Updated: 18 April, 2006

Malta

• President confers Republic Day honours President De Marco, Dr Lawrence Gonzi, Colonel C. Vassallo, Registrar of the National Order of Merit (second from left) and Cabinet Secretary Joseph Scicluna, Chancellor of the Order (fifth from left) with recipients of the Republic Day honours. The new MOMs are Simon Busuttil, former head of the Malta-EU Information Centre; Victor Camilleri, ambassador and permanent representative of Malta to the United Nations in New York but, from 1997 until this year, ambassador to Belgium and to the EU; Joseph J.M. Curmi, former director general in the Management and Personnel Office at the Office of the Prime Minister; Lino German, a specialist in obstetrics and gynaecology, secretary of the Medical Association of Malta from 1973 to 1988, and secretary of the Consultative Committee on Bioethics; and Tony S. Mangion, a professional photographer who in 2000 received the Award of Excellence by Master Photographers (UK). Those awarded the Midalja ghall-Qadi tar-Repubblika (MQR) are Alfred Bezzina, executive director of the National Commission Persons with Disability; Peter Calamatta, an expert in gardening and landscaping architecture; Mario Cappello, founder of the Institute for World Evangelisation (ICPE) Mission in Malta; Tony Drago, the professional snooker and pool player; and Sister Beniamina Portelli, foundress and director of St Monica Choir which was the first local choir to win the Gold Award in the Malta International Choir Festival. Herbert Michael Gilles was appointed honorary officer of the National Order of Merit. A physician of international standing, Professor Gilles was professor of tropical medicine at the University of Liverpool for over 20 years where he was head of department until his retirement in 1986. At the request of the University of Malta, for the past 14 years he has been coming here three times a year as a visiting professor on a voluntary basis to run a Public Health and Infectious Diseases Programme at the Medical School. An adviser to the World Health Organisation, Professor Gilles is a leading expert on malaria. Mario Azzopardi was awarded the Midalja ghall-Qlubija for saving the life of a woman who was carried away by treacherous rainwater currents during the flooding last September that swept through Balzan valley. The Sunday Times 14 Dec 03

• Order of Malta Ambulance Corps Lt. Justin Behan

• Links to Information on The Sovereign Military Order of Malta

• Eight former MPs get medal, seven years late Eight former MPs, who were not elected to Parliament in the past three elections, were yesterday decorated with a Commemorative Medal launched on 7 June 1996, on the 75th anniversary of the 1921 Constitution which gave Malta an autonomous government. The 1996 rules established that the medal could be given to those who “were still living on 7 June 1996 and who at any time from 1 November 1921 were members of the Maltese Senate, Legislative Assembly or House of Representatives. But those who on 7 June 1996 were still Members of the House of Representatives will be presented with the medal only when they are no longer members.” A DOI statement helpfully informed the public yesterday that there are still 133 persons who are entitled to get the medal and 88 have already received it. Malta Independent, Malta - 8 Jun 2003

• Nurse to nominate her hero for bravery award - Sally Zammit of Balzan has started to appreciate life more since she came so close to losing it, carried away by the rain water currents at Balzan valley on September 15. She has to thank for her life father-of-three Mario Azzopardi, till then a complete stranger, who lives in the valley and who saved her from the raging torrent. In a bid to show her appreciation, Mrs Zammit is nominating Mr Azzopardi for the Medal for Bravery which may be awarded by the President on the advice of the Prime Minister to any Maltese citizen for an act of exceptional bravery. timesofmalta.com 9 Oct 03

• Malta’s President bestowed with Libya's highest honour Malta’s President and Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi bestowed on each other the highest honour both countries have to offer. Col. Gaddafi bestowed the Medal of the Great El Fatah (1st Degree) on President de Marco who reciprocated by bestowing the Companion of Honour of the National Order of Merit with collar on Muammar Gaddafi. Indepent online 10 Feb 04

• Josephine Zammit Cordina presented with Australia Medal Public Broadcasting Services' (PBS) producer and presenter Josephine Zammit Cordina was presented with the Australia Medal of Honorary Member (AM) in the General Division of the Order of Australia. Josephine Zammit Cordina has been producing and presenting the radio Malta programme "Il-Boomerang" and the TVM programme "Waltzing Matilda" for a number of years. Mrs Zammit Cordina, who in 1995 was awarded the MQR by the Government of Malta, stated that she would like to share this award with all the Maltese in Australia because she owes the success of her programmes to them. di-ve.com 7 Apr 04

• Republic Day honours and awards On Republic Day each year, the President, on behalf of the Government and people of Malta, pays public tribute to a number of Maltese citizens who dsitinguish themselves in different fields of endeavour, by appointing them to The National Order of Merit or to the Xirka Gieh ir-Repubblika, or by awarding them the Midalja ghall-Qadi tar-Repubblika on an honorary basis. During the Ceremony, one Officer and three members were appointed to the Order and two individuals were awarded the Midalja ghall-Qadi tar-Repubblika. Moreover one honorary member was appointed to the Order in the grade of Officer. The Officer appointed to the Order was no one else than former Foreign Affairs Minister of Malta Dr. Joe Borg who is now European Commissioner responsible for Fisheries and Maritime affairs. While being Foreign Affairs Minister (1999-2004), Borg played a leading role in Malta's EU accession negotiations. Honorary Officer Dr. David Trump, appointed to the Order in the grade of Officer, is very closely associated with the devlopment of Maltese archaeology. Above all, Trump was involved in the excavations of Ggantija and Skorba and was the first archaeologist to introduce the science of carbon dating in Malta. Anne Cachia and Cynthia Turner were awarded the Midalja ghall-Qadi tar-Repubblika. Cachia has for the last twenty years, worked in a discreet manner to promote the welfare of victims of domestic violence, in particular those who seek refufe of Dar Merhba Bik. Turner, "the doyen of Maltese pianists", early in her career was already a finalist at an international music competition in Munich and through the years attracted full houses whenever she performed at the Manoel Theatre. On the occasion of the State Visit to Malta of HM Queen Elizabeth II in 1967, she was entrusted with a Royal Performance. Members Louis A. Farrugia, a leading entrapreneur and an active member of constituted bodies and NGO's, Trevor Zahra, the most popular writer of childrens' books, and Professor Joseph Max Ganado, one of the most prominent members of the local legal profession, were all appointed the Order. di-ve.com 14 Dec 04

• Police officers receive medals for long service Several police officers were presented with medals yesterday for serving the Maltese Police Corps for a considerable number of years. In all, 340 policemen and women received the medals for 18 years of service, 25 years of service or more than 30 years of service. independent.com 8 Jul 05

• Veterans presented with commemorative medal The activities related to the Battle of Malta Veterans Reunion continued when a number of veterans were presented with a beautiful commemorative medal. The magnificent medal, which is being awarded to each veteran who attends the reunion commemorating the battle of Malta and celebrating the end of world war II in Europe, was the conception of the veteran’s committee member Terence Mahon, himself a Royal Navy (pedestal convoy) veteran. Mr Mahon was assisted in the medal’s original computer origination by John Clifford, a computer expert, and in the artistic design contribution by George Bonello (Dip. Instituto d’Arte di Firenze). The final design was submitted for approval to Her Majesty the Queen, as the obverse side shows the George cross. Her Majesty, through her personal private secretary, kindly indicated that the award could be made, at the same time indicating her warm approval and interest in the programme of events prepared by the Veterans Voluntary Committee. The medal was manufactured by Award Productions Ltd of Shrewsbury UK to superb technical standards and will definitely become a prized  collector’s item in due course. Miller Distributors Ltd (Malta) have made a generous donation towards production costs of this medal and are the sole contributory sponsors. The Malta Independent Online 24 Sep 05

• No medal for veterans as morale drops Around 250 army soldiers and officers have been denied their much awaited Freedom Day medal for 18 years of service upon direct orders from the Office of the Prime Minister, just two days ahead of the ceremony. The unexpected order reached AFM headquarters while the soldiers, whose names had been approved by AFM Commander Brig. Carmel Vassallo and OPM, were rehearsing the procedure for the medal awards. High-ranking AFM sources told MaltaToday that OPM decided to scrap the ceremony at the eleventh hour after a soldier who was not going to be granted the medal because of serious charges on his army records went to Castille to complain about others who would have received it. Even last year, the prime minister’s office had postponed the Freedom Day ceremony while the inquiry was still ongoing, but with the Depasquale report published in December it is unclear what issues remain still open. The inquiry had exonerated the AFM but identified just one soldier as being responsible for using excessive force. Among the veterans who would have received the medal this year there were some of the highest ranking officers, including the Commander of Detention Services, Lt Col Brian Gatt, the Commander of the 2nd Regiment Lt Col Harold Stivala, the army’s PRO Lt Col Mario Schembri and Lt Col Emanuel Mallia who is in charge of operations at AFM headquarters. Another source of soldiers’ demoralisation is the bureaucratic process that has impeded new promotions from being given for five years. maltatoday.com 2 Apr 06