Six organisations committed to the development of the Maltese language said today they did not agree with the setting up of consultative committee to change the Maltese Language Act, insisting that the National Council for the Maltese Language enjoyed strong support.
The Akkademja tal-Malti, the university’s Għaqda tal-Malti, the Għaqda tal-Qarrejja tal-Provi, the university’s Department of Maltese, the university’s Institute of Linguistics and the Junior College Department of Maltese said that a public consultation exercise, open to everyone and attended by about 200 people, already took place on November 7.
“This exercise manifested clearly the opinions and aspirations of a wide range of people. We do not agree with changes which will weaken the Maltese Language Act.”
This public forum, the organisations said, wholeheartedly supported the National Council for Maltese and its work. This council, an autonomous organ, was the highest authority in Malta on Maltese, and its members together with the committees which it set up, were specialists in their field and worked on a voluntary basis.
“We who in our associations and institutions are involved in working for the development of Maltese in all sectors, strongly disagree that measures through which the Council’s autonomy would be whittled away and its work hindered, should be implemented by whatever government happens to be in power, irrespective of its intentions.”
The organisations noted that the Maltese Language Act was unanimously passed in Parliament in 2004.
“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.”
The organisations noted that the Education Minister had often declared that the council was doing sterling work, but the setting up of this committee indicated to the contrary.
“After the government itself convened a national forum to consult the Maltese public, we expect it to accept the proposals which were presented at this same forum, and to refrain from introducing measures which will weaken an Act and a council which have been so beneficial for the development of the national language in these last few years.
“We support every genuine attempt to strengthen Maltese but we insist that the National Council for the Maltese Language already has the necessary structures enabling it to increase and consolidate the level of representation within it, and we fail to understand why the Maltese Language Act should be changed to allow for this consolidation to take place,” they said.
COMMITTEE WILL STRENGTHEN COUNCIL - MINISTRY
In a reply, the ministry said the process would be strengthening the work of the council while improving the language.
Every public entity had the duty to listen to the public and consult and this was what the committee would be doing.