Sleepwalking into a societal nightmare
Maltese society is changing fast and, in most ways, not for the better.
The government keeps flaunting record economic growth, high employment, and perceived financial affluence. Still, most people are worried about the deterioration in their well-being as they increasingly suffer from excessive construction, air and noise pollution, and a lack of open and green spaces.
The University of Malta carried out a study aimed to assess the eastern region’s residents’ perceived quality of life, liveability, and social integration.
The headline finding is that more than two out of three residents fret about the way their quality of life is being threatened by man-made problems linked to promoting more unbridled economic and population growth.
The findings of the study, carried out in the eastern part of the island, can be extrapolated to the whole country. For instance, last Wednesday, commuters had to face frustrating delays getting to their workplace because of “technical complications” in the Regional Road project and the celebration of an event at Corradino.
Infrastructure Malta and Transport Minister Chris Bonett apologised but warned that such incidents are to be expected while infrastructure road works are being carried out. While it was good to hear a rare apology we all know that the traffic nightmare will happen again in the coming days.
PN leader Bernard Grech said the delays were a result of a lack of planning and traffic management. This is, of course, true, but it does not deal with the elephant in the room.
People are justified in asking our politicians how they plan to change the economic strategies that are the leading cause behind the deterioration in the physical environment caused by continuous overdevelopment and unbridled construction projects. People are increasingly understanding that we are building white elephants, eclipsing our rich history, which will inevitably be a noose around our neck in the future.
People are justified in asking when they can expect to a see a stop, or at least a slowdown, of the occupation of public spaces by sectoral interests.
People are justified in asking why public money is being wasted on projects to fuel the egos of ministers and their henchmen instead of rerouting funding to the all-essential health and education sectors.
People are looking for alternatives inspired by the bold and clear thinking of transformational leaders. They expect a paradigm shift in the way political leaders think about how to improve people’s lives.
Many understandably fear we are sleepwalking in a societal nightmare that will weaken us. They do not want more of the same economic tactics that have led to extraordinary population growth with the strains it brings on our public health, education, environment, and physical infrastructure.
The study also highlighted how many residents are frustrated by the impotence of local and regional councils to address their legitimate expectations. Of course, the weakening of local councils’ effectiveness was engineered by design to concentrate more power in the hands of central government politicians.
The country is increasingly becoming multicultural, and while this can be a positive development, foreign nationals must be not only integrated but included in the life of the community in which they live. Inclusion means that all residents, whether local or foreign, feel they are all treated equally and fairly at all times, and that they share the same rights and responsibilities in the community they form part of.
It is time to change course if we are to avoid a breakdown in the quality of life of our communities.