Labour MP Marlene Farrugia was given a hero's welcome this morning when she turned up for a PN activity in Zonqor, Marsascala, protesting over government plans to site a university there.

Dr Farrugia arrived surrounded by party supporters. Some shouted 'kuragg' (courage) as she insisted she was there because she loved all of Malta and that the environment belonged to us all "taghna lkoll".

The PN promoted this morning's activity as a 'non-political' event.

The activity started with a short walk to the site of the proposed university. Some of those present carried placards reading 'Save Zonqor' and 'Zonqor is not for sale.'

The first speech was by University lecturer Josef Vella who expressed concerns over the impact which the American University of Malta would have on the University of Malta and education standards in Malta.

Athlete Jane Caruana, who is studying sustainable tourism, questioned the impact which this and other development on virgin land would have on tourism.

Farmer Wistin Pulis, whose family have been working the land in Zonqor for generations insisted that the land is fertile, and not useless.

"Choose us, not concrete," he pleaded to applause.

"If the government says it will send us elsewhere, why not send the Jordanian investors elsewhere?" he added.

Former University Students' Council president Thomas Bugeja said he had lived in the area all his life. It was no different from other regions and deserved to be protected.

Dr Farrugia, who next took the stage, was greeted with long applause.

She said she was there because she was Maltese and loved Malta.

Her mum, she said, had taught her that Malta l-ewwel u qabel kollox ('Malta first and foremost', Dom Mintoff's signature phrase)

She however also recalled her days in the PN, recalling the many times she sang the party anthem with them.

Dr Farrugia insisted that the natural heritage should be enjoyed by the present generation and pass it on to the next to enjoy it as well.

She was not against investment, she said, but it should not be at the expense of something which money could not buy - the environment.

All people should speak up for their country and its environment. Unbridled development on virgin land would erode Malta and Gozo of their identity.

She said that when party leader Simon Busuttil invited her to the activity, she asked him to be loyal to Malta in opposition and in government. He said he would be loyal to the islands' beauty.

Dr Farrugia said she had worked hard on the basis of Malta Taghna lkoll, a comment greeted with boos, and she went to the activity because she had hope that the area could be saved.

Unfortunately, the government was ready to hand over this green haven to the first investor who came along.

The people, she said, should not be taken in by promises to develop a nature park. This area was already natural and should be protected.

Dr Farrugia stressed there were other viable sites for the university.

She urged her listeners to be true to what was right, and they would eventually triumph, she concluded to cheers.

Dr Busuttil said the people had a duty to safeguard what remained of the natural heritage.

The PN, he said, was calling for a transparent debate on why this site had been selected for the proposed university. Why had it been chosen over other developed, and abandoned, sites? Whose interests was the government furthering or protecting?

Zonqor, he said, to applause, was not for sale. If the government persisted with its plans the PN was prepared to return to the site to voice the people's opposition. It would not allow the governemnt to steamroll over everything and everyone.

Dr Busuttil praised Marlene Farrugia and all others voicing their concerns for their determination and said all should be brave in their defence of what belonged to everyone. 

Masks needed to be dropped and the truth needed to be shown, he insisted.

Dr Busuttil noted that Dr Farrugia had challenged the PN by asking what it would do when in government. This showed how the PN needed to not only be different from the PL, but also the alternative government.

The former PN governments had done a lot of good for the country, but the party recognised that it had also made mistakes, and it had learnt from them, Dr Busuttil said.

"We are learning from our mistakes so as not to repeat them, while Joseph Muscat is learning to make even more serious mistakes," Dr Busuttil said.

"We must declare once and for all that protected sites are truly protected. It is only when there simply is no alternative that ODZ may be used."

Referring to Zonqor, Dr Busuttil said the government would have to listen to the people's cocnerns if there was unity.

He said the government was also moving the goalposts with regard to what qualified as a university. This, too, was a matter of concern. The Opposition in parliament was therefore challenging a legal notice which changed the university recognition requirements.