Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1196490
21 LETTERS & EDITORIAL maltatoday | SUNDAY • 29 DECEMBER 2019 Mikiel Galea Letters & Clarifications Malta: a failing state MALTA is a failing state for the righteous and those of good will who toil relentlessly for their daily bread, only to be reprimanded heavily for some petty misdeed. The crumbling Republic is a failing project for those who have to endure unfair treatment on their workplace due to the presence of pompous of- ficials, as jobs are dished out unde- servedly. The tiny island is failing the side- lined qualified rank who feel discon- nected with the debased political parties that rule over the compliant electorate with arrogance and self- interest. It is time for the downtrodden to seek justice and to hold those con- cerned accountable for their actions. The social contract has been ripped apart and any change of leadership is superfluous. The time is ripe for the intellectual mass to shun the politi- cal class and lead the Maltese islands for the common good. The writing is on the wall: Mene, Tekel, Upharsen carry weight and the Black Swan has emerged on our horizons to alert the strategic mind to think the unthink- able. David Rossi Via email Sale of citizenship criticised for partisan interests MUCH is being said about party- political reasons for selling citizen- ship. Those in the business know well enough that many countries are actively promoting the sale of citi- zenship because of the attraction to investment into their country and the general benefits gained. Coun- tries like Portugal, Spain, the USA and the United Kingdom are among the leaders in the trade. One may ask: if others can do it, why cannot we? The reason may be because in our country the idea came up by a Labour administration and the Nationalist Opposition seems to put political jealousy before the eco- nomic interests of our country. Shame on them for this and for the fanatic political division they keep creating in our beloved small nation. John Camilleri Mellieha Crisis hotline up until 6 January BEYOND partridge and pear trees, Christmas is not merry for all. Ac- cording to Malta's only 24/7 cri- sis team, Crisis Resolution Malta (CRM), about 300 people will get in touch over the 12 days of Christmas. As CRM celebrates its 10th anni- versary in 2020, there are a number of exciting projects lined up to help those who see no scope in living. For starters, CRM is holding its 3rd con- secutive 'Suicide watch 12' (SW12) spanning around Christmas Day till the 6th January, the 12 days of Christmas. Qualified crisis professionals who are always on call throughout the year, will pay extra attention over Christmas to continue to offer free support to those in distress and to their loved ones. Locally about 20-40 die by suicide annually. If for every suicide there are 20 who self-harm, then up to 800 self-harm every year. Those who think about self-harm are even more in number. Further- more, if up to six loved ones are negatively affected by suicide and self-harm, then approximately 5,000 family members, partners and friends are potentially crippled for life. They are themselves at risk of suicide, mental illness, unemployment, drop- ping out of education and marginali- sation. During the past decade, on-call CRM professionals handled over 66,000 crisis calls (each call lasting 20 minutes to an hour), 43,000 texts, WhatsApp and Facebook messages and some 9,000 emails. If you or a loved one are in crisis, call our free 24/7 consultation cri- sis line (+356 99339966), email us on crisismalta@gmail.com or get in touch via Facebook (Crisis Resolu- tion Malta). Just reaching out to someone, lis- tening and staying with them until you seek help is all that is needed for you to form part of our crisis team. Let's save lives together. Dr Mark Xuereb, Founder, Fondazzjoni Sokkors Fil-Pront