From Mr A. A. Camilleri

I would like to compliment A. M. Bezzina (TMIS, 26 December). He certainly seems to know me more than I know myself.

Consider. He is au courant with my tolerance of temperature. Incidentally, I’m doing quite fine here. Twelve Celsius of tolerance for my age is not bad, not bad at all. He recognises my ignorance of kerosene fuelled systems currently on the market; he fathoms that I have air-conditioning everywhere in my home; he perceives all my friends and acquaintances to be cold-blooded people and, wonder of wonders, he even knows how my mind works.

But then, Mr Bezzina seems to know everything. He could easily be dubbed Mr Know-all. He is conversant with the Australian aborigines’ culture; he is an expert on temperature and humidity in the country generally and in Maltese homes specifically; he is a specialist in kerosene and/or gas-fuelled heating systems; he’s an authority on air-conditioners. He also tries his hand at economics, not to mention the psychology of women.

However, in his reply, Mr Bezzina hardly contributed anything to dispute the point at issue, that Malta’s winters are not that cold that they require the extreme measures indicated by Daphne to combat them. All Mr Bezzina did was flaunt his knowledge on heating systems, point out my perceived ignorance on the subject, call me a cold-blooded fish (hardly a characteristic that could be applied to me) and a short-sighted unconditional believer of what my mind conjures up (whatever that may mean).

I have a feeling that the whole point of Mr Bezzina’s reply to my letter was, not the defence of kerosene users or to endorse Ms Caruana Galizia’s article of 12 December, but to use it as a stick to beat the government with. It was he who, on a couple of instances, brought politics into the matter.

His criticism of Mintoff appears to be only a screen behind which he could hide his true political colours.

Mr Bezzina says that the ninth point in my letter exposes me for what I am. I will take a leaf out of his book and try to expose him, through his writing, for what he is. Is he one of those people who does not tolerate the views of others, when they do not tally with his own? Mr Bezzina was cut to the quick at the mention of bakers. Is he, perhaps, one of those “humble village bakers” still around, to the joy and gratitude of the masses who relish their produce?

Incidentally I have nothing against bakers, village ones or otherwise. They have as much right to earn a good living through their produce as the rest of us. Unfortunately, it so happens that many times no progress in the style of living of workers, traders, producers and what not could be registered, as prices of produce and commodities have remained static and fixed for years on end.

Alfredo A. Camilleri

SLIEMA