Six organisations committed to the development of the Maltese language are protesting the setting up of a consultative committee to make changes to the law.
The Akkademja tal-Malti, the university’s Għaqda tal-Malti, Għaqda tal-Qarrejja tal-Provi, Department of Maltese and Institute of Linguistics, as well as the Junior College’s Department of Maltese said in a statement that a public consultation meeting attended by 200 people had taken place last month.
“This exercise manifested clearly the opinions and aspirations of a wide range of people. We do not agree with changes that will weaken the Maltese Language Act.”
The Act was unanimously passed in Parliament in 2004. The organisations said the National Council for Maltese – an autonomous organ and the highest authority on the Maltese language – enjoyed wholehearted support.
Pointless changes turn the clock back by several years, to the time when whoever wrote in Maltese was always uncertain in the face of contrasting opinions
The continuous consultation that the council undertook with different sectors of society was an integral part of the way it functioned and reflected the spirit and the letter of the Act, they said.
“We do not agree that there should be any changes to important decisions taken by the council on written Maltese following a wide consultation exercise under the guidance of language specialists. All those who use Maltese know that these decisions present clear rules. Pointless changes turn the clock backwards by several years, to the time when whoever was writing in Maltese was always uncertain in the face of contrasting opinions – often reached capriciously – by a few individuals.
“This is something which those who have at heart the development of Maltese as a modern language definitely reject,” they said in a statement.
While supporting attempts to strengthen Maltese, the associations insisted that the council already had the necessary structures to increase and consolidate its level of representation, and they failed to understand why the Act should be changed to allow for this consolidation.