OF CYMBALS AND CHEESELETTES – Malta’s Yo-Yo lady puts her foot in it yet again!
I have no doubt that Dr Marlene Farrugia is a bundle of fun to be with because undoubtedly in her companionship there is never a dull moment. She is an accomplished musician and a dab hand on the Cymbals and I think she also plays the Clarinet.
In her profession as a dentist I have no doubt at all she is excellent and has a faithful clientele. She is also a person that in Maltese we say “bla kantunieri”, that is she speaks her mind over any matter that comes into her mind at any time, regardless of consequences and regardless of what others may think.
In the political field Great Britain had their famous “Iron Lady” because it was said Margaret Thatcher “is not for turning”, that is, once she has made up her mind, nothing will make her change it again.
Hence the contrast with Marlene Farrugia who has been changing her mind at the drop of any hat and has become known as Malta’s Yo-Yo Lady. It is virtually impossible to biograph her political career, but as far as I know it goes something like this:
As family background she came from a family sympathetic to the Labour Party; however, she joined the Nationalist Party and contested General Elections; then she abandoned the Nationalist Party and returned to the Labour Party and was elected to Parliament. Once there she raised all sorts of problems when her partner Godfrey Farrugia was relieved of the post of Minister for Health.
She then flew off at a tangent and said she was now “independent”, followed by her formation of the Democratic Party which she headed and then entered into a coalition with the Nationalist Party to contest the General Election after much hugging and hero-worship of Simon Busuttil who proved to be the PN’s greatest-ever disaster.
In the meantime she was returned to Parliament and managed to oust former PN Minister George Pullicino – much to his wrath and chagrin – taking his seat! The PN-PD coalition quickly disintegrated because it was nothing but a virtual comical front. She also resigned the leadership of the PD.
Nowadays she is a loose cannon firing rockets in all directions and generally creating mayhem.
One such moment came earlier this week when she spontaneously blurted out during a PAC meeting for Parliamentary Secretary Clint Camilleri to "aqtagħha ġbejna" (‘shut up you goat’s cheeselette’).
Clint Camilleri is a Gozitan and this is a common insult addressed at Gozitans. The subject was later brought up in Parliament by the House Speaker who asked her to withdraw the phrase, Unremorseful as ever, Dr Marlene refused and continued to blurt all sorts of things, leading the Speaker to turn off her microphone and threaten her with further disciplinary measures!
Naughty, naughty Dr Marlene – never a dull moment Marlene - and the show goes on and on. In a very gentlemanly manner, Camilleri forgave her for the remark. There are more important matters for our Parliament to be getting on with.
Where does her political future lie? Difficult at the moment to assess but indications are it is heading for the rocks. The Labour Party will not take her back. The PN have cast her aside, and her chances of being returned for the PD in a forthcoming election are highly improbable.
A pity really because she has many merits but has the greatest failure – that of NOT considering what she is going to say, before saying it.
Wishing all a good day.
ALBERT JEROME FENECH
