The expression ‘Min ħexa mexa’ has been made the official motto of Malta.
The vulgar rhyming phrase, which loosely translated means ‘Those who cheat, succeed’, was announced as the winner of a national poll conducted by the Government last week. It will now appear on the country’s emblem (pictured above) and on all official state communications.
“Cheating is an unbreakable thread that runs through the entire fabric of Maltese society,” said Prime Minister Joseph Muscat.
“Together with casual racism and a passive acceptance of the status quo, it’s what makes us who we are as a nation.
“When you assume no one else is playing by the rules, it’s great because it lets you justify your own dishonest behaviour to your conscience. Bye bye guilt!” he said.
Muscat added that the next time a Maltese person was about to rip off a foreigner, fail to declare their entire income, bribe a Planning Authority board member to let them build a concrete monstrosity in the countryside, or steal gallons of precious fresh water through an illegal borehole, they could do so with a patriotic smile.
In the poll, ‘Min ħexa mexa’ fended off stiff competition from other popular local maxims, such as ‘U ijja mhux xorta?’, ‘Live and let live’ and ‘Go back to your country’.
