While I agree entirely with Anne Fenech in her article ‘No Flag of Convenience’, in which she states that Malta is today the largest flag in Europe, she must surely admit that at the beginning the Malta Flag was considered a flag of convenience.

The Directorate of Shipping at the time was so keen on making money and beating other maritime nations in terms of tonnage that it accepted any ships, even those considered as scrap.

Times have changed and the Malta Flag is now considered as respectable. But I cannot help comparing the previous situation with the current passport controversy. The haste to sell passports for a pittance, €650,000, reminds me of the time when the Malta Flag used to be one of convenience. Dom Mintoff came to mind. I wonder what price he would have put on a Maltese passport if he were still alive. He must be turning in his grave.