Australian Aboriginal languages, of which it is believed there were some 300 varieties, were never written down in some 40 millennia. The many varieties of the Berber family of languages, still used to this day in north Africa, remain largely unwritten.

My point is that formalising languages into a regulated structure, mostly for convenience, merely provides guidelines for general usage and comprehension of a particular code of human communication.

Grammars should not be used as some kind of 'final solution' to regulate and regularise any linguistic form, the creation of what is ultimately humankind's imperfect attempt at communicating verbally. Concepts are initially expressed verbally; the oral form always preceding the written. The resultant written expression is man's attempt at 'permanentising' what would otherwise dissipate and risk being forgotten.

Since 1924, it has been implicitly agreed for Maltese that etymology should never stand in the way of phonetics and that we should not seek to emulate what other linguists are planning for their own languages in respect of outside influences; in our case mainly Italian and English and to a lesser extent Arabic.

It seems the brilliant spadework of the late Prof. Joseph (Gużé) Aquilina is being slowly but progressively sidelined to instil a new form of orthography. This approach can only lead to even more ridiculous, embarrassing, offensive and destructive forms of Maltese orthography and expression.

All this, despite the obvious goings on within this very tiny circle of diehards, is instituted by decree (i.e. with the consent and ascent of the parliament through legislation), thus lumbering the nation and 'Greater Malta' so disrespectfully with a system that throws into question the whole gamut of brilliant scholarship laid down logically, clearly and scientifically by Aquilina.

The Kunsill Nazzjonali tal-Malti, through its Deċiżjonijiet 1, which unashamedly describes its formulators and collaborators as "experts", has alienated and insulted the great majority of many well-meaning scholars and writers of Maltese. Considering the urgency and seriousness of this national concern, I call upon the government and the opposition to abolish the council by repealing the legislation that created this monstrosity and to reconstitute the Akkademja tal-Malti in a way that restores it to its former dignified role.

It is incumbent upon all those concerned with the dissemination and planning of Maltese (i.e. the entire Maltese media - TV, radio, print, internet, etc.), all teachers of Maltese, writers/authors, serious thinkers, all local intellectuals who care, to rally to this clarion call in opposing this dictatorial, arrogant and unacceptable approach to what constitutes a rehash of our indigenous language - the only real, actual and true icon which gives us our unique identity as Maltese within the family of nations.

The silence within the dissenting ranks beguiles me no end. While I sense from certain quarters a reluctance to speak out for fear of retribution and/or falling out with long-time friendships, this must never be allowed to overrule our national sentiments. What magnifies the severity of this impasse is that many of the silent dissidents are so highly placed that they are beyond any political vindictive reach of any assailants of our treasured Maltese tongue.

If the council is allowed to continue legislating through Parliament and thereby imposing its deviant newfangled ideas onto our language system, we may as well tear up all previous works on Maltese by the entire academe of scholars, beginning with Vassalli, De Soldanis and Panzavecchia, right down to Cremona, Saydon, Aquilina et al, pack our bags and go home; to wherever that nondescript 'home' happens to be in the imagination of these nouveaux intellectuelles.

All that has been said here will be meaningless if silence remains the choice of our leading intellectuals who in the past have devoted a lifetime of effort and devotion towards the promotion and cultivation of our rich and mature Maltese language.

This question, being a matter of national concern, having reached this level of severity and beyond dialogue (the legislation put a stop to dialogue), must be remedied immediately by the entire political movement to arrest the council's insidious assault on Maltese, thus restoring the rightful respect and dignity to the Maltese people who ultimately are the sole originators and guardians of our treasured national icon.