“National holiday? Who’s got that on his mind?!”, Roger Mifsud wrote (TMID, 11 July). Then he followed this with a 954-word essay explaining how silly it was for the Prime Minister to write to Joseph Muscat requesting, among a handful of other issues, a discussion regarding the selection of ‘Malta’s national holiday’.

Mr Mifsud, among other things, questioned the reason for the subject even popping up in the PM’s mind and that he should attend to other more important issues. Who says he is not? Why does Mr Mifsud require 954 words in order to ask a simple question? Is this typical of the workings of the MLP? Is it the reason why it takes them so long to arrive at important decisions? Is that the reason why it took them over a year to agree with the PM’s recommendation for the appointment of Auditor General?

I remember the days when 8 September was considered to be our national holiday. Then came Independence, then came Republic Day, then came ‘Jum il-Helsien’ and every important event became a national holiday. Well, darn it, every holiday is a national holiday, be it Christmas, Easter, feast of St Paul, St Joseph the worker etc. Why? Because these holidays are observed by every citizen in Malta and Gozo, so they can be labeled as ‘national’.

The Americans have 4 July as the national holiday but they also have President’s Day, Martin Luther King Day, Memorial Day and a host of other ‘national holidays’ but only 4 July is officially recognised as the National Holiday. So why should Malta be any different? In my opinion 8 September is the oldest national holiday and should be retained as such.

Had Roger Mifsud come out and plainly said that he feared that deciding on which of all holidays should be declared ‘national’ is followed by the removal of the other three or four, then the argument would have taken a different flavour and maybe warranted two or three hundred words, but, nine hundred and fifty four?

Mr Mifsud used a simple question to lead into an outrageous political tirade against the Prime Minister and described Malta as a country of paupers not having enough to pay their electricity bills, among other despairing situations.

Is that why Malta is enjoying the lowest unemployment figures in years? Why is it that there are more gainfully employed, full-time and part-time than ever before? Why well over 200,000 choose to take overseas vacations each year? That is over one half of the whole population! Maybe the other 200,000 are not going anywhere because they are Labour supporters and thus they are refraining in protest?

Be serious, sir!

Joe Martinelli

London,

Ontario

Canada