Prime Minister Joseph Muscat should make a guarantee that the Żonqor area will not be handed over to "Jordanian speculators" for the development of a planned American University of Malta, shadow minister for the environment Marthese Portelli said this morning.

At a press conference held in the Nationalist Party headquarters, Dr Portelli said that the area being proposed for the development was virgin land of ecological and scientific importance, and insisted that it should be left untouched.

The MP noted that a "huge movement" was forming in opposition to the plans, including environmental NGOs, hunters, the Archbishop of Malta, university students, the Malta Chamber, the Malta Employers' Association and farmers.

She stressed that even Labour politicians were joining the fray, including the deputy mayor of Marsascala and MP Marlene Farrugia, before adding that in yesterday's edition of Times Talk, even Education Minister Evarist Bartolo - "one of the most trusted members of Muscat's cabinet" - repeatedly said that an alternative site should be found.

This, she said, left Dr Muscat with no option but to come forward and scrap plans to build at Żonqor point.

"I hope that common sense prevails and Żonqor Point is left to the enjoyment of everyone," Dr Portelli said.

The PN has proposed the former Petroleum Division site in Birżebbuġa as an alternative site, although the government has dismissed this proposal.

Planning spokesman Ryan Callus, however, once more spoke in favour of using the Birżebbuġa site, noting that the proposal was backed by respected engineer Roberto Ghirlando.

While the MP conceded that the site required decontamination before it was reused, it was an ideal site, as it had already been developed, and would be available soon.

Mr Callus insisted that the PN was in favour of such projects, but opposed harming the environment to reach their aims, and said that the Birżebbuġa site hit two birds with one stone.

Questioned on the suitability of the site - in light of the government's dismissal - Mr Callus retorted by pointing out that there were no studies which determined that Birżebbuġa could not host the university.

He also argued that the government should have first determined which sites were available in development zones before possibly considering other areas.