With its economic, political and environmental upheavals, 2009 was what the Queen would describe as annus horribilis. The Sunday Times takes a look at those who cannot wait for the year to be over and the ones who rode the waves.
A good year for:
George Abela
After losing out on his bid for the Labour Party leader's post in 2008, the former Football Association boss suddenly found himself in a more secure and comfortable seat, when out of the blue he was elected President of the Republic - and Malta enjoyed a rare show of political consensus.
Marco Cremona
The tireless hydrologist (whose Hoter project recycles 80 per cent of waste water) has been showered with local and international acclaim, establishing himself as arguably the top water expert in Malta. When he is not dipping his fingers in water, he is found climbing the world's mountain peaks.
John Dalli
Despite being politically ostracised for three years, the Qormi-born accountant made a quick return to government, started revamping the health sector and has now been nominated as Malta's next EU Commissioner. Conveniently pushed aside by Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi? Perhaps. But in the meantime he has landed one of Europe's most lucrative jobs.
Amy Zahra
After losing her legs and fingers to meningitis, the girl who captured the nation's heart also suffered kidney failure. But following a successful operation, that transplanted the kidney donated by her father, and with the help of prosthetics, the 24-year-old fought back, even setting up an amputee support group for fellow sufferers.
Animals
After years of apathy, stray animals had something to bark about thanks to the hands-on approach adopted by the Animal Welfare Department, which has swooped down on several illegal compounds. Much more needs to be done but awareness about animal cruelty has never been so high.
Joseph Calleja
The man with the golden voice is capping another successful year with a sold out concert in Malta last July and a rousing ovation for his title role in Offenbach's Les Contes d'Hoffman at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. For once, it is foreign artists who are queuing up to perform with a local talent.
Aaron Ciantar
After securing his second world title in front of a home crowd at the Powerboat P1 Supersport, Ciantar once again became the most successful sportsman in a little-known sport. He was recently signed up as his Ukrainian Team's man in its Evolution Class championship in 2010 - more titles beckon.
Joanna Drake
The head of the European Commission's representative office in Malta climbed further up the EU ladder when she was appointed director within the Commission's Directorate for Enterprise, becoming the first Maltese to make it to the top echelons of the EU civil service.
A bad year for:
Noel Arrigo
The disgraced former Chief Justice was imprisoned for his part in bribery to reduce a convicted drug trafficker's term. The trial only helped to expose the severity of the case which rocked the judiciary.
Freddie Fenech
The well-known dog carer turned from hero to villain overnight, when his association volunteers filed a police report alleging he was siphoning off funds and of cruelty to animals.
Arnold Cassola
The former Italian parliamentarian's hopes of repeating the 2004 European Parliament performance failed spectacularly in the June elections. Coupled with equally bad results at local council level, he handed Alternattiva Demokratika's baton to Michael Briguglio.
Tonio Fenech
Apart from struggling to keep a lid on the country's finances, in the wake of the international recession, and overseeing the VAT department scandal, the Finance Minister was embroiled in his own fair share of controversy, including an ill-judged trip to a football match with two prominent businessmen.
Lawrence Gonzi
As he tried to cushion the impact of recession, and a heavy defeat at the European elections, the Prime Minister spent a few uncomfortable weeks trying to keep under control disgruntled backbenchers in a party enjoying a mere one-seat majority in Parliament.
Jason Micallef
Labour's general secretary was pushed to give up his post a year after being reconfirmed. He was evidently not amused at the move, describing himself as a scapegoat for last year's election defeat, amid a public fallout with party president Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi.
Michael Mifsud
The prolific goalscorer is still without a club after falling out with Coventry FC's bosses. Speculation linking him with top Maltese clubs and foreign teams has been rife, but the longer he takes to sign up, the quicker he is bound to lose the title as the greatest ever Maltese footballer.
Victor Scerri
The Nationalist Party president resigned his post when his property development in a sensitive area in Baħrija came under attack by environmentalists and the Labour opposition. Despite not holding a party post, he has spent months defending the ongoing works.