mar-rizoluzzjoni tal-PE iΩda jidher çar mill-istqarriet tag˙hom li vot, meta sintendi tid˙ol ukoll id-distant voting jibqa’ biss g˙al dawk li g˙andhom id-dritt tal-vot.

Ma jidhirx li hemm xi herqa qawwija biex ilvot jigi estizz lil dawk kollha li g˙andhom çittadinanza Ewropeja speçjalment dawk li ma jg˙ixux fil-konfini tal-UE. IΩda ejjew g˙all-argument nikkonkludu li ççittadini Maltin/Ewropej kollha jkunu jistg˙u jivvutaw meta sintendi jid˙ol l-ivvutar elettroniku minn distanza. Hawn min qieg˙ed jargumenta li fl-elezzjonijiet g˙allParlament tal-Ewropa, il-kampanja elettorali ma tkunx daqstant intensiva u parti©©jana daqs dik waqt Elezzjonijiet Ìenerali.

Malta trid tibg˙at sitt membri Parlamentari fl-Ewropa. Jekk in˙arsu lejn l-a˙˙ar elezzjoni tal-2014 insibu li l-kampanja kienet ˙arxa u parti©©jana jekk mhuxf’waqtiet ma˙mu©a u l-battalja g˙as-sitt si©©u spiççat b’differenza Ωg˙ira ta’ voti.

L-evidenza preΩenti turi li l-partiti politiçi jridu biss li tigi applikata sistema ta’ distant voting fl-elezzjonijiet tal-Parlament Ewropej biex tnaqqas il-melodrammi mtawwla u miljuni m˙allsa biex çerti votanti jmorru lura lejn Malta biex jivvutaw.

Argument sod li jidher li qieg˙ed jikkonçerna lill-komunitajiet Maltin ta’ barra hu li waqt li l-vot hu aspirazzjoni mixtieqa iΩda jista’ j©ib mieg˙u wkoll konsegwenzi koroh, konsegwenzi ta’ firda g˙ax il-politika parti©©jana bix-xinxilli kollha tag˙ha Ωgur li ti©i trasportata lejn il-pajjiΩi kollha (b˙all-Awstralja) fejn ikun hemm persuni li g˙andhom id-dritt tal-vot.

Jekk qabel Joseph Muscat jew Simon Busuttil ©ew iΩuruna fl-Awstralja biex jg˙idulna hello jibdew jigu jΩuruna biex jikonvinçuna nivvutaw lill-partit tag˙hom.

6 The Voice of the Maltese

Tuesday April 26, 2016

More recognition for the Maltese heroes of ANZAC

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replica of the plague which is now affixed at the Maltese Bi-Centennial Monument at Pendle Hill, bearing the 53 names of Maltese heroes who served with the ANZACs during World War One was officially unveiled on Saturday, April 16 at the NSW Maltese Community Council‘s Centre at Parramatta West.

The president of the MCC, Emanuel Camilleri and the vice president of the Maltese Ex-Servicemen’s Association of NSW (sub branch RSL of Australia) Alfred Carabott made the unveiling.

This plaque is in recognition of those Maltese /ANZACS who served with honour starting with the landing on the beach at Gallipoli on April 25, 1915 to those who endured the utmost horrors of the Western Front in France and Belgium to the end of the war 1918. Seven of these brave souls paid the supreme sacrifice to Australia.

Clr. Greg Cummings the Mayor of Holroyd City Council, Executive members of the Returned Services League of Australia, and Dr Hugh Mc Dermott the State Labour member for Prospect and descendants of those Pictured above are MCC members and guests who attended the unveiling. From left: Alfred Carabott (Vice-President Maltese RSL sub-Branch), Marianne Potts (Research and member of subBranch), Mark Caruana (Researcher), Emanuel Camilleri (President Maltese Community Council), Dr Hugh McDermott (State Labor Member for Prospect), Dr Robert Groat (who designed the honour roll), Charles N Mifsud MQR JP (President Maltese RSL sub-Branch), Bill Harrigan, JP (President Bondi Junction Waverly RSL subBranch - behind Charles), Doris Pocock (Secretary sub-Branch), Andrew Magro (Treasurer sub-Branch) behind Doris, Glenn Daly (President Intra Murial District Council, Clr Greg Cummings (Mayor Holroyd City Council), John Haines AM (State Vice President – Metropolitan RSL)

named on the plaque attended the unveiling. Fr. Noel Bianco MSSP blessed the plaque.

With the help of researchers Marianne Potts, Mark Caruana and Andrew Magro, the Maltese sub branch is in the process of formulating a book on these brave men’s service history that should be complete within a year.

The Maltese Sub Branch also intends to install a plaque (similar to the one installed last year at the Maltese Bicentennial Monument at Civic Park, Pendle Hill in November) close to the ANZAC Monument at the Argotti Botanical Gardens in Floriana, Malta.

AndrewMagro

The flags of Malta and Australia on the facade of the MCC centre at Parramatta West, NSW, and the new plaque (inset).

The Voice of the Maltese 7

Tuesday April 26, 2016

Area of Australia with its States and Territories t is worth noting that Australia Icountry is the planet's sixth largest after Russia, Canada,

Sandra Micallef named Malta’s new Hon. Consul for Brisbane

T

he Malta Government has announced the appointment of Sandra Alexandra Micallef (pictured) as the new Honorary Consul for Malta in Brisbane Queensland with jurisdiction over Bundaberg, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and Roma.

In its issue of August 4 last year, The Voice of the Maltese had revealed that the previous Hon. Consul Dr George Borg Oliver had resigned and a new appointment was expected soon.

Mrs Micallef, from Taigum Qld was born in Malta, the daughter of Peter and Mary Bartolo from Rabat, and has been in Australia since 2000.

She got married to Australiaborn Michael Micallef in 1993. They have two children, Nicole and Joshua both born in Malta.

The new Hon. Consul received her Bachelor of Electrical Engineering (Hon) from the University of Malta and for four years was coordinator for International & Scientific Research Projects at the University of Sydney and the University of Queensland.

She is currently working for The University of Sydney and University of Queensland on International research projects in Agriculture.

Her job has taken her to various countries including Syria, Mexico, the Philippines, and Singapore, where she participated and delivered talks at International conferences.

Mrs Micallef was SBS Radio correspondent for Queensland and a volunteer presenter with 4EB Radio (Brisbane) Maltese language. She also organised periodical meet-up for Maltese in the Brisbane area.

China, the USA, and Brazil. At 7,692 024 km2, it accounts for just five percent of the world's land area of 149,450,000 km2, and although it is the smallest continental landmass, it is the world's largest island.

Calculations on Australia's area are based on the coastline data as explained in Geoscience Australia's GEODATA Coast 100K 2004 page. The coastline data is nationally uniform. It is sourced primarily from the 1:100 000 scale National Topographic Map Series and is the most authoritative data source currently available to calculate the area of Australia.

At 17,098,242 sq Km. RUSSIA has the largest area. Next comes Canada with 9,984,670; United States: 9,826,675; China with: 9,596,960; Brazil with 8,514,877, and then Australia, an area totalling 7,741,220 sq km, spread between, land: 7,682,300 sq km, and water: 58,920 sq km.

Australia’s area includes Lord Howe Island and Macquarie Island.

As one can see from diagrams below, Austalia is slightly smaller than the US contiguous 48 states, and despite the wrong impression one might have, also smaller than Europe.

Australia as compared to the continent of Europe

Australia as compared to the United States of America Australia is a country, and continent, surrounded by the bane, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide – are coastal, but its caIndian and Pacific oceans. Its major cities – Sydney, Bris- pital, Canberra, is inland, nicknamed the "Bush Capital”.

8 The Voice of the Maltese

Tuesday April 26, 2016

Have your say/Xi trid tghid?

Your letters/ L-ittri tag˙kom ...

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

Turnbull isejja˙ elezzjoni ©enerali g˙at-2 ta’ Lulju - u tibda l-kampanja

Josie Gatt minn The Ponds NSW, jikteb:

l-PM Awstraljan Malcolm Turnbull Ise kwaΩi aççerta lil kul˙add li l-Awstralja jkollha elezzjoni ©enerali fit-2 ta’ Lulju, biex il-pubbliku Awstraljan jivvota gvern ©did biex imexxih. Mela Bill Shorten li hu eks unjonista se jkollu jappo©©ja lil s˙abu.

Jidher li Shorten u Turnbull, li hu eks bankier, se jkollhom ©lieda kbira g˙ax ilPM ma jridx li ssir investigazzjoni s˙i˙a dwar l-operat tal-banek u Shorten min-

na˙a tieg˙u mhux favur li jkun hemm ristrizzjonijiet kontra l-unjons biss.

Se tkun kampanja twila, u forsi wkoll ikkumbattuta, b’Turnbull jin˙tie©lu jirba˙ din l-elezzjoni g˙ax sar Prim Ministru ming˙ajr l-appo©© tal-elettorat.

Kien il-partit Liberali tieg˙i li ˙atru PM. G˙al Shorten din ukoll se tkun l-ewwel kampanja elettorali b˙ala kap tal-partit tieg˙u. Ûgur li Turnbull hu ˙afna a˙jar minn Abbot, filwaqt li Shorten ma jidhirx li hu popolari wisq. Imm’issa naraw.

What a joke! Depp and wife make a mockery of Aussie Government Chris Andrews from Melbourne, Victoria writes:

I

am sure you must have heard of the way actor Johnny Depp and his wife Amber Heard made a mockery of our government, particularly our customs officers in Australia. Anybody who has been out of the country and then re-enters from airports or seaports knows how strict the customs officers are in their surveillance. They are always on the lookout for people carrying drugs, or failing to declare goods, food or animals on entry.

A Maltese friend of mine went through hell a few years back when she failed to declare a small jar of capers from Malta. Another friend had a wooden sculpture of Our Lady confis-

While visiting Malta Stay at: The Diplomat Hotel, 173 Tower Road Sliema

Email: sales@diplomat.com.mt Tel: (00356) 23497000

cated. He did not know that it was illegal to bring in wooden objects.

Most Australians closely follow the TV programme Nothing to Declare and in every episode they witness the way customs go through imports. Therefore it was most annoying for us to learn that Depp and his wife, failed to declare two Yorkshire terriers when entering Australia last year.

More than that, Amber was spared a conviction over the dog-smuggling after pleading guilty to knowingly producing a false document in an Australian court last week. Two other charges of illegally importing her dogs were dismissed.

Why were they spared? Not so difficult to answer is it? … because they are well known personalities. So now there’s one law for me and you and another for people such as these two.

According to 7 News, the magistrate took into consideration Amber’s need to travel for work, and said while the offence was not trivial, she doesn't believe Heard thought she was above the law!!!

They got away by recording a video apology - released by the government – in which they said they were sorry that they did not declare their dogs.

In the video actress Amber said that Australia was a wonderful island with a treasure trove of unique plants, animals and people – we all know that don’t we?

Depp added (acting of course and not very convincing): “Australians are just unique, both warm and direct. When you disrespect Australian law they will tell you firmly.”

So knowing all this, why did they NOT respect the country, and why were they allowed to go scot-free over the dog scandal?

Tuesday April 26, 2016

The Voice of the Maltese 9

Iç-Çittadini lura biz-Zija ta’ Karlu ara pawsa ta’ g˙add ta’ xhur, lW g˙aqda teatrali Maltija ta’ NSW “Iç-Çittadini” re©g˙u dehru quddiem

folla mdaqqsa fuq ilpalk fis-sala ta’ Wentworthville League Club bi programm ie˙or imΩewwaq, din id-darba meta ppreΩentaw “Iz-zija ta’ karlu”.

F’din il-farsa wiehed seta’ jara mill©did fuq il-palk lill-attriçi Doris Caruana - li hi wkoll il-president tal-g˙aqda - wara nçident serju li kellha ftit qabel il-Milied.

Il-programm infeta˙ mid-duo Tony Fenech u Ron Borg bil-kant popolari tag˙hom. Wara kien imiss lill-kantant Joe Galea li g˙alkemm illum mag˙ruf b˙ala veteran, imma wera li g˙adu fl-aqwa tieg˙u. Huwa kanta g˙add ta’ kanzunetti popolari u wkoll Ωewwaq id-dehra tieg˙u b’xi Ωew© çajtiet ukoll.

Iz-zija ta’ Karlu kienet kummiedja ma˙luqa g˙al Joe Borg li g˙al darb’o˙ra bbrilla fil-parti primarja mg˙ejjun sewwa minn Monica Ledger, Joe Mifsud, Sam Farrugia u Doris Caruana.

Il-folla prezenti kienet ta’ kura©© g˙all-organizzaturi g˙ax jidher li l-palk Malti fi NSW g˙adu jgawdi appo©© ©mielu.

Joe Apap and his new CD: “Jesus you’re the way”

T

he popular Maltese/Australian entertainer Joe Apap is releasing a new CD with 14 originals songs, with lyrics and music that he himself has written and composed. They are spiritually based and are in English. There is a wonderful variety of themes and are interpreted in Joe’s very unique style.

Joe told The Voice of the Maltese that when he released his Kangaroo song in 1981 he wanted to create a connection between Malta and Australia and seeing that he was born and bred in Australia, what better subject than a kangaroo. Every time he plays for the Maltese community he is always asked to sing it.

With this new CD, Joe also has a very strong Maltese connection. Maltese who came to Australia brought with them very little money or material things. One thing that they did bring was a strong catholic faith that was handed down from one generation to the next.

Joe is a second generation Maltese/Australian. He is very proud of his faith that was given to him by his parents. He would like to dedicate this CD to all those Maltese who toiled very hard when they came to Australia, but always kept their faith.

Joe will be giving a live presentation of his CD, “Jesus you’re the way” and of course sing some of his Maltese songs on Sunday, May 22 at 2 pm at the Annunciation Hall, St Dominic’s Hostel, 171 Walters Road Blacktown NSW (see advert page 21).

Entry to the live concert is free. For further information email Joe: info.joeapap@gmail.com or call (mobile) 0402 089 555.

Sam Farrugia bil-bastun (xellug) flimkien ma’ Joe Fenech (fin-nofs) u Joe Borg fil-parti ewlenija liebes ta’ mara fuq il-palk

10 The Voice of the Maltese

Tuesday April 26, 2016

Perspettiva

A version of this series in English may be found in the author's blog at: http://ivancauchi.blogs pot.com

It-terremoti N

Eurasian Plate

North American Plate

kitba ta’

IVAN CAUCHI

Eurasian Plate

a˙seb li ftit hawn proçessi natuJuan de Fuca rali li jbeΩΩg˙u daqs terremot. IlPlate ˙sejjes tal-biΩa', l-art ta' ta˙t Caribbean saqajk titrieg˙ed, l-affarijiet ta' madPlate Philippine Sea Plate warek jaqg˙u, bini jixxengel u ji©©arraf, Cocos Indian Plate Plate u nies iweggg˙u jew sa˙ansitra jmutu.

Equator Fl-a˙˙ar jiem kellna tnejn minn dawn il-fenomeni madwar id-dinja, tal-a˙˙ar Nazca South American fl-Ekwador fejn s'issa huma stmati li Plate Australian Plate mietu aktar minn 650 ru˙, u ftit jiem Plate Pacific qabel se˙˙ wie˙ed fi gΩira Kyushu filPlate Ìappun fejn mietu 42.

Australian Ìeneralment it- terremoti huma Plate Scotia Plate kkawΩati minn proçessi naturali, Antartic g˙alkemm il-bniedem ukoll jista' Scotia Plate Plate jikkawΩa wie˙ed, per eΩempju b'armamenti nukleari.

Tectonic Plates (source: US Geological Survey) Biex wie˙ed jifhem il-proçessi naturali, jrid jifhem li d-dinja mhix ballun ta' blat solidu, imma qoxra Dan jista' jirriΩulta f'artijiet ©odda fil-ba˙ar, b˙al dawk tal-˙afna ta' blat li hi fonda mhux iktar minn 50km, li ta˙tha hemm oçejan gΩejjer fil-Paçifiku. Ódejn Malta, dan il-proçess kien irriΩulta fi blata li kienet dehret ta' blat imdewweb, il-magma. Dan hu msa˙˙an g˙al temperatura ta' iktar minn 1000°C minn diversi sorsi, l-ikbar wie˙ed minnhom fis-seklu dsatax bejn Sqallija, Malta u t-TuniΩija. Din il-©Ωira kienet bdiet tikkawΩa ©lieda diplomatika bejn l-Ingilterra (li semir-radjuattivita`.1 Dan il-magma msa˙˙an jitla' lejn il-qoxra fejn jiksa˙ u jer©a' jmur mietha Graham Island), Sqallija (li semmietha Ferdinandea g˙arlejn il-fond, u g˙alhekk jifforma çirki ta' konvezzjoni. Dan ji©©e- re ta' dak iΩ-Ωmien), Franza u Spanja, sakemm re©g˙et g˙ebet nera forzi enormi ta' frizzjoni (friction) fuq il-qoxra, tant li din in- ta˙t il-mew© u re©a miet kollox.2 Fi stampa milli qed n©ib,3 wie˙ed jista' jara l-platti tettoniçi konqasmet f'biççiet li jissej˙u platti tettoniçi kontinentali (tectonic continental plates) li kontinwament jiççaqalu lejn xi direzzjoni, tinentali prinçipali tad-dinja, u fl-istampa l-o˙ra4 wie˙ed jista' jara l-lokalitajiet fejn isiru t-terremoti u jinnota l-korrelazzjoni malanke ˙ames çentimetri fis-sena, u ja˙btu u j˙okku ma' xulxin.

Il-pressjoni bejn platt kontinentali u ie˙or ikun ilu jin©ema’ g˙al platti kontinentali.

G˙alina ta' dixxendenza Maltija, ninnutaw mallewwel li l-platt kong˙exieren jew mijiet ta' snin, u fl-a˙˙ar il-pressjoni tkun tant kibret li t-truf tal-platt kontinentali jiççaqilqu kontra xulxin u jse˙˙ tinentali Afrikan u dak Ewro-Asjatiku jiltaqa' fil-Mediterran, bilit-terremot, fejn l-ener©ija li tkun in©emg˙et ti©i mitluqa f'daqqa. fruntiera bejniethom tg˙addi dritt minn Malta! Dan jispjega g˙aliex Dan jista jirriΩulta fi qsim tal-art, jew li l-art ta' na˙a minnhom ise˙˙u tant terremoti fil-Mediterran (il-Greçja u t-Turkija l-iktar).

F'Malta ©ieli jin˙assu wkoll. Il-©enituri tieg˙i spiss isemmu tirkeb fuq l-o˙ra, proçess li wara eluf ta' snin jista' jwassal g˙al g˙oljiet jew muntanji, b˙all-Himalayas fl-Indja u n-Nepal, jew wie˙ed li kien se˙˙ meta kont g˙adni tarbija, fejn in-nies tal-lokal ta' Ra˙al Ìdid kienu n©abru f'dak li llum imsejja˙ Joanne Garden ir-Rocky Mountains tal-Amerika.

Din il-pressjoni tista' wkoll tirriΩulta fl-iffurmar ta' vulkan li jis- u raqdu barra min˙abba biΩa' ta' terremot ie˙or. Dan kien se˙˙ plodi, u l-magma tkun tista' to˙ro© akkumpanjata ma' terremot. fl-1972, u huwa msemmi f'©abra ta' terremoti li n˙assu f'Malta.5 Ta' interess ukoll g˙ad-dijaspora Maltija hi li fruntieri o˙ra jinsabu fi New Zealand li huwa mag˙ruf Preliminary Determination of Epicentres g˙at-terremoti, u l-kosta tal-Lvant tal-Amerika minn 358,214 Events, 1963 - 1998 fuq s'isfel.

Mill-banda l-o˙ra, wie˙ed jista' jinnota li l-Awstralja tinsab f'nofs platt kontinentali g˙alih, u g˙alhekk dan il-pajjiΩ jitqies li huwa seismikament stabbli. Dan ma jfissirx li terrimoti ma jsirux hawnhekk, imma jsiru bi frekwenza ferm imnaqqsa.

Ninsabu fejn ninsabu, ng˙ixu fuq dinja li altru li mhix statika. It-tag˙lima li nie˙u hi kemm in-natura hija kumplessa u kemm g˙andna nirrispettaw proçessi naturali li huma ˙afna akbar minna.

Referenzi

Source: NASA

1. http://phys.org/news/200603probingearthcore.html, retrieved 18/4/2016.

2. http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/20060625/news/underwatervolcanodiscoveredoffsicily93179, retrieved 18/4/2016.

3. http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/dynamic/slabs.html, retrieved 18/4/2016.

4. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Quake_epicenters_196398.png, retrieved 18/4/2016.

5. https://vassallohistory.wordpress.com/earthquakesinmalta/, retrieved 18/4/2016.

The Voice of the Maltese 11

Tuesday April 26, 2016

L-iskultur Anton Agius u x-xog˙lijiet tieg˙u

I

llum qed nikteb dwar l-iskultur mag˙ruf Anton Agius, imma mhux dwar ˙ajtu daqskemm fix-xog˙lijiet li baqa’ jissemma’ g˙alihom u li wie˙ed isibhom madwar Malta kollha, imma l-aktar fir-Rabat fejn twieled, fl-1 ta’ Diçembru tal-1933, trabba, g˙ajjex lill-familja u ˙adem ix-xog˙lijiet kollha tieg˙u.

Fil-bidu Anton studja l-arti fis-Soçjetà Maltija tal-Arti, Manifattura u Kummerç, u fl-Iskola tal-Arti tal-Gvern. wara kiseb borΩa ta' studju fli Scuola Del Nudo dell'Associazione Artistica Internazionale, fl-Accademia di Belle Arti u fli Scuola delle Arti Ornamentali f’Ruma. Studja wkoll fis-St. Martin's School of Art f'Londra.

Wara g˙allem fl-iskejjel sekondarji, kien lekçerer fl-Università ta' Malta u membru tal-Bord tal-Estetika ta' Malta.

Fost l-akbar xog˙lijiet li ˙adem firRabat, hemm dak ta’ San ÌuΩepp ˙dejn Villa Rumana; il-Monument tal-Gwerra, dak ta’ Pawlu Xuereb (Rabti u A©ent President ta’ Malta g˙al g˙add ta’ snin), u l-Ma˙bubin (The Lovers) fi ©nien Howard. Óadem ukoll il-monument tal-fundatur tas-Soçjetà Missjunarja ta’ San Pawl (MSSP), Mons. De Piro ˙dejn il-kumpless tas-Soçjetà.

Dawn ix-xog˙lijiet li jidhru malli tixref fit-toroq tar-Rabat. Na˙seb li l-im˙abba kbira li kellu u li g˙andi jien lejn dan illokal li addottani ©ejja ming˙andu. Ma’ Anton rabbejt ˙biberija kbira u personali ta’ madwar 25 sena.

Mhix sorpriΩa g˙alhekk li mkien f’Malta ma ssib xog˙lijiet tieg˙u daqskemm fir-Rabat. Niftakarni fl-istudjow tieg˙u biswit id-dar tieg˙u fiΩΩona tan-Nigret. Ir-rappreΩentanti talg˙aqdiet Rabtin kienu l-˙in kollu ©ejjin u sejrin, min jitolbu xi disinn g˙al xi trofew, inkella xi trofew lest b’kollox, im-

PeterPaulCiantar somma, min g˙al ˙a©a u min g˙al o˙ra.

Kien bniedem li dejjem lest biex jaqdi lil kul˙add. Kien jag˙mlilhom kundizzjoni wa˙da biss: “Imbasta m’intomx mg˙a©©lin.” Er˙ilu mbag˙ad li kien ilestilom dak li xtaqu fi Ωmien qasir!

Fir-Rabat hemm xog˙lijiet o˙ra forsi mhumiex mag˙rufin daqs li semmejt u ˙ar©u minn ta˙t idejn dan l-iskultur bravu. Insemmi l-Kurçifiss fil-kappella ˙iemda tal-Moviment Kerygma.

Irrid ng˙id li Anton ˙adem g˙add kbir ta’ kurçifissi. Dejjem stqarr mieg˙i li dak tal-Kerygma kien fost l-a˙jar jekk mhux l-a˙jar kurçifiss tieg˙u. Óadem ukoll fuq l-oqbra fiç-Çimiterju Santa Margerita tal-lokal, fosthom dak ta’ missieru fuq il-qabar tal-familja u fejn Anton ukoll jinsab mistrie˙. Hemm ukoll il-monument fuq il-qabar tal-familja Tonna f’Tal-Pieta’, u ta’ Kristu fuq dak tal-familja ta’ Mons. Ìwann Azzopardi.

Anke l-baned tar-Rabat, ta’ L’Isle Adam u l-Konti Ru©©ieru g˙andhom xog˙lijiet tieg˙u. Hemm ukoll l-erba’ statwi mill-isba˙, li jintramaw g˙allfesta ta’ San ÌuΩepp, u l-istatwa ta’ San Fran©isk t’Assisi, il-qaddis li Anton tant kellu ©ibda lejh, fil-Knisja Ta’ ÌieΩu hekk kif tid˙ol mill-bieb ewlieni.

Niftakar sew lill-Arçipriet il-Kan. Louis Suban, jitolbu jag˙mel ix-xog˙li-

L-awtur tal-artiklu, Peter Paul Ciantar (xellug) ma’ Anton Agius (inset Anton)

jiet ta’ dekorazzjoni mal-altar ma©©ur tal-Knisja ta’ San Pawl (fuq disinn ta’ wie˙ed mill-g˙alliema tieg˙u, ÌuΩeppi Galea, Rabti wkoll). G˙al din ilknisja Anton ˙adem ukoll San Pawl g˙al fuq l-antiporta tal-bieb ewlieni, u l-korp tal-kurçifiss li jintrama` fuq lartal ma©©ur fil-festa ta’ San Pawl.

Fin-Nigret hemm ukoll kappella li Anton u martu Marie-Louise kienu jiffekwentaw ta’ spiss, l-aktar biex jisimg˙u l-quddies fejn ukoll ˙alla tifkira sabi˙a, it-tabernaklu tas-Sagrament, kapolavur, li bih wera l-˙ila kbira tieg˙u. Minn g˙eruq naturali ta’ si©ra kbira, antika u mejta, ˙are© opra artistika mill-aqwa.

Niftakar qisu l-biera˙ lil Dun Joe Fsadni, li dak iΩ-Ωmien kien imexxi lKappella, i©iblu trakk bl-g˙eruq ta’ si©ra kbira, u jpo©©iehomlu wara l-bieb tal-istudjow, biex meta jkollu çans ja˙dem fuq dis-si©ra. Dam jifli u jdawwar, u fl-a˙˙ar sawwar meravilja.

Lili mhux l-ewwel darba li tani mazza u skarpell biex ng˙inu jnaddaf l-g˙eruq ˙alli l-iskultur ikun jista’ jara aktar ilmovimenti naturali tag˙hom.

F’dil-Kappella Anton ˙adem Madonna tal-injam mill-isba˙ u dawk ilpanne©©i tassew sbie˙ u jaqg˙u b’mod l-aktar naturali. Ódejhom hemm kurçifiss li Anton xtaqu bla g˙uda tas-salib, iΩda d-dilettanti po©©ewlu wie˙ed.

Anton kien jg˙idli, “G˙alxejn g˙edtilhom: xorta bis-salib g˙amluh!”

Fl-a˙˙arnett hemm ix-xog˙lijiet li tieg˙u fil-kamra msemmija g˙alih filMuΩew Wignacourt li kien ferm g˙al qalbu. Hemm, fl-1999 g˙amel l-akbar wirja tax-xog˙lijiet tieg˙u. Dakinhar ilPresident ta’ Malta, Dr. Ugo Mifsud Bonnici, li inawgura l-wirja, sejja˙ lil Anton, ‘L-iskultur Nazzjonali’.

Xog˙lijiet tieg˙u hemm o˙rajn fil-limiti tal-lokal, fil-Kappella tal-Imta˙leb u tal-Ba˙rija. Fost l-istudenti li kienu jitolbu l-pariri tieg˙u hemm l-iskultur Joseph Scerri; li wara mewt Anton ˙adem il-monument tal-artist Rabti.

Meta Anton Agius miet fid-19 ta’ Ottubru tal-2008 fl-eta’ ta’ 74 sena, kul˙add ˙ass it-telfa tieg˙u.

12 The Voice of the Maltese

Tuesday April 26, 2016

Roundup of News About Malta - on three pages

Government wins vote of Confidence

T

he government led by Prime Minister Dr. Joseph Muscat comfortably defeated a “no-confidence” vote in the House of Representatives moved by the Opposition, and in fact even managed to turn it into a “confidence vote” following the passing of an amendment from the government’s side with 38 votes against the Opposition and the independents’ 31.

The vote came at the end of 13 hours of non-stop debate during Dr. Simon Busuttil Dr. Joseph Muscat which the members of the Opposition insisted that Joseph Muscat should for- mentioning its achievements, while Evarist feit his post as PM as he was not fit to lead Bartolo also pointed out that doing things because he failed to remove minister Kon- legally was not enough and MPs had to lead rad Mizzi and his Chief of Staff in the wake by example and political correctness. The arof the revelations in the Panama Papers. gument found the support of the PM who said The Opposition also kept repeating its al- that doing nothing was not an option, and legations of corruption in the three years of added that he would take decisions based of Labour administration. facts. But the government would continue on In moving an amendment to express con- its programme to change Malta for the better. fidence in the government on the basis of Although the motion was not against Minits achievements, Justice Minister Owen ister Mizzi, he too bore most of the brunt of Bonnici insisted there is no crisis of corrup- attacks. He defended himself by admitting tion in Malta. He said that the decisions on that deciding to open a company in Panama the Panama companies may have been tech- “wasn't the best choice” but said that invesnically and legally correct, but not neces- tigations would prove that he had done sarily politically wise and ideal. nothing wrong.

The members on the government side kept He regretted that the Panama Papers dis-

tracted from the government's successes. He said he had declared the trust and Panama company at the first opportunity. “I have always been consistent in my story because it is the truth.”

Opposition leader Busuttil said there was no logical reason why a minister and a chief of staff would set up a Panama company and a trust in New Zealand. He said this case harmed Malta’s reputation and the government’s inaction worsened a bad situation worse.

After the vote he said the NP lost the vote in the House but won the hearts and minds of the people.

Joseph Muscat said the Opposition's motion was the perfect opportunity for the government to speak about its achievements. It showed the confusion of the Opposition, which despite presenting it, said did not want to bring down the government. He also referred to a list of cases that allegedly implicate members of the Opposition and accused Busuttil of never having done anything against corruption.

Throughout the debate each side levelled accusations at a number of MPs on opposite sides of the chamber, and that both parties had been found lacking on governance issues.

Central Bank gives Malta’s economy clean bill of health; projects 5% growth in 2016 I

n his review of the Annual Report of the Central Bank for 2015 that analysed the economic and financial developments in Malta and abroad the Bank’s governor, Profs. Josef Bonnici pointed out that in the year under review, GDP grew by 6.3% exceeding the euro area average by a wide margin. With the Bank projecting a 5% growth in 2016, he said Malta would register “a healthy level of economic activity” during this year.

The Bank also estimates that the general government deficit has declined to 1.6% of GDP, while the government debt ratio fell to 63.6%. Both are expected to narrow further in the coming two years.

The governor went on to say that domestic demand was the main driver behind this growth, primarily through higher consumption and private investment. Furthermore, on the back of strong domestic demand, the Bank's projections point to an increase in real GDP of approximately 5% and 4.2% during 2016 and 2017 respectively.

The strong pace of economic expansion was reflected in the labour market, with employment continuing to increase, with data from the Labour Force Survey pointing to

Central Bank governor Profs. Josef Bonnici

a 2.0% rise in employment during the first nine months of 2015.

Employment & Training Corporation data on the gainfully occupied population has shown a further increase in full-time employment during the first eight months of the year, while unemployment continued its

downward trend, with the unemployment rate, that occurred despite an increase in the labour supply, which was partly supported by an inflow of foreign workers and measures aimed at increasing labour market participation reaching a historical low.

A recent Bank study shows that the proportion of foreign workers rose to 10.1% of the total workforce in 2014. The Governor noted that a higher participation rate is supporting the sustainability of pensions, and population aging remains a matter that deserves continued attention.

When it comes to price developments, the average rate of inflation in Malta based rose to 1.2% last year, from 0.8% in the previous year.

According to the report, the acceleration was mainly attributable to developments in prices of unprocessed food. Although price pressures in Malta were rather muted compared with historical trends, the annual inflation rate remained above that of the euro area but closer to the ECB target for inflation at below but close to 2%.

The annual rate of inflation is expected to remain unchanged at 1.2% in 2016, before increasing to 1.8% in 2017.

The Voice of the Maltese 13

Tuesday April 26, 2016

Roundup of News About Malta - on three pages

€80 million worth of new investments creating over 300 new jobs

I

t was business as usual for the government days after defeating a no-confidence vote in Parliament as it announced new large investments worth over €80, two of which two, worth €68 would create at least 332 new jobs These investments came hard on the heels of another investment of €5 million by Chinese phone-maker Huawei that is preparing to set its new 5G system in Malta. This latest “strategic investment” follows another memorandum of understanding signed last July to establish an innovation centre in Malta.

A day after winning the vote in Parliament, PM Joseph Muscat visited the German toymaker Playmobil complex at Óal Far. That is when the company announced that it would invest a further €30 million in its

Malta plant and add 200 people to its workforce of 1000.

This investment is on top of another €15m invest- ment in 2013.

Playmobil started production in Malta in 1971 and has been growing steadily ever since. The new investment includes the extension of the factory’s facilities and the addition of new lines to cater for increased demand.

Dr. Joseph Muscat said the investment was a result of Malta's competitiveness and a new collective agreement signed by the GWU. A third investment in the last few days, is that at the Aviation Park at Safi. The in-

vestment amounts to €33 million. As a result the Park would be creating 132 new jobs.

This latest investment will be made by the government through Malta Industrial Parks and will involve the building of three new hangars. It will also include 50% investment from EU funds Two other companies, Aviation Cosmetics and Medavia would build another two hangers, while SR Technics would also be expanding their operations.

Malta Hilton completes €15m refurbishment

ilton Malta has just completed a €15 million multi-phased H refurbishment programme, a project that took on the hotel’s event spaces, restaurants, its 293 bedrooms and new elevators.

Malta signs UN’s landmark climate change agreement

O

n Friday, Earth Day, during a ceremony at the UN headquarters in New York, Malta was among 170 countries to sign a landmark climate change agreement reached in Paris that is bound to come into force years ahead of schedule, certainly before the original deadline of 2020.

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, who was accompanied by Environment Minister Leo Brincat, signed on behalf of Malta.

During the signing UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon told the august gathering that the era of consumption without consequences was over.

Countries must now formally approve the Paris Agreement through their domestic procedures. It will enter into force once 55 countries representing at least 55% of global emissions have formally joined it. The United States and China, which together account for nearly 40% of global

emissions, have said they intend to join this year.

The Paris Agreement, the world's response to hotter temperatures, rising seas and other impacts of climate change, was reached in December. Under the agreement, countries set their own targets for reducing emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.

It also included investment in new engineering technology to provide a more energy efficient operation.

Internationally acclaimed designer, Frenchman Jean-Pjilippe Nuel, headed the extensive refurbishment project.

As had previously been planned, the refurbishment project took 10 weeks. During this period the hotel was closed (between February 6 and April 15). Now, the newly renovated hotel will continue to ensure that the facilities it provides, will continue to be among the best offered anywhere in the world.

It is not only the weather that attracts the foreigners to Malta.

The island is also rich in culture and history and with the hotels such as the Hilton Malta, and a good number of other top ones that are also upgrading the product, in the words of a hotelier, Malta has emerged as a niche location of choice for those in search of luxury in the heart of the bright Mediterranean.

During a visit to the hotel in St Julian’s, Tourism Minister Dr. Edward Zammit Lewis said it is in the hands of the tourism sector to keep ensuring tourist satisfaction on an entirely holistic front. He added that in the first two months of this year there has been an increase of 40,500 tourists over January and February of 2013, with the total spending from tourists amounting to around €124 million.

In talks with UN gen. sec. Malta’s PM pledges support for refugees, migrants high-level meet Aside of the UN summit in New York during which, on behalf of Malta he was among the 170 world to sign the climate change agreement, Dr. Joseph Muscat met with UN secretary general Ban Ki-Moon, pledged to him Malta’s active participation during a UN high-level meeting on refugees and migrants scheduled for September.

The United Nations decided to convene the high-level meeting during last year’s UN general assembly session.

The Maltese PM said that even though the arrivals on the island have drastically dropped, Malta would share its experiences, contributions and suggestions on migration.

He also briefed Ban Ki-moon on his recent visit to Jordan and Lebanon, and relayed to him how the two countries felt they were being left alone to face irregular migration. He reiterated that help should be given to both refugees and countries burdened by the influx of migrants.

Both also discussed the ongoing situation in Libya.

14 The Voice of the Maltese

Tuesday April 26, 2016

Roundup of News About Malta - on three pages

Concensus on Gozo-Malta tunnel link t a conference organised by Front Favur il-Mina (front in favour of the tunnel) government and the Opposition both committed themA selves to the project of a tunnel linking Gozo and Malta. They also agreed that it required national consensus, with Prime Minister Joseph Muscat saying that the project would however require “Gozo leadership”.

Dr. Muscat said that the study made for this project had gathered useful information and economist Gordon Cordina had used the study as a basis for his report on the tunnel project.

He added that the digging of a tunnel under the channel was adjudged to be the best option, and that the government is in the final stages of preparing a tender with Transport Malta to choose the consultants for the geological studies. After that there would be an open call that would lead to the conclusion of these studies, that according to a geologist could take between five and eight years to complete.

In one year over 90,000 patients make use of Mater Dei facilities

ddressing a press conference over the 2015 Hospital Activity Report outlining the activA ities in admissions and discharges at the Mater Dei hospital, the hospital’s CEO, Mr Ian Falzon said that last year, just over 90,000 patients, made use of the facilities (1% over the previous year), with the medical staff attending to an average of 257 patients a day.

The trend registered was the same as in indicator of the improvement in efficiency, previous years with January proving to be as medicine and surgery remain the fastest the busiest month by seeing most admit- growing sectors. It is a vote of confidence tance. There was also a 9% increase, in the medical professionals and staff at the amounting to 480,214 people that made use hospital, he said. of the outpatients’ department.

He described this activity as being a huge

Power station closure improves Marsa’s air quality by 761,000 tonnes

ir quality in the Marsa area has made a A great improvement since the power station closed down last year, with Enemalta

saying in a statement that carbon dioxide emissions have been reduced by up to 761,000 tonnes a year – the average annual amount produced by the power station between 2010 and 2014.

Air quality monitoring studies also indicate that in January, airborne sulphur dioxide concentrations in the Marsa area were over 80% less than the levels recorded when the station was still generating electricity.

President visits Tunisia

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he President of Malta, Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca concluded a two-day visit in Tunisia by meeting members of the Maltese community in Tunis. Earlier she also met Habib Essid, Tunisia’s Head of Government and the Tunisian President Baji Caid Essebsi. During her short stay, she also addressed the International Symposium on Promoting Values of Peace and Dialogue in Sousse (above), and had a meeting with women parliamentarians in the country.

Three-year-old Gozitan boy with IQ of an eight-year-old n interesting story on Television Malta writing and assimilating certain information A of a four-year-old Gozitan boy recently beyond their age.

The psychologist even carried an IQ test on caught the eye. It is that of Gabriel Grech who at three was found to possess skills in reading and writing in English as equal to an eight year-old. Gabriel, who is also interested in subjects such as the solar system, is also able to name the flags of world nations.

Gabriel’s room at his parents’ home in Gozo is full of beginners’ reading books.

His parents claimed that at age one the boy already knew the letters, numbers and forms and when at age three he started attending kindergarten he already recognised some words.

His father told TVM that according to the national curriculum, a three-year-old starts from the basics at school by learning to identify and write the letters of the alphabet. At that stage Gabriel began to lose interest in the class and noticing that, his parents sought the advice of a psychologist who mentioned to them the word hyperlexia.

It was explained to them that this is a condition where a young boy or girl are capable of reading,

the boy. He found that in five or six different areas, Gabriel’s IQ was 99.9 per cent. It further emerged that at three, he was able to read and write in English as good as an 8-year-old.

As a result, the parents discussed their son with the school authorities, who proved to be very helpful. They helped them to integrate their son in the education system and assisted to keep the boy stimulated with the necessary challenges.

Gabriel is also interested in a lot of subjects, including history, sign language and plants.

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The Voice of the Maltese 15

Tuesday April 26, 2016

Tawni ra©un .... Óela ta’ ˙in?

L F il-˙ar©a tal-Voice tal-15 ta’ Marzu kont bassart li jidher li l-g˙aΩla quddiem il-poplu Malti li se jippreΩentaw il-Partiti politiçi Maltin hija jekk hux se jag˙Ωel lil minn sa˙˙a˙ l-ekonomija, g˙amel diversi avvanzi f’diversi oqsma tal-˙ajja Maltija (Partit Laburista) jew li jemmen li l-Gvern ta’ b˙alissa huwa l-aktar Gvern korrott li qatt kellha Malta, u allura jivvutaw g˙al min qed iwieg˙ed li se jnaddaf lil Malta (Partit Nazzjonalista).

U jidher li Ω-Ωmien tani ra©un, g˙ax min kellu l-paçenzja joqg˙od 13-il sieg˙a jisma’ dak li ntqal fid-dibattitu dwar

il-Mozzjoni ta’ Sfiduçja filGvern imressqa mill-OppoΩizzjoni, Ωgur li jista’ jikkonferma dan.

Dan billi waqt id-dibattitu lkelliema min-na˙a tal-Gvern g˙amlu emfasi kbira fuq il-kisbiet li g˙amel il-Gvern, issuççessi li kiseb fl-oqsma talekonomija, sa˙˙a, edukazzjoni, eçç, filwaqt li dawk tal-OppoΩizzjoni ffukaw fuq il-korruzzjoni tal-Gvern, l-aktar fuq dak li dawn sej˙u b˙ala l-akbar skandlu – dak tal-Ministru Konrad Mizzi u ç-chief of staff tal-Prim Ministru li fet˙u kumpaniji fil-Panama… kumpaniji li b˙alissa qeg˙din fuq fomm kul˙add.

Kienet Mozzjoni Ωbaljata?

M

istqosija o˙ra li smajna ting˙ad, u li anke nkiteb ˙afna dwarha fil-©urnali, kienet jekk fuq kollox il-mozzjoni tal-OppoΩizzjoni kienetx wa˙da Ωbaljata, billi g˙al-kemm il-kwestjoni kollha kienet dwar il-kont filPanama tal-Ministru Konrad Mizzi, meta ©iet g˙as-si u nno, l-OppoΩizzjoni g˙aΩlet li ma tressaqx mozzjoni ta’ sfiduçja f’dan ilMinistru, iΩda fil-Gvern kollu.

Mhux hekk biss, imma l-Kap tal-OppoΩizzjoni attwalment g˙amel emfasi qawwija li din il-mozzjoni kienet immirata mhux biex jinbidel il-Gvern iΩda biex jitne˙˙a l-Prim Ministru u jin˙atar xi ˙add ie˙or floku.

U dan g˙ax Dr Muscat baqa’ ma ˙ax passi kontra Mizzi u ç-chief of Staff tieg˙u u allura b’hekk issa ˙a r-responsabilta’ fuq spallejh.

IΩda kien hemm ˙afna li ma qablu xejn ma din l-istrate©ija. Fosthom eks-Ministru Nazzjonalista, membru tal-bord li kien g˙amel ir-rapport dwar it-telfa tal-Partit Nazzjonalista u sa˙ansitra anke l-istess Marlene Farrugia. Dawn sostnew li l-mozzjoni g˙at-tne˙˙ija tal-Ministru Mizzi kienet aktar tkun f’waqtha billi: • xi deputati Laburisti, fosthom dawk li tkellmu fil-bera˙ li kienu jippreferu li Mizzi rriΩenja, kienu jitpo©©ew f’diffikulta’ kif jitkellmu waqt id-dibattitu u kif jivvutaw.

a semmejt dan id-dibattitu li Ωamm id-deputati tal-Parlament impenjati g˙al 13-il sieg˙a (mhux g˙ax id-deputati kollha kienu preΩenti l-˙in kollu g˙ad-dibattitu) ta’ min jirrepeti mistoqsija li nstemg˙et ˙afna: Imma dan id-Dibattitu kien ˙ela ta’ ˙in?

Kien hemm min insista li ‘’iva’ g˙ax: • dak li kien se jing˙ad fil-Parlament di©a` kien mag˙ruf minn qabel • kien hemm çertezza li l-Gvern kien se jirba˙ dan il-vot, g˙ax anke xi deputati li ntqal li riedu lil Mizzi jirriΩenja, stqarrew minn qabel li kienu se jivvutaw kontra l-mozzjoni tal-OppoΩizzjoni • billi fil-fatt kien hemm ˙afna repetizzjoni waqt id-dibattitu Min-na˙a l-o˙ra kien hemm min ˙asibha xort’o˙ra.

Il-Partiti Politiçi jidhru li g˙o©bithom l-idea ta’ dibattitu b˙al dan, fosthom l-istess partiti li ja˙sbuha xort’o˙ra: ji©ifieri li ttnejn kienu se jing˙ataw çans jidhru quddiem il-poplu g˙al 13il sieg˙a (issa l-Parlament g˙andu l-istazzjon televiΩiv tieg˙u, dan id-dibattitu ©ie transmess dirett).

G˙al tal-Partit Nazzjonalista din kienet okkaΩjoni tad-deheb biex ikompli jtambar dwar l-allegazzjonijiet ta’ koruzDehra panoramika tal-Kamra tadzjoni g˙ax b’hekk seta’ Deputati waqt sessjoni Parlamentari jkompli jda˙˙al f’mo˙˙ innies li veru f’Malta b˙alissa g˙andna l-aktar Gvern korrott li qatt kellna.

Min-na˙a tal-Gvern dan ra l-opportunita` b˙ala wa˙da tad-deheb biex il-kelliema tieg˙u jissoktaw jenfasizzaw il-progress enormi li sar f’dawn l-a˙˙ar tliet snin fil-pajjiΩ fejn l-ekonomija saret wa˙da millaqwa fl-Unjoni Ewropeja, fejn il-qag˙ad niΩel u l-impjiegi Ωdiedu, u fejn sar titjib fis-servizzi tas-sa˙˙a u mitt ˙a©’o˙ra.

Fuq kollox il-Gvern kien Ωgur li se jirba˙ il-vot bi • mhux sewwa li jintalab vot ta’ sfiduçja kbir u juΩa’ din ir-reb˙a biex jg˙id lillf’Ministri li ˙admu bil-g˙aqal u g˙amlu OppoΩizzjoni li g˙andha toqg˙od g˙adsuççess deçiΩjoni tad-Deputati tal-poplu u t˙alli • mozzjoni kontra l-Gvern kollu kienet aktar lill-Gvern ja˙dem. se tg˙aqqad id-deputati tal-Gvern.

IΩda jidher li l-OppoΩizzjoni se tibqa’ • din il-mozzjoni aktar sa˙˙et l-appo©© lil tapprofitta ru˙ha mill-kaΩ tal-Panama PaJoseph Muscat. pers u sa˙ansitra l-Kap tal-OppoΩizzjoni Ma dawn jien inΩid, kif wie˙ed jista’ jista’ jg˙id li l-iskop ta’ Dr Busutil ma kienx li di©a` qal minn issa li se jappo©©ja mozjne˙˙i l-Gvern iΩda li jne˙˙i lil Muscat, meta zjoni ta’ sfiduçja fil-Ministru Konrad Mizl-mozzjoni kienet kontra l-Gvern u mhux zi, li l-eks-deputata Laburista Marlene Farrugia, se tressaq fil-Parlament. kontra Muscat biss?

Min-na˙a tal-Prim Ministru sarkastikaMin-na˙a l-o˙ra kien hemm minn qabel mat-tatika tal-OppoΩizzjoni, fost dawn il-©ur- ment ta wie˙ed x’jifhem li l-OppoΩizzjoni l-ewwel tat çans lill-gvern juri x’wettaq nal The Times.

Fil-fehma tieg˙i l-OppoΩizzjoni kienet aktar f’dawn l-a˙˙ar tlett snin, u issa se jkollu çtiggwadanja kieku g˙amlet il-mozzjoni ta’ çans ukoll li juΩa l-˙in biex il-gvern jg˙id sfiduçja fil-Ministru Mizzi g˙ax, fost kollox, x’se jwettaq fis-sentejn li ©ejjin.

Imma ˙afna qed jistaqsu jekk hux se aktarx li dan kien iwassal biex id-dibattitu jiffoka fuq l-hekk mag˙rufa b˙ala l-Panama ner©g˙u nassistu g˙al xi dibattitu ie˙or ta’ Papers u mhux kif se˙˙ li l-Gvern ji©i offrut xi 13-il sieg˙a, u kemm hemm min li se l-isba˙ çans li jifta˙ar b’rixu. jissaporti jara dibattitu twil ie˙or.

16 The Voice of the Maltese

Tuesday April 26, 2016

L-istatistika ti©©ebbed

Ûball tassew goff

Ó

lief dawk li qatt ma jag˙mlu xejn, kul˙add jiΩbalja. Imma aktar ma jkollok responsabilta’, jew tkun f’kariga g˙oja, aktar l-iΩball tieg˙ek jidher u aktar jirçievi pubbliçita’.

Hekk ©ara dan l-a˙˙ar, meta m˙allef g˙amel Ωball fundamentali meta ©ie biex ta l-verdett tieg˙u. Biex tkompli taqg˙ad l-iΩball ing˙ata f’kawΩa fejn b’xi mod kienet imda˙˙la l-politika, g˙ax fuq na˙a kellek Sindku Laburista u fuq l-o˙ra l-persuna li ˙assitha offiΩa hi artikolista mag˙rufa g˙al kif Ignatius Farrugia t˙ares lejn nies prominenti u partitarji Laburisti.

Kollox beda meta s-Sindku taΩ-Zurrieq, Ignatius Farrugia, appella minn sentenza li permezz tag˙ha kien ©ie mmultat €2,400 g˙ax instab li kien iffastidja (harassed) lill-artikolista Daphne Caruana Galizia.

Meta l-Im˙allef ©ie biex jiddeçiedi l-appell sab lil Farrugia ˙ati li attakka fiΩikament lil din il-persuna u wa˙˙lu erbat ijiem ˙abs.

Issa skont il-li©i, meta wie˙ed jappella minn xi sentenza, ma jistax je˙el aktar milli jkun we˙el qabel u lanqas jista’ jinstab ˙ati fuq xi ˙a©a li jkun ©ie lliberat minnha (dejjem sintendi jekk ma tkunx il-pulizija li tappella).

Dan l-iΩball o˙xon tal-Im˙allef, malajr inteb˙u bih l-avukati ta’ Farrugia li mill-ewwel ©ibdulu l-attenzjoni. IΩda la darba l-Im˙allef ikun ta s-sentenza ma jistax jirtiraha u l-uniku mod kif is-sentenza tin˙afer hu li jsir appell lillPresident tar-Repubblika biex tati dak li hu msejja˙ b˙ala Presidential Pardon” (ma˙fra Presidenzjali).

Minkejja li l-proçess t˙affef kemm jista’ jkun, sakemm saru l-proçeduri me˙tie©a xorta g˙addew sag˙tejn li matulhom Farrugia kellu jg˙addihom il˙abs. Kienu sag˙tejn li tulhom l-Bambin biss jaf kemm inkitbu kummenti fil-gazetti kontra Farrugia u kemm kien hemm min insista li dan kellu jitne˙˙a mill-kariga ta’ sindku.

IΩda kien hemm ukoll min wasal jitlob li jittie˙du passi kontra l-Im˙allef u fid-dag˙diha politika li g˙addej minnha l-pajjiΩ, sa˙ansitra kien hemm min staqsa kemm fil-fatt dan l-iΩball kien wie˙ed ©enwin.

“Torture numbers, and they'll confess to anything”.

Gregg Easterbrook assew g˙andu ra©un Easterbrook, g˙ax filwaqt li wie˙ed ma jistax imeri n-numri u l-persenta©©i li jidhru fl-istatistika, Ωgur li wie˙ed imbag˙ad jista’ jilg˙ab bl-interpretazzjoni ta’ dawn in-numri u l-persenta©©i.

EΩempju reçenti: Skont l-a˙˙ar statistika tal-EuroStat, ilfaqar f’Malta fl-2015 kien ta’ 8.1%. Il-Gvern ˙are© jifta˙ar li dan juri li l-faqar f’Malta naqas. Immedjatament il-Partit Nazzjonalista ˙are© stqarrija li l-Gvern m’g˙andux biex jifta˙ar g˙aliex l-istatistika turi li ç-ça˙da materjali severa f’Malta, ji©ifieri l-kundizzjonijiet baΩiçi biex il-familji jg˙ixu ˙ajja deçenti, issa hi daqs il-medja Ewropea meta tliet snin qabel kienet sostanzjalment anqas mill-medja Ewropea.

Jekk in˙arsu lejn il-persenta©©i nsibu li dak li qal il-Partit Nazzjonalista huwa minnu g˙aliex fl-2012 il-faqar f’Malta kien 0.7% inqas mill-medja tal-Unjoni Ewropea, meta issa ddifferenza hija ta’ 0.1% u allura fejn il-medja fl-Ewropa naqset bi 1.7% f’Malta naqset biss b’1.1%.

Dik l-interpretizzjoni tati ra©un lill-Partit Nazzjonalista. IΩda bl-istess perçentwal ji©i ppruvat li tal-inqas’dawn l-a˙˙ar snin il-perçentwal tal-faqar f’Malta naqas kif g˙edna b’1.1% u g˙adu, g˙alkemm bi ftit inqas minn dak medju tal-Ewropa.

Jekk imbag˙ad ni©u biex ninterpretaw il-persenta©©i f’figuri nsibu li filwaqt li fl-2012 l-g˙add ta’ nies li kienu f’faqar assolut kien ta’ 37,000 persuna, dan baqa’ tiela fis-snin ta’ wara.

Matul is-sena 2015 dan niΩel g˙al 34,000 li jfisser li g˙allewwel darba f’g˙axar snin il-faqar niΩel.

Dan allura jikkonferma dak li kiteb Aaron Levenstein: “Statistics are like bikinis. What they reveal is suggestive, but what they conceal is vital”.

Imma kif tista’ qatt tikkuntenta lil kul˙add?!

T

IΩeffnu l-istatwi ta’ Kristu Re fin-nofs biex jag˙mlu punt

˙al snin twal f’Ra˙al Ìdid fejn ti©i ççelebrata l-Festa ta’ Kristu G Re kien hemm firda kbira li bdiet wara li statwa ta’ Kristu Re ma˙duma mill--istatwarju Alfred Camilleri Cauchi fl-1998 (fuq insistenza tal-kappillan ta’ dak iΩΩmien), ma ©ietx aççetta b˙ala dik li tin©arr fil-purçissjoni tal-festa (qabel il-festa kienet issir ming˙ajr statwa).

Ftit xhur wara n˙admet statwa o˙ra, din id-darba mill-iskultur Ìanni Bonniçi li aktar tard sabet ru˙ha fil-Paroçça ta’ Ra˙al ©did b˙ala dik titulari. Dakinhar kien hemm g˙add ©mielu ta’ Pawlisti (nies ta’ Ra˙al Ìdid) li ma qablux mal-manuvrar.

B˙ala riΩultat l-istatwa l-o˙ra spiççat fil-KaΩin tal-Banda De Paule.

Fl-istess Ωmien inqalg˙et kwestjoni o˙ra meta l-G˙aqda Soçjali Kristu Sultan talbet li ti©i rikonoxxuta mill-parroçça b˙ala G˙aqda MuΩikali billi ffurmat il-banda tag˙ha.

Madankollu min˙abba digriet li kienet ˙ar©et il-Kurja rriΩulta li dan ma setax ise˙˙ g˙ax il-Kurja ma kienetx qed tilqa' kaΩini tal-baned L-istatwa ta’ Ìanni Bonniçi ©odda.

Sintendi l-qasma u l-pika bejn iΩ-Ωew© fazzjonijiet kompliet tikber, u sa˙ansitra kien anke sar bojkott lill-Parroçça.

Issa jidher li fl-a˙˙ar intla˙aq kompromess. Filwaqt li l-istatwa ta’ Kristu Re ta’ Camilleri sabet ru˙ha fil-Paroçça u se tibda tintuΩa’ fil-purçisssjoni, is-Soçejta’ Kristu Re ©iet mag˙rufa mill-kurja b˙ala G˙aqda MuΩikali u allura jkollha sehem s˙i˙, sintendi mal-Banda De Paule, fil-festa’ ta’ Kristu Re. Skont il-Kappillan tal-Paroçça, Dun Marc Andre’ Camilleri permezz ta’ dan il-ftehim: “Nidejna kapitlu ©did fil-˙ajja tal-parroçça.

B'dan il-ftehim qed ng˙idu li qatt aktar mhu se ner©g˙u nmorru lura g˙all-pika li kienet ˙akmitna.

“Qed ng˙idu li le ma rridux li lfesta tibqa' sors ta' inkwiet u tensjoni. Qed ng˙idu li ma rridux li r-ra˙al tag˙na jibqa' mfakkar g˙all-firda li nibtet fih.”

IΩda mhux g˙alkemm wie˙ed jag˙laq kapitlu ta’ firda hekk malajr, g˙aliex filwaqt li jidher li lma©©oranza kbira tal-Pawlisti wrew sodisfazzjoni li sar il-fethim, kien hemm min ilmenta mill-fatt li tne˙˙iet l-istatwa li kien hemm L-istatwa ta’ Alfred Camilleri Cauchi qabel u se tibda tintuΩa l-o˙ra.

The Voice of the Maltese 17

Tuesday April 26, 2016

A quick glimpse at Australia

The Federal election is on

M

alcolm Turnbull the Australian Prime Minister confirmed he would be visiting the Governor-General after the budget to request the July 2 double dissolution “My intention is, after the budget, an appropriate time after the budget has been delivered, I will be asking the Governor-General to dissolve both houses of Parliament for an election which is expected to be held on July 2”.

He made the declaration after the Senate rejected the ABCC bill as predicted just one day into a three-week special sitting of Parliament, handing him a double dissolution trigger. The Government was defeated 36-34.

The budget is on May 3 and, in between, on May 5 and May 12, Bill Shorten will deliver his reply. Turnbull will visit the Governor-General and make a request, which Sir Peter Cosgrove is duty bound to accommodate.

That would effectively start a 74-day election campaign, more than double the standard duration.

The PM had pointed out on March 21, “If the Senate fails to pass these laws (ABCC and Registered Organisations), I will advise the Governor-General to dissolve both Houses of Parliament and issue writs for an election ... if we do proceed to a double dissolution, the election will be on Saturday the 2nd of July.”

Malcolm Turnbull’s visit to China

Zika virus could also affect Australia

S

cientists trying to evaluae where the Zika virus could spread say that more than two billion people could eventually be at risk, including Australia. The infection is suspected of leading to thousands of babies being born with underdeveloped brains.

The latest research showed mapping Zika was more complex than simply defining where the mosquito can survive. They are the first maps to come out that really use the data th world has for Zika Researchers have created new maps they say indicate which areas are vulnerable. The at-risk zones include large parts of South America, with its long stretches of coastline and cities along the Amazon river and its tributaries, Africa and Asia, as well as parts of North America and Australia.

In total, 2.2 billion people live in the areas they have defined as being “at risk”.

D

uring first trip to China as Prime Minister few days ago, apart from meeting Chines Premier Li Keqiang and President Xi Jinping in Beijing, Malcolm Turnbull addressed 1000 Australian and 800 Chinese business leaders in Shanghai. He said that it was in China's interests as well as the world's that this opening up continues, declaring the country's “long journey towards the rule of law would be worth the challenges along the way”.

As soon as he touched down in Shanghai, addressing the gathering of business people over lunch, Turnbull said: “China's demand for Australian resources, across this great nation of 1.4billion people, has underpinned the greatest run of unbroken prosperity Australians have ever known.”

Turnbull said that just as China faced unprecedented challenges to transform its economy after a decades-long construction-fuelled boom to a more sustainable

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Lucy Turnbull on arrival in Beijing China footing reliant on domestic consumption, Australia's economy also had to adapt.

The good news, he said, was that Aus-

tralia was already most of the way through the transition, but Australia cannot afford to be complacent.

Praising the economic miracle of lifting hundreds of millions of people out of poverty within a generation, the Australian PM urged the Chinese leadership towards continued openness and the rapid development of the rule of law, which, he argued, is a fundamental requirement of progress.

“This rebalancing is as necessary as it is inevitable,” he said. “And this structural change is driving parallel changes in our economy.”

He went on to say, “In 1990, two in every three Chinese people lived below the World Bank's poverty line, but now that figure is only one in 10 - the scale and pace of China's economic transformation in little more than a generation is unprecedented in human history.”

18 The Voice of the Maltese

Tuesday April 26, 2016

A quick glimpse at Australia

It’s a disgrace! he Australian Bar AssoT ciation called on State and territory governments to

Patrick O’Sullivan, QC

scrap or amend mandatory sentencing laws for crimes including minor assaults, driving and petty theft.

The laws that differ significantly between jurisdictions are partly to blame for the disproportion high rate of incarcerations of Indigenous Australians, who account for about 24 per cent of the prison population but

just three per cent of the general population.

Patrick O’Sullivan, QC said the re-imprisonment rate for Aboriginal children is higher than the retention rate of school. “It’s just a disgrace a national disgrace and we’ve got to do something about it”.

On any one night in particular, 53 per cent of youth in detentions are Indigenous.

Mr. Sullivan said scrapping mandatory sentencing

Royal Commission wanted

L

for some offences was not a “panacea” but would address part of the complex problem.

Federal Indigenous Affairs Minister Nigel Scullion said he was “very concerned about the high rate of Indigenous incarnation” and the Commonwealth was “Working with the states and territories to reduce Indigenous people’s contact with the criminal justice system”.

Millions at risk -diabetes rate explodes iabetes had become a “defining issue for D global public health. Up to 500.000 Australians have undiagnosed type 2 diabetes.

abor Leader Bill Shorten and shadow treasurer Chris Bowen called on PriAnother two million are on the cusp of deme Minister Malveloping the potentially deadly disease. One colm Turnbull to in three of those at risk will develop the dishold the Royal ease over the next ten years unless they take Commission, arguaction. ing public confiThe number of people around the world dence in the bankwith diabetes had quadrupled since 1980 ing and financial from 108 million to 422 million in 2014. The services industry ageing population helps explain the increase has taken “hit after in western countries but the incidence of dihit over the previabetes has risen significantly in low and midous few years”. dle-income countries including China, India, “Many AustraIndonesia, Pakistan, Egypt and Mexico. lians have suffered There are 1.2 million Australians who have through the deci- Labor Leader Bill Shorten (right) and shadow treasurer Chris Bowen been diagnosed - 10 per cent with type 1 disions of banks and abetes and 90 per cent with type 2. Apart the bank bill swap reference rate (BBSW) from obesity, other risk factors include havfinancial institutions,” Mr. Shorten said. ing a family history of diabetes, or having Federal Labor says it will hold a royal between 2010 and 2012.

Treasurer Scott Morrison, who took aim at had short-term diabetes. The rate of diabetes commission into misconduct in the banking and financial services industry if it Shorten’s “ill-fitting suit” and labeled him in Aboriginal people was three times as high “reckless” for proposing the Royal Com- than non-Indigenous people. The rate of kidwins government at the next election. ney disease is up to 10 times greater.

It said, “The decision that we announce mission, earlier, dismissed the proposal. is about restoring confidence in our finanMICHELLE ROWLAND MP cial institutions. It is about taking action to FEDERAL MEMBER rebuild that vital trust between Australian consumers and their banks.”

FOR GREENWAY Australia's big banks have accepted a Proudly serving the areas of: tough new regulatory regime which they Acacia Gardens, Blacktown*, Girraween, will be forced to fund, but the changes Glenwood, Kellyville Ridge, Kings Langley, have failed to dampen the opposition's call Kings Park, Lalor Park, Parklea, Pendle for a royal commission.

Hill, Prospect*, Quakers Hill*, Riverstone, The culture, ethical standards and busiRouse Hill*, Schofields, Seven Hills, ness structures of Australia's financial inStanhope Gardens, The Ponds, stitutions would also come under the Toongabbie*, Vineyard spotlight, as well as whether Australia's *Parts of regulators are equipped to identify and prevent illegal and unethical behaviour in 230 Prospect Hwy, Seven Hills 2147 the sector.

Ph: 9671 4780 The Australian Securities and InvestEmail: Michelle.Rowland.MP@aph.gov.au ments Commission (ASIC) launched Federal Court proceedings against Westpac www.facebook.com/mrowlandmp for unconscionable conduct and market Twitter: @mrowlandmp manipulation for Westpac's part in setting

The Voice of the Maltese 19

Tuesday April 26, 2016

Óar©a lejn il-kapitali Canberra

K

ien jum ta’ divertiment, informazzjoni u rispett lejn iΩΩew© pajjiΩi li saru parti minn ˙ajjitna. Il-Maltese Community Council ta’ NSW g˙all-ewwel darba organizza ˙ar©a lejn il-belt kapitali Awstrljana, Canberra hekk mag˙rufa b˙ala “the meeting place of our nation” biex infakkru r-rabta’ tag˙na l-Maltin mal-Awstralja.

IΩ-Ωjara nkludiet il-bini maestuΩ tal-Parlament li tassew jag˙milna kburin, u kellhom l-opportunita’ li jag˙mlu dawra kemm fil-kamra l˙adra (tar-rappreΩentanti) kif ukoll dik tas-Senat (il-˙amra).

Raw ukoll il-pittura ta’ kull Prim

Ministru, Gvernatur Generali u Spiker tal-Parlament. Wara marru wkoll g˙all-ikla ta’ wara nofsinhar fil-klabb fil-qalba tal-belt kapitali.

Wara saret Ωjara lil O’Malley ACT fejn hemm l-uffiçini tal-Kummissjoni G˙olja ta’ Malta li titqies b˙al parti minn Malta F’dik li hi l-biçça art Maltija fil-kapitali, il-grupp tal-Maltin ing˙ataw mer˙ba mill-Kummissarju G˙oli Charles Muscat u martu Victoria kif ukoll id-deputat tieg˙u Dr Joe Pirotta li fa˙˙ru l-inizjattiva talg˙aqdiet Maltin li ta’ spiss jag˙mlu dawn iΩ-Ωjarat f’Canberra.

Mal-grupp (fuq) kien hekk ukoll Vi-

Norman (lemin), flimkien ma’ ˙uh Lino (xellug), u l-Prim Ministru Malti Joseph Muscat

oletta Bazanic, il-kantanta Ωag˙Ωug˙a ta’ 11-il sena li kienet finalista fil-konkors Australia’s Got talent.

Hi kienet akkumpanjata mill-©enituri tag˙ha. Violetta g˙andha l-mira li xi darba tirrappreΩenta lil Malta fil-Eurovision Junior Contest.

Il-President tal-MCC ta’ NSW, Emanuel Camilleri qal lil The Voice of the Maltese li din iΩ-Ωjara kienet ta’ suççess u kul˙add ˙are© sodisfatt.

Norman Vella onorat f’Malta ie˙du pjaçir bl-a˙bar li NorN man Vella, ta’ 69 sena, li ji©i ˙u Lino Vella, l-eks editur tal-gazzetta

tal-Maltin fl-Awstralja, The Maltese Herald, ing˙ata l-unur ta’ Gie˙ San Ìiljan mill-Kunsill Lokali ta’ dan iddistrett.

Norman, ir-raba’ wild minn familja ta’ tmienja, kien sportiv mag˙ruf ˙afna f’Malta, l-aktar fiΩ-Ωmien tieg˙u b˙ala plejer tal-waterpolo malBallutta/San Ìiljan flimkien ma’ ˙utu George u Freddie u mag˙hom reba˙ g˙add ta’ unuri. Lag˙ab ukoll fl-g˙aΩliet tal-ASA. Huwa kien ukoll plejer tal-futbol ma’ St Julians u Floriana.

Norman huwa mag˙ruf ukoll b˙ala sid ta’ g˙add ta’ ristoranti f’Paceville u Bu©ibba. G˙al g˙add ta’ snin anke serva b˙ala kunsillier f’San Ìiljan. llum hu rtirat. Norman huwa miΩΩewwe© lil Carmen u g˙andhom Ωew©t itfal, Natasha u Norma. Nifir˙ulu tassew, tal-unur tassew mist˙oqq.

20 The Voice of the Maltese

Tuesday April 26, 2016

Tag˙rif dwar il-kitba Maltija

F

il-˙ar©a tal-lum nissokaw bir-regoli u tag˙rif uffiçjali dwar kif wie˙ed g˙andu jikteb il-Malti ma˙ru© millKummissjoni fi ˙dan l-Akkademja talMalti. Hawn g˙andna regola o˙ra.

IS-SITT REGOLA Ûew© vokali wara xulxin ma jistg˙ux joqog˙du f’sillaba wa˙da; jew a˙jar: kull sillaba ma jistax ikollha ˙lief vokali wa˙da.

Jikteb ˙aΩin: (1) min bejn l-ittra x u l-vokali a, o, u jdeffes il-vokali i biex isemma’ l-le˙en ta’ x u jikteb xiuxia, rixia, ˙axixia, xiorta, taxxia flok xuxa, rixa, ˙axixa, xorta, taxxa.

(2) min bejn l-ittra ç u © u l-vokali a, o, u jdeffes il-vokali i biex jag˙tihom ille˙en ta’ cia, cio, ciu; gia, gio, giu Taljani u jikteb ciarruta, ciong, ciuqlajta, giandar, giolf, giuf minlok çarruta, çong, çuqlajta, ©andar, ©olf, ©uf.

(3) min g˙al-le˙en ta’ j u ta’ w quddiem jew wara vokali, jinqeda bil-vokali i u u, u jikteb, ng˙idu a˙na: beit, fein, abiad, ia˙dem, taiieb, tajieb, iΩied, daul, dual, suued, dauual flok bejt, fejn, abjad, ja˙dem, tajjeb, iΩjed, dawl, dwal, suwed, dawwal.

T.ç. Tajjeb g˙alhekk tikteb: Iz-zokk u lwe-raq tas-si©ra, u mhux iz-zokk u ilweraq tas-si©ra fejn il-konsonanti u flimkien mal-artiklu l- jag˙mlu sillaba wa˙da g˙alihom b’Ωew© vokali wara xulxin u u i.

G˙al min irid jikteb bir-reqqa u jsemma’ l-vokali tal-le˙en i, jista’ jikteb w il-weraq, jew wil-weraq.

Fil-˙ar©a li jmiss nittrattaw aktar regoli *Jekk trid tiççekja l-kitba, it-tifsir tal-kliem Malti u t-traduzzjoni g˙all-IngliΩ issa tista’ tid˙ol fuq id-dizzjunarju tal-Maltin online.

Is-sit huwa: www.maltesedictionary.org.mt

Biex tikteb Malti tajjeb Il-konjugazzjoni tal-Verbi (Mudelli)

ejn g˙andha x’taqsam il-konF jugazzjoni tal-verbi, Illum se ng˙addu g˙al tlett eΩempji o˙ra

Ωaw ta’ kuljum. Il-verbi tal-lum ukoll huma mag˙-rufa fost lImnisslin. fejn g˙andha x’taqsam il-konQed ji©u wkoll ittrattati fl-IMjugazzjoni tal-verbi li milli qallna PERATIV u dak INDIKATIV, fll-qarrejja qed isibuha ta’ interess Imperfett (li juri g˙emil li g˙adu kbir g˙ax huma ma twettaqx), u il-Perfett (li juri eΩempji li jistg˙u ju- g˙emil li twettaq).

Verbi Mnisslin NTILEF ntilef ntilfu

NGÓAQAD NTAFA’ MOD IMPERATIV ng˙aqad ntafa’ (ntefa’) ng˙aqdu ntafg˙u (ntefg˙u) MOD INDIKATIV IMPERFETT

Jiena Inti Huwa Hija A˙na Intom Huma

nintilef tintilef jintilef tintilef nintilfu tintilfu jintilfu

Jiena Inti Huwa Hija A˙na Intom Huma

ntlift ntlift ntilef ntilfet ntlifna ntliftu ntilfu

ning˙aqad ting˙aqad jing˙aqad ting˙aqad ning˙aqdu ting˙aqdu jing˙aqdu PERFETT ng˙aqadt ng˙aqadt ng˙aqad ng˙aqdet ng˙aqadna ng˙aqadtu ng˙aqdu

nintafa’’ tintafa’’ jintafa’’ tintafa’’ nintafg˙u tintafg˙u jintafg˙u ntfajjt ntfajt ntafa’ ntafg˙et ntfajna ntafjjtu ntafg˙u

Aktar verbi b˙al dawn fil-˙ar©a li jmiss

PoeΩija ta’ Victor V. Vella b’dedika lil ˙abibu

F’g˙eluq snin Ìanni… tal-Imsida: NIFRAÓLEK Ilma˙tek bil-qeg˙da fuq bank b'dahrek lejn il-Knisja ta San ÌuΩepp u b'wiççek jilma bid-dawl tal-ilma tadda˙la tal-Imsida tistenna l-a˙˙ar ra©©i tax-xemx jg˙ijbu qalb d-dg˙ajjes u l-arbli jitbandlu maΩ-Ωziffa ta’ filg˙axija sajfija.

Bqajt hemm imsammar mal-bank...... tissemma’ ................. u fuq il-palk tal-˙ajja r©ajt smajt ˙iere© miç-çpar tal-img˙oddi il-mota tal-festa u s-sinfonija ta©©i©©ifogu jit˙altu mal-g˙ajjat u ç-çapçip ta’ dak li reba˙ il-bandiera tal-©ostra.

Rajtek ixxengel rasek mal-a˙˙ar març li l-banda daqqet dakinhar ta’ lejliet ilfesta:

l-ewwel darba li ˙ri©t ma’ Francesca... li g˙al Ωmien twil qasmet mieg˙ek inniket u l-fer˙ tal-˙ajja.

Mill-ba˙ar bdiet ˙ier©a ri˙a Ta’ ka˙lija ta’ Mejju u ta’ burqax xih, ta’ mulett fih kwart u ta’ cervjola safra safra maqbudin friski, mejtin g˙al naqra mel˙ u werqa nanieg˙ biex jg˙aqqdu kollox f'toqlija u borma aljotta li te˙el ma’ subg˙ajk. ...Ganni........nifra˙lek.

Rajt it-tmiem ta’ wie˙ed u l-bidu ta’ tnejn; b'dankollu g˙adek ittir u ti©©erra u tesplora u tiççelebra.

B˙as-si©ra taΩ-Ωebbu© imwielda f'xaqq ta’ bejn blat Ωonqri xxettilt u biΩ-Ωmien kbirt u mal-weraq

fe©© il-frott tal-˙ajja., Qdift favur u kontra l-mew© u l -kurrenti: il-˙ajja tag˙tek tag˙ha u inti tajtha tieg˙ek: Irba˙t id-dubji u l-inçertezzi imma b˙az-zokk xih u samm taΩΩebbu©a Ωammejt sod u aççettajt dak li tatek il˙ajja.. ...Ghaddew fuq mitt sena minn meta rajt id-dawl tal-˙ajja g˙all-ewwel darba u smajt l-g˙anja Maltija ... u maΩ-Ωmien, ˙allattha mal-g˙anja Awstraljana.

Kantajt iΩ-Ωewg g˙anjiet flimkien imma naf çert li tal-ewwel .........qatt ma nsejtha.

The Voice of the Maltese 21

Tuesday April 26, 2016

C Co ommunity mmunity N ews La Valette Social Centre Inc. Maltese Respite La Valette Social Centre Inc. Care Service La Valette Social Centre 175 Walters Road, Blacktown

175 Walters Road, Blacktown. Tel. 9622 5847

Email: lavalett@bigpond.net.au. Website: http://www.lavaletteclub.net

Il-Festa ta’ San Ìor© Preca se ti©i ççelebrata fiç-Çentru l-Óadd 29 ta’ Mejju b’çerimonja li tibda fit-3.00 p.m. b’riflessjoni fuq ˙ajjet il-qaddis permez ta’ film b’kummentarju bil-Malti.

Wara ssir quddiesa bis-sehm tal-kor ta’ La Valette u mbag˙ad il-purçissjoni bil-vara tal-qaddis.

Se takkumpanja l-banda Maltija OLQP. L-g˙aqdiet Maltin kollha huma mistiedna u mitluba j©ibu mag˙hom l-istandardi tag˙hom.

Dawk li jixtiequ jattendu g˙andhom jg˙arrfu lil Frances jew liç-Çentru sat-23 ta’ Mejju.

Tel.: 9622 5847

For services that are available one should contact 9621 1215 Trading hours are: Tuesday - Friday 9am-3.30pm Who is eligible: Carers and families of frail age residing in the Blacktown and Holroyd Local Government areas.

Others bordering LGAs w ould be considered.

Thursday activities: 10.15am: Mass in Maltese; Morning Tea, Bocci , lunch and bingo.

Guest speakers and entertinment might be available

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 GUILD OF SA INC.

The Malta Community Chest Fund

MALTESE CHARITY DINNER DANCE Saturday July 23, 2016 6.30 p.m. - 11.30 p.m.

Grand star receptions 499 Grieve Parade, Altona North. vic 3025

Tickets: Adults $65 Children $40 includes 4-coure meal, soft drinks, beer & wine

maltese music - maltese brass band - raffle tickets silent auctions & major grand auction enquiries & tickets: contact daniel 0404 096 560; lourdes 0402 813 179; joe 0420 547 696. email: lordan.co@hotmail.com (donations also welcome) Proudly sponsored by:

Invites You to attend...

The 39th Anniversary of the opening of THE MALTESE CULTURAL CENTRE

On Saturday April 30. Admission from 6.30pm for 7pm start.

Dinner is included: Complimentary Glass of Champagne with orange, nuts and crisps, bread roll and butter on tables, Antipesto on Entry. Main course to be advised later, with platers of fresh Fruit for Dessert. From 10.45 pm help yourself coffee/tea and cakes.

Beer, wine, soft drinks available from the licensed bar of The Maltese Guild for very cheap prices.

Entertainment by The God Fathers Band Admission: Members $25.00; Non-Members $35; Children $15.00 Book from Joe Briffa: 8254 6988 or 0421 791 327; Mary Craus: 8281 2329 or 0420 699 617; Rita Bornhoeft: 8248 1008 or 0401 860632.

Otherwise talk to anyone from the committee.

ST HELENA MALTESE/AUSTRALIAN S.C.: Events 2016

APR. 30 – SAT.: Mother’s Day/Feast of the Cross Function at Melrose Receptions, Tullamarine MAY 14 – SAT.: Get together St Albans.

MAY 15 – SUN.: Half yearly meeting – Parkville.

JUN. 18 – SAT.: Get together at Holy Eucharist.

AUG. 26, 28 (FRI & SUN): Feast masses at Croatian Church, Ardeer.

AUG. 27 – SAT.: Dinner Dance at Melrose, Tullamarine SEPT. 17 – SAT.: Get together St Albans.

OCT. 23 - SUN.: General meeting at Parkville.

OCT. 29 - SAT.: Get together St Albans at Avondale Heights.

NOV. 12, 13 (SAT & SUN): Concerts with Renato & Mary Rose Mallia (Also featuring the Cittadini from Sydney) DEC. 17 – SAT.: Xmas function at Melrose, Tullamarine.

METD OUTINGS - 2016 14th August – St Maria Festa (Central Coast) $35/pp including morning tea 11th September – Il-Festa tal-Vitorja (City) $25/pp 5th October - 23rd Anniversary Luncheon Please support the Maltese Elderly Thanksgiving Day Committee by attending our fund-raising activities outlined above. For more info, call one of the members: Lina: 9629 4046; Doris: 0419 420 915; Maggie: 9621 3125; Maria:0431 800 720 email: metd@live.com.au PO Box 93, Kellyville 2155

22 The Voice of the Maltese

Tuesday April 26, 2016

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 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

The SBS MALTESE NEWS

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 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.

VIVA MALTA VIVA MALTA on COAST FM 96.3 Community Radio in Gosford Central NSW. Aired on Thursdays every fortnight from 6 pm -7 pm.

Presenter: Nathalie Gatt.

Web streaming on: www.coastfm.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

Day Care Maltese Groups meetings in NSW

Fairfield Active Maltese Seniors Meets on the first Tuesday of the Month.

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

Maltese Seniors Central Coast

Have to contact our Welfare Officer for an appointment. For all information and referral matters call Censina Cefai: 02 439 000 12 or 0414 267 652

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 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

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

Maltese of Bankstown

Group meet 3rd Wednesday of the month at New BCRG offices 15 Kitchner Parade, Bankstown NSW (opposite RSL Club).

Every other 3rd Thursday they have an outing. For enquiries call Sam 9534 2357

L-a˙barijiet tal-PBS (Malta)

kemm bil-Malti u wkoll bl-IngliΩ

G˙alkemm il-PBS ta’ Malta tforni lillSBS fl-Awstralja bis-servizz tag˙ha, ilqarrejja huma m˙e©©a wkoll biex x’˙in iridu jid˙lu fil-website:www.tvm.com.mt u jsegwu l-a˙barijiet ta’ Malta, kemm bil-Malti u Il-website tkun a©©ornata l-˙in kollu bl-istejjer u l-©rajjiet li jkunu qed ise˙˙u f’dak il-˙in.

Saint Nicholas Festa Committee

Forthcoming events: SUNDAY July 3: Lejla Fil-Buskett & Car Exhibition.

SUNDAY OCTOBER 16: Fiera SUNDAY December 4: The Feast of St Nicholas For further information contact: The President - Joe Fenech – 0412 009 957; or the Public Relations Officer - Emmanuel Vella – 0405 677 064

Kull qalb trid o˙ra iex tipproduçi magazine b˙al dan, li B wara kollox hu frott tal-passjoni li g˙andna biex inwasslu t-tag˙rif lill-

Maltin barra minn art twelidhom, ma jin˙tie©x biss xog˙ol u ˙in, imma wkoll spejjeΩ. Biex jittaffew u˙ud mill-ispejjeΩ nippruvaw insibu sponsors ˙alli jg˙inuna.

G˙ad m’g˙andniex biΩΩejjed minnhom, imma bdejna, u ta’ min jag˙tihom ˙ajr.

Kull qalb trid o˙ra, g˙alhekk in˙e©©u lill-qarrejja biex i©ibu dan quddiem g˙ajnejhom u kemm jista’ jkun juΩaw is-servizzi u/jew jixtru l-prodotti ta’ dawk li qed jirrek-lamaw/jisponsorjaw fil-magazine.

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 Meets every First Wednesday of the Month from 10:00am-1:00pm. Meetings/Get Togethers are interesting, informative & entertaining, so 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.

*(All Groups are Sponsored by The Maltese Community Council of NSW) with the assistance of Multicultural 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).

The Voice of the Maltese 23

Tuesday April 26, 2016

C y e Co om mm mu un ni it t y N NActivities ew ws s Saturday Tel. Road, Blacktown.

175 Walters Óamrun Association Ltd ABN: 22 0809622 314 156

Website: Email: lavalett@bigpond.net.au Il-Hamrun Club qed jorganizza l-Mothers Day Dinner Dance Masses at the chapel:

(fil-klabb stess f’100 Jackson Street, Marsden Park, and 6.15pm 4.45pm nhar is-Sibt 7 ta’ Mejju fis-6.30 p.m.)

5.00pm: Centre opens for dinner Se ssir ikla 3-course: $45-kbar u $20-tfal Grech or Manuel Mifsud

by Sam Entertainmentminn Id-divertiment Charles Muscat u floor show impersonation ta’ Elvis Presley u Dean Martin Ghana: Last Saturday of every month.

Il-Óadd 15 ta’ Mejju fl-4.00 p.m. (Il-klabb jifta˙ fit-3p.m.) at 8.00pm startsg˙annejja/kitarristi Bingo Serata ta’ g˙ana mill-aqwa ta’ Sydney door 9838 1111 lucky member’s raffle, Bocci, G˙al tag˙rif: George Zahra: 0407 434 651, jew il-klabb: Ejjew u tkun qed-tissapportjaw two tag˙kom dinner forlill-klabb price

Membership is on $7 a year

Horsley Park Group which we other activitiesSocial haveCommunity We also radio and ontothe advertise Invite you celebrate our church bulletins

“Mothers”

14 ORIGINAL SONGS WRITTEN BY JOE APAP

CONTACT JOE: PHONE: 0402 089 555 EMAIL: info.joeapap@gmail.com

We can now supply hard copies of The Voice of the Maltese at a price, at any state. It can also be sent by post. As the cost of postage varies from state to state, kindly get in touch with us to work out the details. Email to: maltesevoice@gmail.com

IL-MALTESE BOWLERS SOCIAL GROUP TA’ NSW • Jistiednu nisa u r©iel Maltin li j˙obbu l-lawn bowls biex jing˙aqdu mag˙hom, jie˙du sehem fil-log˙ob u jag˙mlu ˙bieb ©odda.

• Jilqg˙u wkoll lil dawk li jixtiequ jitg˙allmu jilag˙bu dan l-isport. Dawn jing˙ataw lezzjonijiet b’xejn.

• Jilag˙bu log˙ba lawn bowls darba fixxahar fir-Rosehill Bowling Club u klabbs o˙ra.

• G˙al aktar tag˙rif çemplu lis-segretarju, Tony Pace-Feraud (0400 376 607) jew email lil: maltesebowlersnsw@hotmail.com Il-log˙ba li jmiss nhar il-˙add 15 ta’ Mejju fis-1.00 p.m. fir-Rosehill Bowling Club.

Saturday April 30, from 7.00pm at Mandavilla Event Centre, Horsley Park Proceeds of the evening will go towards our fundraising for the Cancer Council Entertainment to be provided by Joe Apap $65.00pp for three course meal, beer, wine and soft drinks, tea and coffee Bookings Contact: Theresa 0402 178 781 or Josephine 0402 040 954

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 Phone 0433 091 788 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.

The Voice: the most popular by far

he Voice of the Maltese online T magazine is by far the most widely read publication among the Maltese Diaspora, with subscribers from Australia, Canada, the UK England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ieland), Ireland Rep., Belgium, France, Italy, India, the Caribbean island of St Kitts & Nevis. But not only. It is also gaining popularity in Malta and it keeps growing with every issue.

24 The Voice of the Maltese

Tuesday April 26, 2016

Sports

Parramatta Eagles suffer second 5-1 loss t seems that Parramatta Eagles supportIforeers could not see it coming and therewere left speechless as their team

Valletta win 23rd League title

D

espite one more round to go to the end of the Premier League, Valletta have been crowned Malta champions for the 23rd time in their history thanks to an unexpected defeat by their nearest challenges, Hibernians who suffered 2-1 loss at the hands of Birkirkara on Sunday.

A day earlier Valletta had kept their lead by virtue of a 2-1 victory over Balzan.

Birkirkara obtained a dramatic win with a goal at the death by Edmond Agius. It helped Valletta retain their four-point lead at the top of the league ladder one match from the end of the final round this coming weekend when the programme is wrapped up with Valletta taking Hibernians in what had been expected to be the title clincher against Hibernians this com-

Malta’s Premier League Football ing Sunday.

Birkirkara took the lead from a defensive blunder. Hibernians levelled before they suffered the all-important blow goal. Victory also helped Birkirkara overtake Balzan in third place before their clash.

RESULTS: Round 30 Valletta v Balzan 2-1 Birkirkara v Hibernians 2-1 Floriana v Mosta 4-2 Tarxien R. v Pembroke 4-0 Qormi v Sliema W. 1-0 St Andrews v Naxxar L. 3-1 Round 29 Valletta v Birkirkara Hibernians v Balzan Pembroke v Floriana Mosta v Tarxien R. Sliema W. v St Andrews Naxxar L. v Qormi

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

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

P Pts 32 52 32 48 32 46 32 43 32 39 32 32 32 27 32 22 32 21 32 12 32 10 32 9

were thrashed 5-1 in their away tie at Sydney United in their round 7 in the PS4 NPL NSW league on Sunday.

Parramatta’s fans had high hopes that after some disappoint results, Parramatta had returned to winning ways, first by beating Sydney Olympic 3-1 at the Melita Stadium in the previous round, and also the Westfield FFA Cup, again at the Melita Stadium, against Dee Why FC. In the next round they meet APIA. Parramatta had been seeking a win since their opening day’s victory. After that they drew one and lost three before their meeting with the Olympic.

Their latest defeat is the second one by 5-1 after losing to Manly in Round 3.

Victory also earned Sydney United the top spot in the - DAY 7 league ladder SydneyRESULTS U v Parramatta 5-1 while Parramatta Blacktown C v Wollongong 3-0 APIA v Blacktown S 5-3 are eighth.

Sydney O v Bonnyrigg 0-0 As it turned out, Manly U v Rockdale 1-1 the Olympic squ- Sutherland v Hakoah3 1-3 ads proved to be DAY 6 easy fodder for all Parramatta v Sydney Oly 3-1 Parramatta’s te- Hakoah v Blacktown C 3-1 Bonnyrigg v Sutherland 3-1 ams as they beat Blacktown S v Sydney U 0-3 them in all cate- Rockdale v APIA 3-3 0-1 Wollongong v Manly U gories

Westfield FFA Cup:

Another easy win in Round 5 I

f it is any consolation, Parramatta again did well in the Westfield FFA Cup in midweek when they beat Dee Why FC 41 in the fifth round thanks to goals by Luke Grima and Ante Tomic in the first half, and strikes by Ante Tomic again, and Gosue Sama in the second. This win earned Parramatta a sixth round tie against APIA. greatest comebacks in Hyundai A-League history *San Ìiljan and Sliema will be to beating Brisbane Roar 5-4 after extra time.

The Wanderers had to come from 3-down inside meeting on Wednesday to decide the title for the Winter waterpolo 23 minutes before forcing extra time at 4-4.

The City had reached the last four stage by beating League after Sliema beat San Ìiljan Perth Glory 2-0 in the elimination round, while 7-6 in the final match on Sunday that brought them level on points Brisbane Roar defeated Melbourne Victory 2-1.

Adelaide, Sydney Wanderers qualify for A-League Grand Final Sunday delaide United and Western Sydney WanderA ers will contest the A-League Grand Final on this coming Sunday after both managed to qualify by virtue of semi-final wins against Melbourne City and Brisbane Roar respectively.

Adelaide had eliminated Melbourne City, beating them 4-1, while the Wanderers capped one of the

GΩira U and Óamrun S Green Gully sail on; Geoge Cross disappoint n Victoria, Green Gully won their matches in the last alzan, Birkirkara, Pembroke Athleta and Sliema return to the top flight two rounds, beating Richmond away 1-0 and then

FA Trophy s/finalists known

I B Wanderers are semi-finalists of the FA Trophy folΩira United as champions lowing these results in the quarters: Balzan v Tarxien Gand Óamrun Spartans as 1-0 (aet),;Birkirkara v Floriana 2-0; Pembroke v Pieta’ runners up have won promotion 3-1 (aet) and Sliema v St Andrews 2-1 Meanwhile, Floriana have lodged a protest against the result of ther loss to Birkirkara.

from Division 1 to the Premier.

Marsa and Gharghur won promotion from Division II to I.

also getting all three points at home winning 1-0 with Hume. Grren Gully are fourth after eight matches.

In the PS4 NPL2 West VIC Men Sunshine Red Cross keep disappointing with two defeats in the last two rounds,. They lost 1-0 to St Albans and on Saturday 30 against Ballarat. They are anchored at the bottom with just one point from nine matches.