Former Labour Party Minister and parliamentary Speaker Daniel Micallef has passed away at the age of 94.

Micallef, a doctor, was born on 8 June 1928 in Rabat and was first elected to Parliament in 1962 with the Christian Workers Party – which was set up in Opposition of Dom Mintoff’s Labour Party.

However he resigned from the CWP in 1966 and was embraced into the Labour Party, with whom he continued to be elected to Parliament in 1971, 1976, 1981, and 1986 and served as Speaker of Parliament between 1982 and 1986.

As Speaker he was thrust into the limelight during one of Malta’s biggest constitutional crises, when the PN boycotted the opening of Parliament in February 1982 in protest against the controversial election result some months prior.

Micallef ultimately unseated all 31 PN MPs, later arguing that he was obliged by law to take that decision, however he recounted in an interview years later that he was integral in getting the PN MPs back into Parliament months later.

He was appointed as Minister of Education, Culture and Environment in 1986, but the tenure was short-lived as the PL lost the general election the following year.

Prime Minister Robert Abela said on social media that Micallef was a doctor loved by many and said that he would not be forgotten thanks to his solid principles and thanks to his insistence on the environment for many years.

PL deputy leader, his nephew and namesake Daniel Micallef also announced the news on social media.