Bormla’s sea was sold behind the people’s back.

Momentum expresses disappointment in the manner in which the Labour government has effectively handed over part of Bormla’s coastline and sea space to the American University of Malta, betraying the people who live at the heart of the Cottonera community.

Residents and boat owners in Bormla were shocked this week to find a notice stating that by 28 February, all vessels must be removed from the stretch of sea in front of the American University of Malta. This area is now being described by AUM as its “private water space”, a claim that strikes at the very heart of public access to our coastline.

This situation stems from a government agreement reached back in 2015, quietly granting extensive control over the shoreline and the airspace above it. Today, that agreement is no longer an abstract document. It is a physical reality being imposed on the people of Bormla, without consultation, without transparency, and without respect.

Momentum asks: has the Government sold out Bormla’s sea and airspace to a private foreign institution? Has public space been permanently surrendered behind closed doors? The betrayal is felt in the heart of Bormla, a Labour stronghold whose people believed that a Labour government would never turn its back on them.

Momentum stands with the genuine, heartbroken Labour supporters who feel abandoned by a new Labour that has become arrogant, detached, and willing to sell off what belongs to the people. The sea in front of Bormla is not a commodity, and it is certainly not private property.

Politics must be honest. Public land and sea must remain public. Government agreements must serve the people, not work against them. Does this form part of the great plan revealed yesterday for the revamp of Grand Harbour?

Momentum calls on the Prime Minister to immediately clarify the legal basis of this notice, to suspend its enforcement, and to guarantee that Bormla’s coastline remains accessible to the community, today and for future generations.

Mark Camilleri Gambin, General Secretary of Momentum stated “The people of Bormla deserve answers. They deserve respect. And they deserve a government that stands with them, not against them.”

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