Dr Michael Frendo, the former Speaker of the House of Representatives and former Foreign Minister, is the new chairman of the Council of the St John Association, Malta.
He was unanimously elected by council members to succeed former Chief Justice John J. Cremona, who has retired after holding the post for 30 years.
The St John Association, which belongs to the Most Venerable Order of St John of Jerusalem, and based in the UK, is responsible for the St John Ambulance Brigade and the St John Rescue Corps.
St John Ambulance carries out first aid and nursing duties at public events and organises training courses at its division centres and on-site courses at various companies and organisations, while the St John Rescue Corps trains volunteers in civil defence duties to deal with national emergencies.
The Commander of the St John Association is Col. Mark Mallia, deputy commander of the Armed Forces of Malta, while Capt. Reuben Lanfranco is the outgoing commissioner of the St John Rescue Corps.