The protest which will take place on Sunday afternoon in Valletta is a golden opportunity for all of us, as a nation, to stand up to be counted. It is a protest in favour of liberty and democracy at a time when both are seriously threatened by a government which flirts with the EU while undermining its core values.

Muscat’s is not the physically violent government we had to face in the seventies and eighties. It is a more subtle and sophisticated government, which makes it even more dangerous.

The current strategy is to constantly throw mud at the Opposition while silencing the media. It is definitely the scariest approach Muscat has taken to date. It underhandedly erodes our basic right to freedom of speech while axing the fourth pillar of our democracy.

And while the whole country is distracted with one scandal after another, so much is going on behind everybody’s back. It is the Opposition and the media who continue to unmask the government for what it really is. Hence the constant attack from government to discredit both.

I have often written in this space about the importance of tools available to us democratically. Parliamentary questions remain very important. I invite all readers to take some time and search the PQs on the Parliament website. Even a random search will reveal abundant information on the hidden agenda of the government running our country.

Only this week, thanks to a set of PQs tabled by Jason Azzopardi, we got to know that the Prime Minister has employed no fewer than 83 persons of trust, or in a position of trust, who are being paid from our taxes.

It is worthwhile to note that, under this government, there is a difference drawn between a position of trust and a person of trust. The latter justifies the employment of any Tom, Dick or Harry who may not even be qualified to do any job under the sun, let alone work in the Prime Minister’s Office.

To make matters worse, many of these persons have an indefinite contract, which means that they will continue to be a drain on the national coffers for years to come.

While I strongly believe that Muscat’s is Malta's most corrupt government since Independence, I also believe that a decision like this, to employ numerous persons without the need to justify their employment, is not only a corrupt practice in itself but it also disseminates a corrupt mentality in our society. Muscat is surrounding himself with people who are obliged to him for their daily living. In a way, they are his subjects and they will do anything in their power to keep him where he is.

This is the mentality we need to fight against. Although we are still talking about a small group of people who have hijacked our country, we are now looking at a regiment of people employed by this small group to protect the inner circle.

This is precisely why ,on Sunday, we must turn out in big numbers for the national protest in Valletta. This will be a protest not a silent march. We must therefore make our voices heard.

Many have taken to the social media to voice their anger. Some have pointed fingers at the EU. Frankly, this is our mess and it is we who need to clean it up. Why should any democratic country or organisation lift a finger to help us if we're not prepared to do any lifting ourselves?

The protests make sense only if we think of ourselves as a sovereign people who will not let their country be hijacked by anyone, not even a gang of other Maltese. So we must think and behave like a sovereign people, sorting out our serious problems by ourselves, like adults.

Everybody needs to understand this: “No change can come if those who are impacted the most by discrimination are not willing to stand up for themselves” (Zainab Salbi, Iraqi-American humanitarian activist).