Humpty Dumpty and the Seven Dwarves

Published: February 5, 2014 at 5:55pm

Humpty Dumpty and the 7 dwarves

There was a time, until not so long ago, when the most senior policemen were prepossessing figures who were at least six feet tall if not more, and in good shape.

They were selected for their height as well as the more usual qualities, because height lends authority in that position. Short might just about cut it if you’re trim and well proportioned, but squat? Forget it.

How standards have fallen. After the Malta Taghna Lkoll stunt of appointing three deputy police commissioners, Police Minister Manuel Mallia has now appointed seven new assistant commissioners.

Lots of people have to be kept very happy.

And now look at this line-up of authority figures. Isn’t it absolutely tragic? Humpty Dumpty Mallia, the Police Minister, is in the middle, all tubby, egg-shaped 5’3″ of him. The police commissioner stands next to him – 5’4″ max.

Then there are the rest of them, the seven (an unfortunate number, given Snow White’s contingent) assistant commissioners, all of them roughly the same height give or take an inch, and all of them chunky and overweight and with short legs.

Imagine them running after somebody and wrestling him to the ground. “Oqghod attent, sir, ghax jaghmillek hazin. Ma tridx tispicca l-isptar, ta.”

It figures, I suppose. Somebody of Manuel Mallia’s personality is never going to appoint senior police officers who are 6’2″ and tower over him. He’d feel awkward throwing his weight around with somebody like that and ordering him to cook supper or go easy on John Dalli. Sorry, I shouldn’t have said that. There was no political interference in the John Dalli case.

And guess what? One of the freshly appointed assistant dwarves seen here with Humpty Dumpty is MR JUSTYNE ‘BOZZA TAL-PLASTIK’ CARUANA. Taghna lkoll, taghna lkoll.




38 Comments Comment

  1. Gahan says:

    http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20140205/local/envoy-says-her-salary-can-be-better-used-to-help-people-who-really-need-it.505616#.UvJuec3QQXw

    B Vella • 4 hours ago −
    Okkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk, just performed the saintly move she was told to perform….Malta’s next president…bets accepted…1:1.01

    I think this B Vella smelled what is being cooked in Joseph’s kitchen.

    He’s a great admirer of Maria, he gave her his first preference vote when he was young.

    Schemer.

  2. M. Cassar says:

    The strategic positioning of items on the mantelpiece for Mallia and the guy next to him is striking. One got a larger, square looking head and the other resembles a flowerpot. Just enlarge the photo for your amusement.

  3. Antoine Vella says:

    The mantelpiece is at eye-level for practically all of them.

    And why is Silvio Scerri also in the photo? He’s just another employee of the ministry after all.

    • La Redoute says:

      Silvio Scerri runs the ministry. He’s the go-to person there, isn’t he?

    • ciccio says:

      I do not wish to be pedantic, but something must be wrong here. If one of those in the picture is the Police Commissioner, one is Manwel “I will resign from Parliament if residency is introduced in the IIP” Mallia and another one is Silvio Do You Know Who I Am Scerri, that leaves only six dwarves out of seven.

      At this point I think we need to check the whereabouts of Snow White.

      [Daphne – She’s been sent to fetch water from the fountain.]

      • ciccio says:

        Oh, good, she’s safe then. I was worried that she might be checking Manwel Mallia’s Eur 500,000 mattress, with the seventh dwarf.

  4. H.P. Baxxter says:

    Can we have a caption competition? I’ll start off:

    The Sturmabteilung meets the Zeppelin Corps.

  5. WOW says:

    So glad to see that one of them is none other than the son of `Gemel`, who joined the RMA as a soldier and ended his career as Lt. Colonel, in the good old Mintoffian days.

  6. P Shaw says:

    In Swaziland, the subjects of the king need to kneel down in his presence in order not to be seen as taller than him. It appears that the criminals-connected minister is adopting the same policy.

  7. Beingpressed says:

    Can someone tell me how many assistant commissioners London has with a population of 7 million people?

  8. gorg says:

    Which one is Justyne?

  9. j. vassallo says:

    Third one from left is Justyne Caruana’s husband, surname Valletta.

  10. Catsrbest says:

    Judging by this photo, what you write about the ugliness of Maltese men is so very true.

    [Daphne – I see you don’t live in Malta if you have to go by this photograph.]

    • Harry Purdie says:

      I have many Maltese handsome male friends Including my son in law. and my grand son. Sweeping statements, such as this, are meaningless, rude, and way off base.

  11. helen says:

    Mr Justyne Valletta, rewarded for being his wife’s favourite bozza tal-plastik.

  12. Carlo says:

    Is the minister wearing a Sherlock Holmes type hat for the occasion ?

  13. Giraffa says:

    Cream of “The Malta Police Farce”

  14. ciccio says:

    Now they need a crash course in food handling.

  15. Coronado says:

    All they need is the ex-Royal Ulster Constabulary man who lives/commutes between Northern Ireland and Gozo as a consultant.

  16. Jonathan Camilleri says:

    Isn’t discriminating by length a form of discrimination though?

  17. gozogal says:

    A row of low-hanging nuts.

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