“History will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the strident clamour of the bad people but the appalling silence of the good people” – Martin Luther King, Jr.

The Sliema local council has clearly not covered itself in glory. Many of us have come to accept that there is no point expecting better. This leads all too easily to disenchantment instead of pressing for change. I myself have been guilty of the same. This time, however, we must surely act.

I believe that if we do not alter course, Sliema risks the same fate as our capital city. We cannot allow Sliema, Malta’s pre-eminent town on so many scores, to become another victim of its own attractions and then have to resuscitate it.

While over the past 50 years our country has progressed in many areas, Sliema has suffered the brunt of what is incorrectly assumed to be an inevitable result of that progress. That said, we must safeguard the elements which give Sliema its unique vibrancy. The cafès, shops, offices and recreational areas, are all an intrinsic part of Sliema’s appeal. Ultimately, what keeps a town alive are the people who live there.

The residents’ interests have to be at the forefront; this has clearly not been the case.

Some of my initial thoughts include introducing a rational residents’ parking scheme; better management of wardens who right now seem to be capable of only punishing severely petty offences and overlooking the more serious ones; improved cleanliness; higher quality paving, lighting, more greenery and routine repairs and maintenance; greater coordination between different government and NGO service providers; optimising the use of EU and central government funds; preserving and meticulously restoring sites such as the chalet; strict timeframes and quality control of work completions; revisiting the Malta Environment and Planning Authority’s plan for Sliema through a joint committee; a continuous minimum 12-hour daily answering service by the council and greater resident participation in council decisions through digital communications.

It is now time to take Sliema to a better level. Do not waste the opportunity.