Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1530259
12 NEWS maltatoday | SUNDAY • 8 DECEMBER 2024 JAMES DEBONO jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt Quarter of MPs are employed with public sector A quarter of Maltese members of parliament depend for their main income on employment with the government, informa- tion tabled in parliament shows. Malta's parliament has 79 MPs – making it the largest ever – of which 20 are employed with the public sector. According to information ta- bled by Prime Minister Robert Abela, seven government MPs and 13 Opposition MPs are em- ployed with the public adminis- tration. Collectively, they equate to 25% of MPs, who depend for their income on the government. Abela was replying to a parlia- mentary question filed by Oppo- sition MP Toni Bezzina, himself being one of the MPs employed with a government entity. Bezzi- na's question was about govern- ment MPs who were employed with the public sector since April 2013. He sought infor- mation on their work arrange- ments, including remuneration and timesheets. The Prime Minister limited his reply to the current crop of MPs, insisting that the request for information was too vast. But Abela took a dig at Bezzina, in- sisting the only thing that he had no problem in finding were Bez- zina's own timesheets "because they are inexistent". Bezzina has been at the centre of criticism by the government with Abela accusing him of not attending his place of work. Bezzina is employed with Infra- structure Malta. In November 2020, then stand- ards commissioner George Hy- zler had ruled the system per- mitting MPs in public sector employment to attend parlia- mentary activities during work- ing hours was being abused. Hyzler had investigated the is- sue after a complaint was raised against Opposition MPs who were allegedly not turning up for their work within the public sec- tor on a regular basis. The allegation is being reiter- ated today and a fresh investiga- tion has been requested on the matter. The rules governing the public sector state that members of par- liament who work in the public sector are entitled to attend par- liamentary activities that take place during office hours. However, Hyzler had found that the system was being abused due to MPs absenting them- selves from work without proper control, even to attend political and constituency activities. Hy- zler said this practice was being tolerated by government entities and showed a "lack of good gov- ernance". He called for clearer rules that made it clear which activities could be attended by MPs dur- ing office hours, and that MPs should not be allowed to absent themselves from work to attend other types of activity. But Hyzler also proposed that all backbench MPs should be given the choice of working full- time as MPs, and those who opt to become full-time MPs should be given a higher pay than those who opt to remain under current parliamentary arrangements as parttime MPs. "If such a system is introduced, the law that permits MPs to con- tinue to work as government employees should be repealed, save that these MPs should have the right to return to their jobs when their term in parliament ends," Hyzler had concluded. KURT SANSONE ksansone@mediatoday.com.mt Original pedestal of Madonna tal- Ahrax statue discovered THE original pedestal of the iconic Madonna tal-Aħrax stat- ue, located near the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception in Mell- ieħa, has been rediscovered. The find has prompted plans for its restoration and the statue's re- location further inland. The statue, dating back to 1870, was originally set atop a masonry pedestal, later encased within a concrete shell. Its condition came to light during dismantling works following concerns about rock fissures threatening the statue's stability. In 2023, the Planning Authority approved relocating the statue a few metres inland to address ge- ological risks identified near its original site. However, further instability, highlighted through satellite imagery studies conduct- ed by the University of Malta's InSAR.SPREAD project, revealed the need for a safer location. This project, supported by IP- AS+ grants, tracked geological movement in the area between 2011 and 2015, identifying dis- placement velocities of up to 10.2mm per year in some areas. During the dismantling of the statue, workers also discovered the original masonry pedestal be- neath the concrete casing. The pedestal, featuring signif- icant historic and cultural value, exhibited deliberate mechanical damage likely inflicted to fit it within the newer structure. The restoration proposal includes stripping paint layers, repairing damaged sections, and recreating missing elements to restore the pedestal's original appearance. The statue and accompanying elements, including a marble plaque and a lantern, were care- fully removed and stored off-site to ensure their preservation. While the original statue remains missing, the current statue, in a relatively good state of conserva- tion, will be reinstated atop the restored pedestal. The lantern, historically significant as an of- fering of gratitude, will be repur- posed as a standalone feature near the monument. The relocation plan ensures the statue retains its visual connec- tion with the surrounding land- scape and its historical alignment with the nearby chapel. The new inland site addresses safety con- cerns while preserving the stat- ue's cultural and devotional sig- nificance. Ivan Castillo, a Nationalist MP from Mellieħa, first raised the is- sue of rock fissures threatening the monument in 2022, urging action to prevent the loss of this 150-year-old cultural treasure. The Planning Authority, in collaboration with the Superin- tendence of Cultural Heritage and the Environment and Re- sources Authority, is expected to approve the proposal on 18 December, in a bid to safeguard this historic landmark for future generations. Photo (left) showing statue on original pedestal which was uncovered (above) under concrete casing following recent works