Your say: letters@fijitimes.com.fj
A true public servant and chief
I AM saddened to hear of the passing of Ratu Jo Nawalowalo whom I consider to be a faithful and genuine friend, one of the most hardworking gentlemen and a chief of Kadavu.
Every time I met him, we spoke in our own Kadavu dialect and would have lunch or have a drink at the bar. For me, he was a true public servant and chief committed to the values of fairness, justice, hard work and opportunity.
I saw his focus and determination firsthand when he was a chairman of the Kadavu Provincial Council and now a member of various boards where his passion and commitment were matched with a practical understanding of what needed to be done to bring about stability, development, growth in Kadavu and to sustain it.
To the Nawalowalo family, I know you have lost the irreplaceable centre of your family and the joyous light of your lives, but the inspiration of his faith, optimism and perseverance will live in our hearts forever.
Moce Ratu Jo.
Simeli Drodro
Kadavu
Super premier
I WOULD like to highlight to the President of Fiji FA to increase the teams in Super Premier Division instead of decreasing. If Fiji FA is serious about development of football in Fiji then all districts should propose in the upcoming Fiji FA Council meeting to increase the teams in Super Premier.
By increasing teams in Super Premier Division: The districts will have more matches to play and it will automatically promote Tailevu/Naitasiri, Rakiraki and Savusavu.
These top three teams in Premier Division have produced players who are in Super Premier districts. Districts should play full 90-minute football instead of 60 minutes.
This will be also good for the national team for new players to be selected in the team.
As far as the national Team is concerned, Fiji FA should look into the next FIFA World Cup.
It's in 2014 so Fiji FA should seriously arrange international fixtures for our national team since stage 1 qualifying starts next year during the South Pacific Games. Our national team does not play any international matches.
Fiji FA should seek help from either OFC or FIFA to arrange international matches to be played in Fiji or abroad.
I think OFC and FIFA will definitely assist Fiji FA to arrange matches. This will also be a good preparation for the 2011 SPG.
Avinesh Permal
Suva
Trucking water
THE government pays truck companies to cart water to people who are in dire need of this God-given commodity. In many cases, individuals, villages and schools have to foot the carting bills themselves.
Mr Sharma (FT 01/09) raised his concern about trucks without proper lids on their tanks, exposing the water to heat, dust and, of course, spilling it.
When these trucks reach their destinations, the water is hot, dirty and worst of all, it is not sufficient to meet the demands and needs of the people.
So they make additional trips to these affected areas and every time they do, they perform the same drama again and again taking advantage of the situation and the naivety of the public and government authorities.
Thank you Mr Sharma for pointing this out and I think it is time to end such practices by these companies.
MARIKA KUNAVULA
Osaka
Japan
Police head
I WOULD like to extend my warm and sincere congratulations to Joeli Baleilevuka on his appointment as the new Acting Commissioner for our Fiji Police Force. I do hope that he will do great in his new job and be appointed as the proper commissioner in days to come.
His decision to put a ban on compulsory Christian worship in the police force is seriously crucial.
I certainly do believe that every member of the Fiji Police Force has the right to choose their way of worshipping whichever God they believe in.
In professional careers there should be no involvement of religious factors.
Once again I take this opportunity to congratulate our new acting commissioner and hope that his decisions would be for the genuine good course and would bring about empowerment in the people of Fiji and, most of all, bring about the true trust in law and order upheld by the Fiji Police Force.
Altaaf Ali
Ba
Thanks from a contestant
BEING a 2010 Hibiscus contestant has brought me tremendous experience as well as exposure to real life issues.
We have the privilege to visit numerous disadvantaged institutions and it has been an experience I will always keep close to my heart.
I would like to call on the public for us to acknowledge the marginalised as well as the minorities, the street dwellers, orphans, poor, abused, disabled, prostitutes and prisoners just to name a few. They are also members of our community that deserve recognition and respect.
Personally it was such an emotional exposure to see that they do exist but with very less recognition and appreciation from the public. For the disabled it's disability and not inability, for prisoners they deserve a second chance in life because after all they are just like you and me.
It's my prayer that we include them in our society. They have also contributed in so many special ways.
I believe that in order to have a secure nation, first the people need to be united and work together regardless of background. Vinaka vakalevu.
Maria Nailevu
Lady Apco- 2010 Lady Contestant
Grand projects
I WOULD like to share my five cents opinion on the aforementioned subject as highlighted by Viliame Finau (FT 31/08).
I fully understand where he is coming from and the importance of the issue in question.
I firmly believe that the solutions to almost all the problems we have in the grassroots communities can only be resolved scientifically through social analysis.
Communal and participatory social analysis will highlight the root of the problems we have at the local level.
This requires time and resources and it is not a one day job. It should be and can be done to make 'Fiji the way the world should be'.
Setefano Nauqe
Suva
Femmus Uate
THE owner of Femmus School of Hospitality, Uate Tamaniyaikaroi, certainly deserves great applause for his initiative in taking the hospitality courses to our under served rural areas (FT 01/09).
No doubt our tourism sector is a thriving one and such training would enhance the opportunities for our rural villagers, especially for the unemployed youths of our society.
Our i-taukei brothers and sisters already possess the world's friendliest smiles and if they are upskilled with formal and/or semi-formal training, the tourism sector will reach greater heights.
And, if our fellow successful businessmen aggressively pursue this initiative, it might go a long way in addressing the chronic problem of rural-urban drift that we face. Hats off to Femmus Uate.
Pranesh Sharma
Suva
Preferential system
IT is almost two weeks since elections were held in Australia but still no government. This should be a good lesson for us too because we also have the "preference voting system." There are people who should not be in the parliament but are there because of preference. We must make sure that our new constitution should have the "first past the post" system in future to avoid what Australia is going through now.
Nardeo Mishra
Suva
Personal decision
I FULLY agree with Asfaaq Khan. Every person's Iman (Faith) is with them. They will be answerable for their deeds as they have become informed decision-making adults.
Please do not drag the Fiji Muslim League into this issue. We seriously cannot expect the League to intervene every time a league official's son, daughter, brother, sister or any other relative for that matter does something contrary to what principles are.
Zubaid Hakim
Suva
Practising Muslims
I REFER to a letter titled "Muslim contestants" (FT 28/08) and wish to share a few thoughts. Firstly, do not get misled by names. I believe names have no religion or culture. People may be called Aisha, Rihana or Shakira but that does not mean they are practising Muslims. Likewise, all Khans around the world are not islam either.
Therefore, the writer who tried to depict through your column that some contestants were Muslims should first find out whether they were practising Muslims or just by name.
It might also interest you that we have one Petero in our society who is a practising Muslim and obliges to his daily five prayers.
Ayzal Ayub
Nadi
Islamic insight
IT appears that Nilesh Lal (FT 02/09) is Islamophopic (prejudice against Islam). He has joined many in putting Islam to trial based on the actions and views of a handful, whom he calls fundamentalist and terrorists. It is surprising that people who share his views are quick in doing so every time a Muslim is labelled a terrorist.
He goes on to claim that the traditional Islam did and continues to suppress women. The fact is that Islam is a religion for all times and perhaps the only religion which does not have age old and obsolete scriptures, the primary source of Islamic law being the Holy Quran is the only divine scripture which remains unchanged and would remain so until the end of times. It is as such impossible to even think about changing these scriptures to suit the needs and lusts of the so called modern and progressive society.
Islam is the only religion which among other things have outlined the extensive rights of women as a daughter, wife and mother. The rights of women in Islam is an extensive subject which cannot be fully discussed in this column.
One must first fully come to terms with the many traits and ills that these progressive society has brought to humanity as a whole.
Muslims do not believe that the society to which our beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) brought the Holy Quran was in any way less progressive or inferior.
Neither do Muslims believe that the Shariah laws of Islam suppress the rights and aspiration of women. Nilesh Lal must understand that the Laws of Islam are divine and cannot be modified by men, otherwise it would not be called Divine laws anymore. Perhaps he is unaware of the thousands of inventions and contributions towards inventions to science and technology made by Islam.
Perhaps he is also unaware of the disparity in the general rate of violence against women in a modern and thriving Islamic society and a liberal society and perhaps he is unaware that Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world, despite the Islamophobic behaviour of some.
Mohammed Khalid
Director - Iqra Islamic Trust
Exercising their rights
THE Muslim contestants who participated in the Hibiscus festival were exercising their rights.
I reckon they will have a personal moment and time to celebrate Ramadan after the festival.
We are living in the modern world of civilisation and those contestants were exercising their rights in our multi-racial land of hope and feature for all people with different religious beliefs.
Lote Rokovau
Kabul City
Afghanistan
Hibiscus crown
WHAT has happened to the glittering Hibiscus crown that was worn by last year's Miss Hibiscus Queen?
Is it now part of the Miss Hibiscus prize to keep whatever crown that is provided by the organisers?
Maybe it is only the title that matters and not the actual Miss Hibiscus Crown that was won and worn by the long line of previous Miss Hibiscus Queens.
Savenaca Vaka
Suva
Choosy drivers
DID anyone notice how arrogant and choosy taxi drivers were during the Hibiscus festival? Replies we got from them upon stopping was either, "I have a pickup" or just an abrupt "no".
One even mentioned that he was on a cigarette break. Could the proper authorities look into this?
And to think the Taxi Union is always complaining about increase in charges and what not when most drivers can't even decide whether or not they are in the right profession.
Lionel Rogers
Lami
Ratu Josateki
IT is with great sorrow that we heard the news of Ratu Josateki Nawalowalo's sudden passing away.
Ratu Nawalowalo was a person of great distinction. His contribution not only to Kadavu , but also to Fiji as a country must be remembered.
He worked profusely on the Charter program and with the Council of Chiefs. He was an extremely intelligent gentleman with great foresight.
My deepest sympathy to the family.
So long Ratu Nawalowalo, may your soul rest in peace.
Raman Velji
Lawrenceville
USA
Taxi rules
A TAXI travelling along Ratu Mara Rd had a sign in large black print behind the front seat's head rest that read, 'Strictly no eating and drinking in this taxi'.
Are taxi drivers allowed to enforce such restrictions?
Epeli Koroi
Suva
Lautoka flower beds
I NOTICED flower gardens have been placed around Lautoka to beautify the view.
I think something can be done to the roundabout in Navutu, Lautoka. Flower gardens are fine, but the mango trees in the middle is not a pleasing sight to look at.
I think the mango trees should be cut down and the area can be rented out to advertising firms with billboards placed in all four directions for income for the city council, an advertisement site for business firms and a pleasant sight for new visitors to Lautoka. Just a thought.
Anish Prasad
Lautoka
$86m spend
CAN FSC or its management please provide a breakdown of how it used the Indian government soft loan amounting to $86million? It's a big amount and stakeholders in the sugar industry should be aware how the fund was used. I think the Office of the Prime Minister should look into this matter.
Kunal Nandan
Nadi
Change in climate
LOTS of people are thinking climate change and seasonal change are the same thing. Climate change means we don't get the normal amount of rain in the rainy season. We are all affected by climate change in Fiji. There is very little rain in Monasavu signifying a drastic climate change has taken place. Has anyone seen fallen coconut trees on the shore line? How did the waves reach these trees?
Gurdial Singh
Savusavu