Mark Camilleri is considered by many to be a controversial figure, but his comments during an interview with The Malta Independent on Sunday left much for people to consider.

During the interview he spoke about corruption. He made a number of statements which should hold true. First of all, he said that public officials have a duty to speak out against those who are tarnishing the country’s reputation. Malta would be a far better country than it currently is if more public officials followed such a belief.

The countless corruption scandals over the years due to the actions by those in government and their appointees has left a hole in this country. The people have become numb to scandal because of their actions or, in certain instances, inaction. This resulted in the magnitude and scale of the scandals worsening over time, as those at the heart of them got away with it freely simply because their colleagues or higher-ups were wither too scared to take action or were complicit or guilty of something else themselves.

It is easy for some to blame past PN administrations, using the excuse ‘but they did x, y and z’. The fact remains that the PN was voted out in 2013. That excuse is no longer valid.

“If you’re a public servant and your superiors are embroiled in corruption, we have a duty to speak out because this affects us all. At the end of the day, I form part of the government system. If the government is not functioning well because of corruption it is also in my interest to speak up. If we do not, it might seem as if all of us are in it for personal gain, to meet with big businesses and take their money. The country needs great reforms on tackling corruption, and this is in everyone’s interest.” This is one quote from the Mark Camilleri interview. His statement is one all public officials should heed.

Camilleri had said that he knew there was corruption in the country prior to the assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, and that the assassination became a catalyst for change.

It must be said that the very fact that it took a murder to start waking people up is a sad thing indeed. Perhaps, if people didn’t feel they could get away with such things in the first place, she would still be alive today. She has now become a symbol of justice and of the search for truth.

“I want to see the PL become a clean party. I’m not giving up on this. I want to see the party change and remove those who became a part of it to gain from corruption,” Camilleri said. All PL officials should be fighting for this goal.

The country cannot let itself return to the state it was in and must move forward. Corruption must have no place in Malta, and all ministers, MPs, public officials embroiled in scandal must be weeded out and cast out of public office. The country has been through enough, and the country’s leaders who truly have the country at heart must never allow corruption to reign supreme again.

The country has slowly started to regain its reputation, but certain actions by some ministers still raise eyebrows and cast shadows. Prime Minister Robert Abela has made changes which are to be applauded, but at the same time the actions of some have raised questions as to whether or not he is the kind of Prime Minister who will take action or rather let things slide. Allowing things to slide was what led the country down the path of countless scandals.