The association of former MPs has lashed out against a decision taken by the Nationalist Party and the Partit Demokratiku to stop a special pension being given to members who were in parliament for just one legislature.

Addressing a press conference., former Labour MP Lino Debono said that since MPs give so much to the country and render themselves almost prostitutes to their voters, they should be compensated for their sacrifices.

According to Mr Debono, the amendments to the law were going to rectify "an injustice" so that MPs who only spent one legislature would receive an extra pension over and above the national one.

Asked how he could justify that politicians could be put into some special category of class over the rest of the population, Mr Debono said that MPs were privileged as they serve the public.

Mr Debono criticised The Sunday Times of Malta for revealing the amount of special pensions given to former MPs stating that this was "sensational".

He admitted that in the case of former judge and MP Philip Sciberras, the government's Treasury officials objected to a privileged pension as they deemed he did not qualify.

Mr Debono said that the Treasury was overruled when his association asked for a legal position from the attorney general who agreed with the former MP.