Mr Victor Ciangura wrote a letter entitled The Maltese language (TMID 19 January) in which he said that the Broadcasting Authority should fine anyone who makes use of English on radio or television when they can use Maltese instead.

He even goes as far as suggesting that people who can’t speak Maltese fluently shouldn’t be invited on television. What kind of extreme arrogance is this?

Who does Mr Ciangura think he is to tell us who should be on television and who shouldn’t? Like Mr Ciangura, I am a true lover of the Maltese language. My native language is Maltese and I use Maltese to communicate. I am not one of those who thinks Maltese is a secondary language. On the contrary, I feel that we should be proud to have Maltese as our language; after all now it is a fully recognised European Union language just like English, French and Italian.

To make such suggestions is, how-ever, not showing any love for one’s language but showing a certain arrogance which is not suitable. The

presenters themselves should make proper use of Maltese but their guests are only representing themselves. Let us not turn our media into a witch-hunt media against English. Let us not place unfair restrictions on who gets the chance to voice his or her opinion in the public media.

After all Mr Ciangura should remember that in the Constitution, English is recognised as the second official

language.

Angelo Micallef

Marsaxlokk