Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1130632
18 maltatoday EXECUTIVE EDITOR Matthew Vella MANAGING EDITOR Saviour Balzan Letters to the Editor, MaltaToday, Vjal ir-Rihan, San Gwann SGN 9016 E-mail: dailynews@mediatoday.com.mt Letters must be concise, no pen names accepted, include full name and address maltatoday | SUNDAY • 16 JUNE 2019 14 June, 2009 Anti-racist protest remembers Suleiman SILENCE from the major political parties marked the death of Suleiman Abubaker, the Su- danese immigrant who died on Tuesday of head injuries he sustained in an attack by a bouncer outside Footloose bar, in Paceville on 29 May, as politicians refrained from making any statements on the incident. Abubaker, an immigrant with temporary hu- manitarian status, is believed to have died after being hit by bouncer Duncan Deguara. Deguara was re-arraigned Friday and charged with griev- ously injuring Abubaker. The reaction to the grave incident was marked by a protest march in Paceville organised by Graffitti, which was attended by the GWU, AD, the Labour youth forum and other development NGOs. Questions abound on the assault which led to Abubaker's death, after the Sudanese was al- legedly refused entry into the Paceville bar and attacked by the bouncer. Other sources claim Abubaker was drunk at the time of the attack. Abubaker himself had been the victim of another similar incident, back in July, when he was involved in an altercation with bouncers, and then allegedly suffered police harassment. Speaking to MaltaToday, Footloose owner Teddy Calleja said he could not be held re- sponsible for what happened, saying that bouncer Duncan Deguara was not in his direct employ. "We subcontract our security services. They could have sent anyone else. Duncan is sometimes sent by his employer to work at Havana or Burger King, or anywhere else his employer deems fit," Calleja said. Paceville establishments are generally free to employ anyone to man their doors, although particular clubs prefer to subcontract their security arrangements to firms. Whether or not the firms only employ peo- ple who are licensed security officers, is an- other matter altogether. Calleja denied any allegations of racial dis- crimination at his establishment. "The security company at times sends a black person to stay at the door. Do you think they would send a black person if no black people were allowed to enter my club? I also employ black bartenders and I also host a black DJ from time to time." Calleja also noted that violence did not seem to be Deguara's style. "Although he hadn't been coming for a long time, I always saw Duncan being polite and well-behaved with people. It would have been in my interest to ask my sup- pliers not to send him anymore had I noticed any misbehaviour on his part." It is standard practice for security firms to see that bouncers are properly licensed. The license is obtained upon completion of a basic three-day course. But the law does not clearly lay down an obligation for bouncers to be li- censed. MaltaToday 10 years ago Quote of the Week No more business 'as usual' Editorial "Taking money to allow builders get close to the common wall is akin to accepting being run over by a car if you can't pay back a loan" Planning Ombudsman Alan Saliba THE fact that three buildings have partially col- lapsed in the past two months alone, has made it abundantly clear that all can no longer be 'business as usual' in Malta. If people are not feeling safe in their homes, only a drastic action can restore some faith in the institutions that supposedly exist to protect the public. And government was forced to take the drastic measure to tem- porarily stop all excavation and demolition works across the island: an announcement made by Prime Minister Joseph Muscat on Thursday afternoon, at the start of an emer- gency meeting with stakeholders in the con- struction industry. The meeting was called after a block of apartments collapsed last week in Mellieha, the second incident in as many months. However, the meeting was overshadowed by yet another collapse that same morning in Gwardamanga. By taking decisive action, Muscat has clear- ly read the public mood correctly – albeit very late in the day. That the PA has issued so many permits, and changed policies so as to permit more construction – without addressing the prob- lems of cowboy contractors but also the third party nuisance they create – remains damn- ing on our political system, past and current administrations. It seems that the entire political class is married to business and construction, and has never even cared for any other aspect but to give carte blanche to the industry to keep on 'making hay while it shines': to quote Mal- ta developers' Association Sandro Chetcuti, who also once compared the two parties to 'shopping centres for contractors'. Here one notes the long leash of the con- struction industry, represented by its figure- head Chetcuti, who has long been associated with his proximity to the government as a trusted interlocutor for one of the industries upon which Muscat has built his strategy for economic growth. As the FAA said, although the authorities are trying to shift the blame onto architects, our governments have ignored strong calls for the reform of building regulations since 2007, including from the Chamber of Ar- chitects. Politicians' reluctance to take steps against abuse has been blatant, leaving neigh- bours of construction sites living in fear, wondering "who's next?" In recent years, this Government has allowed developers to run riot, encouraged over-development and sub- sidised the MDA with NGO grants. In all this, Malta's politicians have shown gross irresponsibility to only take action when three buildings collapse in two months – the fact is that ultimate responsibility lies with Malta's political class. While still questioning the extent of dis- ruption created by the sheer scale of develop- ment, one hopes that rule of law in ensuring basic safety is restored through a structured enforcement system – which puts the onus on the developer, not on neighbours who are forced to fork out money to hire architects to protect their own homes. This is a social justice issue, as some people out there cannot afford to do this. Now is also time to demand more restric- tions on noise, unlawful pressures to cede rights and more limits on the time during which construction is allowed. The move to require geological and geo- technical surveys for all excavation works is welcomed; however until immediate enforce- ment, suspension of permits, and punitive measures are made much more severe, the construction industry will continue to un- dermine residents' safety, health, and Malta's heritage. FAA has also called for the introduction of tests of concrete durability, as many residen- tial buildings currently under construction will face major problems in 30 to 40 years due to defective concrete, as highlighted in 2006 by the NGO Sustainable Built Environ- ment Malta. As the Chamber of Planners has also noted, this, once again, calls for proper holistic planning to be reinstated in the country. 15 years ago, a few years after the creation of the Planning Authority, there were a myriad of planning tools which were used in planning: such as Development Briefs, Action Plans, Subject Plans and others. A cursory look at the Planning Authority website shows that apart from one or two cases, the most recent plans are dated almost a decade. The revised Local Plans, which were supposed to be published in 2014, are still on hold. As planners have themselves noted, the lack of comprehensive planning and laissez- faire attitude may be good for the economy but is extremely unhealthy for the country in the medium to long term. Meanwhile, the current spate of construc- tion accidents may be just the tip of a mas- sive iceberg, the impacts of which will start being more evident in the immediate future. Unless proper and comprehensive planning is implemented immediately, it may be too late for our country.