There is a growing perception and one more casually floated around these days, that there are no more Nationalists left and Malta has become all Labour.  Well, well.  Aren’t we lucky?  Now families can have their BBQs in peace, coffee and pastizzi in Valletta can revert to empty gossip again and Franco Debono can strut down Republic Street with his head held high (as always). 

Self-interest being the prime motivator in Maltese people, this recent amalgamation of the two political camps has come with some relief for many who did the cross-over thing.  The sense of freedom from guilt of supporting a violent and deceitful government is conveniently encouraged by the intransigence of the police towards crimes and the march towards a Police State. You may be forgiven for thinking this is how it should be, in the mind of the vast majority who voted Labour again.  Permission is not only granted but actively bestowed on the general public who now cannot be expected to be anything but Labour, amongst the surplus and survival of Panama and Pilatus and brothels and rule of law reports, crowned by IVF freezing of embryos against all sound moral judgement and the soaring economic positive sentiment.

With the government feeling it got away with the Daphne Caruana Galizia investigation and having breathing room around them after months of Simon Busuttil persisting in digging into their calumnies, there is even a sense of euphoria verging on personality disorder. 

The exposure of the government-sponsored face-book groups, loaded with hatred, antagonism, intolerance, active bullying and until this week endorsed by the President of Malta and prominent members of the Cabinet of Joseph Muscat, himself included, betrays the arrogance and insecurity which are trademarks of the emboldened society that makes up the bulk of Malta today.

So widespread and unleashed are the comments on these closed groups, spreading hatred and misogyny without restraint, that a counter measure is now seriously needed to offer some protection and intervention to the victims, who, ultimately, are anyone who dares to oppose the Police State our country has fallen to. 

In Egypt, where people forcibly disappear and where only last week a lawyer investigating the murder of Italian student Giulio Regeni in Cairo, himself forcibly disappeared at Cairo airport on his way to a session of the UN working group on enforced or involuntary disappearances in Geneva, reappeared before prosecutors on Tuesday evening charged with “managing an illegal group, spreading false news…and cooperating with foreign organizations”, and is now facing up to five years in prison, there is an NGO to deal with these investigations.

The lawyer Ebrahim MetwallyHegazy founded the Association of the Families of the Disappeared, which provides information to the Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms, a Cairo-based NGO headed by Mohamed Lofty.

It is time for concerned and threatened Maltese citizens and foreign residents to organize themselves in this way.  A Maltese Commission for Rights and Freedoms to defend our values and uphold our rights.  The NGO is largely made up of lawyers who coordinate with families who suffer the intransigence of the police, defends them and attends investigations.

Rather than disassociate the Nationalist party from what is being labelled as the “Elite”, the time is now for honest and socially conscious lawyers to stand up and come together to bring the awareness and solidarity needed to defend our civil rights and freedom of expression.  The group can encompass sympathisers from all sides sharing the same values.

There is also an urgent need to define Freedom of Expression which not just lately but perhaps even more recently is abused instead of used to uphold its proper meaning.  Would the President of Malta like to hold a serious seminar, including foreign representatives, to debate what constitutes real freedom of expression and perhaps balance some of the bullying and offending that has taken place?  None of the officials who have lately denigrated the freedom of expression have been held to account.  Isn’t it at all pertinent to Joseph Muscat that all international bodies remark on the misappropriation of freedom of expression but only himself and his cronies find no qualm on the issues raised?  As they become more isolated in their defence of the indefensible, the Facebook groups come out in force to make legitimate what is illegitimate and go with might is right.

Within freedom of expression there is the tool of satire.  Un-fortunately this is way above the level of the masses that scream into the face-book groups, who are more accustomed with sarcasm and pageantry degenerating into open war-fare of words and insults and deliberate instigation.  A return to tribal instincts aided and abetted by the Labour government and until last Wednesday, conveniently sanctioned by the highest office of Malta.  Funny how the President’s name seems to be everywhere but actually not.

In response we are seeing a shift in the way politics are being done in Parliament.  The attitude from opposition members of both parties has become one of speaking out for causes and injustices and matters that directly affect their constituents.  We need more and consistent efforts in this direction, with sustained journalism and with moral, civil and environmental issues taken up too by civil society groups. 

The NGO proposed above could also have journalists and writers and other academic and social activists in it too.   The extent of lawlessness in our country has taken us aback.  We are shocked to hear about attacks on innocent persons, law-abiding citizens and at the way the name of Malta is now associated with the most criminal gangs and organisations and all under the uncontested rivalry of what today is perceived to have become a Labour state.

Even with all the power and entitlement bestowed on them, the social media gangs demonstrate a chronic distress.  They are caught in a warped circle of self-inflicted pain and false security.  They cling to their out-dated regime and try to re-generate it in material wealth and un-checked power. 

It should not be that way.  We need to cultivate an awareness of wrong and despicable behaviour and not tolerate the main-stream view if it is unacceptable.  We may have to accept that it will get worse before it gets better, just as calling out Jason Micallef on his behaviour meant even more awful reinforcement of his shameful attitude from other sleazy corners.

So now we accept that all of Malta shares the same views and that everyone is on the side of lawlessness.  I would not be surprised if the next thing we begin to hear is that there is no purpose in holding an election other than to showcase the homogeneous hold of Joseph Muscat on the country. 

How ironic that just as Malta had gained the respect of the European Union and other developed countries, we are now relegated to the level of corrupt regimes and the same style politics of the conflict ridden Arab countries. Perhaps this is where we are most comfortable and Dr Muscat knows it. 

Is there anyone other than an individual Member of Parliament here and there, to challenge this dangerous mentality and defend the law? Or is it the fashion now to hide behind the joke of no more Nationalists? One post more and they’ll be talking of the castrated.

Populist systems are bad enough.  In the hands of a Police State it becomes an assault weapon. 

For those journalists and writers, MPs and civil movements that are speaking up and resisting the popular masses, it is a long road ahead, full of risk and at personal cost.  Having an NGO to lodge complaints with and who can stand up for their rights, would be beneficial and supportive. 

One more cause to add to Puttinu Cares and L-istrina.  Maltese Commission for Rights and Freedoms.  Maybe Muscat would like to make a hefty donation here too?