Home Affairs Minister Emanuel Mallia tore into the Opposition’s criticism of the Armed Forces of Malta, saying it was wrong for shadow minister Jason Azzopardi to expect the minister to act as Dr Azzopardi wanted, as if the PN were still in government.
The minister deplored the Opposition’s negative attitude and destructive criticism, its attacks on individuals and important institutions including the AFM. The Opposition could still not understand that the people did not want this type of behaviour.
It seemed that for the Opposition, low-ranking officials had to obey orders issued by their superiors while high-ranking officers could act as if they were above the law. Instead of promoting discipline, the Opposition encouraged a deputy commander not to report for duty elsewhere but to resign and benefit from a deputy commander’s pension.
Dr Mallia said he had never asked for the resignation of former AFM commander Martin Xuereb.
However, when he showed interest in another vacancy, on which an agreement was reached, the Nationalist Party and bloggers criticised the commander.
Consequently, he requested to be released from his contract.
For the PN, only its own style of administration was permissible, Dr Mallia said, adding he had always acted according to the powers granted to him by law.
The Opposition sought to depict a deplorable image of the armed forces. However, the 150 recruits doing well showed otherwise.
The former commander had declared that for the first time, the AFM was meeting the police and secret service to solve problems.
Dr Mallia said it was wrong, even morally, to attack a person who deserved a promotion in order to destroy him. He appealed for constructive criticism to reign.
Referring to promotions given under PN administrations, Dr Mallia said a senior advisory committee had been set up and a points system used.
This system involved a high official who determined who should go abroad and attend staff colleges, without holding interviews.
It meant only people who attended staff colleges would have the highest number of points, while those who never attended could not be promoted, which was unjust.
On the other hand, the Labour government had already declared that it would eliminate all injustices without creating new ones.
He could not understand why the previous government sent the Maritime Squadron’s commander and deputy major to attend courses unrelated to maritime affairs.
He condemned Dr Azzopardi for criticising AFM members who risked their lives to save others.
This was unacceptable, he said. It was an issue of safeguarding the security of the Maltese people.
He recalled during an EU Council of Ministers, Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom told him she was working at a burden sharing solution but that other countries were not keen.
Dr Mallia had pointed out that those arriving in Malta, even without the closed centre, felt detained as their right to freedom of movement was questionable.
During the first relocation committee meeting, he suggested a task force with Italian Interior Minister Alfano. He questioned what brownie points Dr Azzopardi had earned by saying this had not been down to him, and emphasised that it was a joint effort.
He was still holding discussions with Dott. Alfano on Malta’s participation in Mare Nostrum; the two sought to extend this concept to other European countries. As a result of their talks, since January Italy had taken in 20,000 irregular migrants while Malta had 80.
The Armed Forces of Malta (Amendment) Bill under discussion, Dr Mallia said, was important insofar as it brought down the minimum enlisting age for the AFM to 18 in line with the UN convention.
He said that in truth, this should have been done six years ago.