Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1163844
25 OPINION served the general concept of having areas of land that could not be developed under any circumstances. A lot less land, perhaps; but 'ODZ areas' still existed after 2006. Labour's policies, on the other hand, have managed to erode even that meagre little precaution. With the PA now approving ODZ permits like it was the latest planning fashion – and, even more damningly, with the Appeals Board behav- ing like its sole reason for ex- istence was to overturn most of the 30% of applications that actually get rejected – we can't even realistically say that we have any non-developable land at all. Never mind 'extending by a single metre' – there is not a single square inch of Malta's entire territory that we can safely declare to be safe from construction havoc in fu- ture. Anyone can apply for a development permit, literally anywhere they like (note: the PA doesn't even look into such issues as whether the ap- plicant owns the land, or has a legal right to develop it)… and, statistically speaking, they have a 70% chance of getting their permit approved: either immediately, or on appeal. All the same, however: the MEPA demerger, on its own, cannot be held responsible for the full extent of the rape of Malta's countryside right now. Another thing Borg conveniently omitted from his calculations were his own gov- ernment's direct contributions to this development frenzy: largely (but not exclusively) in the form of infrastructural projects. Before we even get to the Central Link project – which, paradoxically, represents an even greater loss of ODZ land (mostly agricultural) than the 2006 extension – there's the minor detail of Muscat's gov- ernment unilaterally choosing an ODZ site, at Zonqor Point, for the American University of Malta campus (speaking of which: how many square metres was that, does Ian Borg reckon? More, or less than one?). The real problem with that decision, however, was not the choice of land itself; but the justification. Joseph Muscat candidly admitted that he chose that parcel of land – and not, say, another within the development zone – precisely because the land was 'undevel- opable', and therefore 'cheap'. How's that for 'not extend- ing the development zones by a metre'? Leaving aside that Muscat also coined an entirely new definition for 'undevelop- able', right there… the entire approach simply razed the entire concept of 'protected' land to the ground. If even our government con- siders pristine, virgin land to be there only for the purposes of speculative development… how can we begrudge any old average 'kuntrattur' for rea- soning the same way? I reckon that is partly what Sandro Chetcuti meant, when he urged the members of his Malta Developers' Association to 'make hay while the sun shines'. (And boy, have they made a lot of hay…) Coming back to the original question, though: suddenly, it doesn't quite matter all that much who was 'first' to embark on such an insidious, ruinous strategy. The fun- damentally more important question, at this stage, is… who is responsible for it now? maltatoday | SUNDAY • 8 SEPTEMBER 2019 We have to fight for our Maltese language Evarist Bartolo Evarist Bartolo is Minister for Education and Employment With the PA now approving ODZ permits like it was the latest planning fashion, we can't even realistically say that we have any non- developable land at all WHAT language do you speak? That is one of the first questions foreign- ers ask when us Maltese are abroad. They are fascinated by it, especially the astute ones who realise it's not Arabic. As Maltese, I think all of us have gone through this, we proudly explain that our language is a bit of a mix, derived from centuries of exposure to different languages and joined into one. We then explain to them that, yes, we're under half a million and yes we do have our own language. The Maltese language is very close to our hearts as a country, because it gives us identity. It's part of our DNA, and in a way it is exactly that. It's the story of a country and of a society that faced different obstacles throughout its journey. I think it goes deeper. It's what differed us from our colonial masters. It's what brought us together over time, and made us who we are. Today, the Maltese language is facing serious challenges. A more cosmo- politan Malta is bringing new levels of standards in Malta, and that is positive. It's good to have a less insular Malta, who can compete on the global stage. But it also means that Maltese is fast becoming an afterthought. The most pressing issue here is that it's not a case that someone decided that Maltese is no longer needed, but it's more a case of a death by a thousand cuts. This is because the people coming to Malta to work are using English. The outcome of this can be seen every- where: in offices, restaurants, schools and across society. The second most pressing issue is technology. You switch on your phone and it's in English. You google in Eng- lish. You play games on your tablet in English. YouTube videos, so crucial for young children, are in English. You type something in Maltese on your comput- er or phone, and it assumes it's English and tries to correct it. Technology is pushing us to use English and many are succumbing to it. I even dare say that, in a way, there's almost no chance of escaping it. This is the context of the challenge in front of us, and the Maltese language needs radical policies to bring back some balance into the equation. Earlier this week we launched a con- sultation policy on the Maltese language in schools and on top of the agenda is that all those who follow the national curriculum must learn Maltese. I know this may be partly unpopular by some, but I think it is a must. If you were in Germany or France there would be no discussion about this. In my view, if you are a foreigner who settles in Malta the least you can do is learn Maltese. Learning the local language means that you're adapting to the local com- munity, and that is a crucial element in settling in. Integration is a two-way street. I think as Maltese we've been very welcoming and accommodating over the years to such an influx, but the other side must also work towards achieving a common goal. On the educational side, we do have the responsibility of making sure that the curriculum being offered to foreign- ers learning Maltese for the first time is sensible, adequate and gives them a fair shot of actually learning the language. In the UK, the English language is taught in seemingly infinite ways to cater for the different audience, and we must add that flexibility to Maltese so that we are successful in getting more people to learn it. This sometimes has been interpreting as dumbing down, but I reject the notion. It simply means that we are understanding the context in front of us and adopting a strategy to make sure we reach these young children and help them learn Maltese in their own way, based on their differing circumstances. The end goal is, ultimately, for them to be as proficient as possible in the Maltese language. This alone is not a miracle cure that will solve all problems. There's still a lot to be done, and as I said earlier, tech- nology is another huge challenge that we must confront. However the first steps are being taken in education and valuing our own language is the next step. Each and every Maltese person has the duty to cherish his or her language, and extend what is ultimately the DNA of a popula- tion into the next decades.