Aesop’s ancient fable about the goose that laid the golden eggs has had numerous versions in different languages over the centuries, with subsequent translations sometimes substituting the goose with a hen, chicken and even birds. In all of them, however, there is the stark warning against greed. But for the president of the Malta Developers Association to come out citing it in the immediate aftermath of the Hamrun tragedy inevitably provoked a feeling of sheer public revulsion.

This was specifically a case of someone pulling off both of his sodden socks and thrusting them straight into his mouth. At a time of human loss and devastation the least thing people want to hear about is the lustre of economic success or the sheepish defence of an industry, with all its satellite services, for far too long accused of abuse and disregard to regulations.

The MDA quickly resorted to damage repair with a statement that, in my opinion, still left the wound wide open, besides seeking to subtly shift the blame elsewhere. It insisted the tragedy could have been avoided if those responsible for the works ensured that they observe the existing regulations, professional ethics and enforcement. That is the government, the architects, the regulators and the Police all rolled into one convenient package for public dissertation. Easy, no?

How much more down-to-earth, how much wiser the Prime Minister’s reaction to the tragedy was in Parliament last Tuesday. Instead of trying to play with words and emotions or waving the political card, Robert Abela chose to get into the heart of the matter, rightly admitting institutions have been too slow in moving and lamenting how in two similar cases there have actually been no arraignments in Court. In a nutshell, each and every party concerned with the construction industry has to pull its socks up, rather than doing the Chetcuti thing with them, and make sure such tragedies become a thing of the past. Prime Minister Abela’s comment that “economic growth cannot take place at the expense of human life” was the perfect retort to the golden eggs story.

Same as I’m doing, after all, people have been pointing fingers at everyone and everything, a spontaneous response to the loss of a loved one, let alone the total destruction of one’s home of many years. The TVM newsroom promptly came up with a follow-up story depicting the concern of many residents around the island who have ongoing excavation and other construction works taking place next to their homes. It is not easy for ordinary working people and pensioners to launch a complicated and costly legal process involving sundry actors in this daily drama, from super-rich developers and contractors to architects, surveyors and even the monster-machine pushers.

TVM cited cases taken from social media posts of persons commenting that work taking place next door to their homes is not being done properly, with complaints to the contractors involved being ignored. Others alleged that certain works are not being done in conformity with the law. These are often senior citizens living on their own or their worried relatives, lonely housewives and widows happy just to have peace of mind in their own home. We all have our personal stories of the bullying tactics used to “convince” residents into selling off their homes (to the neighbourhood project developers, of course) and to move elsewhere before the iron monsters blast into the scene.

One widow of my acquaintance had the developer demanding she sold him her place, a 70s-style abode where she raised a loving family with her late husband or else face the fury of excavation and construction that was bound to happen soon at the very back of her house, with the obvious dangers to life and limb. She has since chosen to accept his price and move on, much to the delight of the developer who had earlier bought, probably using the same method, half the homes in the same street.

What scares many people from taking a stronger issue with next-door developers is not merely the threatening tone they often have to endure, but also the cost and duration of stopping the project by making legal objections. How many widows and senior citizens can afford to do what the owner of a popular bar in St Julian’s managed to achieve by successfully refusing to baulk at the immensity of a construction project right on top of his place, even if, with hindsight, one has to ask how safe was it to watch the new building coming up as people walked in and out for their habitual coffee break?

This evil merry-go-round has to be suppressed. Professional ethics are not exclusive to university degree theses, particularly in the architects’ case. The issue of architects actually donning two hats – that of designer and developer – has rightly been brought up and it is time for our legislators to seriously and urgently look into it. Yes, the Chamber of Architects has to have its say, but let’s be forthright and willing to change things for the better. An architect, who signs his professional approval to a project in which he is directly involved as a partner/investor, is no longer acceptable.

People’s anger will soon start to fade as their attention swings to other urgent needs in life, but a solemn promise, a kind of oath, has now been made on the sad and tragic death of Miriam Pace whose only ambition in life, like that of most ordinary citizens, was to enjoy the sanctity of her home where she daily waited for her husband to return from work and happily greeted her two grown-up children. This nation cannot have a worse stain on its conscience.

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Snickering Reality

Small languages and small-language users, including Maltese and the vast majority of Maltese, are often the butt of jokes. While we do need to have a sense of humour, there are linguistic sensitivities one ought to be aware of, particularly in our case as a bilingual nation which rightly demands respect for both the national language and its official twin.

I was intrigued the other day by a UK media story about how the producers of Snickers chocolate have had to apologise for what was deemed a misjudged tweet comparing Welsh place names such as Llanfairpwllgwyngyll and Rhosllanerchrugog to “someone who sat on a keyboard”. The post provoked fury from many users who accused the chocolate company of racism and xenophobia. An over-reaction?

While many Maltese can identify with this story, they are more concerned by the rapid decline in both quality and substance of Maltese in the media, more so in broadcasting. They demand to know, for example, why most telephone numbers, dress sizes, age and days of the week, even in many governmental ads, during Maltese language programmes on radio and TV, are being announced solely in English. Has the Broadcasting Authority given up on its constitutional responsibilities?