The 32-year-old Eritrean man who died while trying to save a French tourist in rough seas was laid to rest on Tuesday in a fitting send-off.

His family, his young wife and his friends gathered at the memorial service which was held at the Mater Dei Chapel. This newspaper covered the event and our photographer came back with heart rending images of his wife in mourning and his friends and former co-workers crying. In honouring his memory, we did not use them.

But it did point out a very fitting lesson. While Maltese funerals are organised with pomp (there is nothing wrong with this), this young family had to make do with the hospital chapel and a short service. It kind of puts things into perspective. A young man loses his life to save the life of another. His family and friends bury him, and in the most Spartan of ways. It says a lot about the gulf in standard of living between Maltese and others who have settled here.

But in a sense, Ashih Tekleab Haile was honoured. Interior Minister Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici and Tourism parliamentary secretary Mario de Marco turned up for the ceremony, and well done to them for doing so.

This newspaper chose also not to publish images of these two cabinet members at the service. They did not issue a call for coverage and they did seem to be there with the best and most humble of intentions. They did not do it for media coverage. They did it out of duty, and perhaps even out of genuine remorse. And good on them too.

We are very quick to vilify politicians for being aloof, or arrogant, or whatever. But in cases like this, they do deserve recognition. Granted, their presence will have done nothing to console Ashih’s wife, but they displayed humanity and did what they had to do.

Equally, we must reserve some column space for Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi, who managed to convince hunger striker Emanuel Cini to resume eating once more. This newspaper carried the story on its front page yesterday, and we feel we must commend both Dr Gonzi for taking the time to visit this sick man and hear him vent his views (which were justified) about the Arriva service in the South of Malta.

At a time of political tension, when the ruling party is taking flak left right and centre, it took character to go and visit Cini, convince him to eat, give him a written apology and listen to him. And from this, Dr Gonzi should learn a lesson. Granted, Mr Cini is perhaps an odd character, but his arguments were solid and held water - he was right. It makes no difference how Mr Cini got sick. It also makes no difference that he was a porn star – gay or not. He was right, and he had the courage of his convictions. Dr Gonzi must learn to listen. This was perhaps a learning curve. Being gay, black, white or a Star Wars nerd has no bearing whatsoever on the validity of people’s concerns. Everyone has a voice and the government should dutifully listen, as it did in this case.