The Flag of Malta

Hello? Gosh it's lonely in here. Guess I get the hint.
(Walks off into the distance, whistling to himself.)

youve hit on a matter thats close to the hearts of many here in malta its a very controversial subject, as i am sure you have noticed and read.

My own personal view - and only my opinion nothing else - i think its a wonderful memorial (one to be proud of) to the island and its people and it should never be lost or forgotten forever. If the strength of feeling amongst the indigenous population for its removal is as strong as some people would have us believe then maybe a referendum to have it removed is in order.

If that were the case i think some other commemorative memorial should be erected somewhere relevant and popular. Altho i think there probably already are some - and lets face it many thousands of people come to malta every year to see these things for their own personal reasons, not to gloat and remind people of the so called "colonial" attitudes of the past.

Oh yes, I've been following the debate with interest in The Times.
I made a short contribution as the limit of characters prevented a longer one. I love a good debate, especially an historical one.

am sure you will love it here the history here is truly fascinating.

One time on one visit we had a private tour of the major sites.
We were accompanied by a professor from the University.
She was fantastic as a person and as an informer.
We got some great insights and I bought a book she recommended to me, which of course I am packing to bring back.
I cannot explain it but my connection with Malta goes much deeper than the more obvious advantages of living there. Lynnder's is deeper also having been born there and raised as a child there. That is reflected in our lifestyle here in UK.
We are so looking forward to living out there.

so in what way does your lifestyle differ to that of the usual UK lifestyle?

Ok, we usually get up at about 4am and do all our chores whilst it's quiet and before going out.
If we go shopping we go first thing, particularly if it's market day.
We stop for lunch followed by lazy leisure. If it's not wet or too cold we stay outside, we use our garden/yard as our main room.
I do most of my cooking outside whenever possible.
The food we eat is most often of Mediterranean style, though we do not eat meat and I cannot eat cheese.
During hot weather we are always outside and I have designed my 'den' to open fully onto the paved yard for better entertaining family, who we all like to just sit around, chat, help themselves to food and wine.
Our home interior, without going into unnecessary and private detail, is furnished and decorated in the style of a villa, except one room. We live not too far from the sea which we enjoy going to watch, in sun and rain. There is one place not too far away and particularly in the early morning one can feel to be anywhere in the world one wants to imagine.


Now this may not be what everyone imagines is a particularly 'different' lifestyle but around here it certainly is.

Does any other country have on its flag an award issued by another sovereign state ?

If USA awarded the UK population an award for services in WW2, would any of us want it on the UK Union Flag ?

What surprises me is how few Maltese want to remove it from the Maltese flag.

redmik wrote:

of course it is a matter for the majority of Maltese to decide.

Its actually a constitutional matter, and therefore legally up to parliament - its not even a major constitutional matter (2/3rds majority in parliament), but a minor one (simple majority).

Someone must have decided it...it is there - no argument over that - its irrelevant that no other flag has an award on its flag as true as the statement is - it can as you say be removed if parliament decides to do so - one has to wonder why they havent done so - maybe there are more maltese who like the link than dont - I dont know - maybe they should put it to the people and not just parliament - that would be true democracy wouldnt it....or does that not exist here.

Would Parliament not offer a referendum if this became a major issue?

is it really a major issue? was it ever or will it ever be a major issue  - does it really affect the people of malta and their way of life ? I dont know. I do read that some people find it a major issue but I rarely hear people talking about it publicly

toonarmy9752 wrote:

- maybe they should put it to the people and not just parliament - that would be true democracy wouldnt it....or does that not exist here.

Most countries only put decisions to a referendum on very rare occasions, and even then they are often not binding, merely advisory.


"Would Parliament not offer a referendum if this became a major issue?" - maybe, or if it was in a party's manifesto, then there would be no need really (unless the manifesto promise was to hold a referendum)

toonarmy9752 wrote:

is it really a major issue?

I don't think it is, other than to a very small minority

Mintoff once threatened the UK he would remove it - I suspect the response from the UK was "Am I bovvered", or whatever the 1970s equivalent was

toonarmy9752 wrote:

Someone must have decided it.

indeed, but who ? Was it the Maltese or the British ? Not sure on the answer to that.

It was added in 1943 - possibly under order of King George VI

me not sure either perhaps thats redmiks mission should he choose to accept it....malta impossible....lol

From what I can gather

King George VI ordered it to go onto the flag. Then when the Maltese constitution was agreed on independence, the following was agreed and is in the constitution

"3. (1) The National Flag of Malta consists of two equal
vertical stripes, white in the hoist and red in the fly.
(2) A representation of the George Cross awarded to Malta by
His Majesty King George the Sixth on the 15th April, 1942 is
carried, edged with red, in the canton of the white stripe."

the first part defines the flag, and can only be changed by a 2/3rd majority in parliament, the 2nd part is a sub-clause, and therefore can be changed by a simple majority in parliament

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Malta

"The George Cross originally appeared on the flag placed on a blue canton. The flag was changed on 21 September 1964 with Malta's independence when the blue canton was replaced by a red fimbriation the intention being that the Cross appear less prominent. The flag has remained unchanged since.

The Maltese national flag is unique in bearing a decoration from another country, in this case the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (although flags like those of Fiji and Tuvalu retain a number of elements from the colonial era). This has been the cause of occasional controversy since Malta's independence."

toonarmy9752 wrote:

me not sure either perhaps thats redmiks mission should he choose to accept it....malta impossible....lol

Sorry I can't accept that mission, it's already been taken.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-PlQitfriE

(Adult humour)