Why the colour red?
MANY Fiji rugby fans are wondering why the rugby jersey has been incorporated into a pool of red colour! Rugby House?
NANISE SOKO
Suva Point
Colonial culture
THE Assistant Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Sakiusa Tubuna, is spot on in stating during the reign of the FijiFirst government the civil service had been reduced to a workforce of “yes people” because it was an era “ruled by fear” (FT 17/7).
If the civil servants were fearful of providing “critical analysis” and even fearful of being seen to be fraternising with people, even family members, who the government regarded as anti-FijiFirst then, that was worse then what we had during colonial times.
And the fear the civil servants experienced was felt widely by others including journalists and media people.
What a shame that our own leaders saw it fit to impose such a repressive regime.
RAJEND NAIDU
Sydney, Australia
Road deaths
RONNIE Chang’s letter (FT 17/7) on ‘Road fatalities’ is absolutely spot on, Fiji lacks adequate deterrents for bad driving.
There has to be a clearly defined simple system where points are added to a driver’s licence, plus a fine, for specific offences.
These points would remain on the driver’s licence for three years.
An accumulation of a specific amount of points at any time would incur an automatic ban for a period. As an example, three points for a speeding offence or jumping a red light, 12 points accumulated at any time and an automatic ban.
Certain offences such as exceeding the alcohol limit would of course incur instantaneous driving bans.
These bans must be passed on to the driver through the courts to allow for full transparency, any appeals also going through those same courts.
You will very soon see a change in the attitude of many drivers when they get behind the wheel.
They will know that if they already have nine points on their licence and they get stopped by a police radar trap due to speeding today, within a few days they will be banned from the road without question.
GRAHAME STAGEMAN
Lami
Travel alert
IN the wake of the travel alert issued by the US Embassy, shall we put to sleep “Fiji the way the world should be”?
Besides tourists and potential tourists being required to think twice before choosing to travel towards and around Fiji, locals have to think 10 times before leaving their homes.
In a discreet manner, Fijians have been practising local travel alert for many years.
When a family is required to go outdoors (irrespective of the distance), a member has to stay back.
This is the absolute truth.
I guess, the secret is out in the open now.
MOHAMMED IMRAZ JANIF
Natabua, Lautoka
Road carnage
SPEEDING and pedestrian fault have been identified as leading causes of road fatalities in our country.
Now that we have identified the problem, let’s find the right medicine to cure the disease.
All heads must roll together to see where we are headed in terms of addressing and containing the problem which seems to be getting worse day by day.
Unless we take a firm stance against the problematic drivers, the list will only grow and the carnage will continue.
Abatement of the nuisance at the early stage will serve as a deterrence.
A concerted education and enforcement effort are needed if you are seriously concerned in bringing road death toll down.
At the moment I don’t see your strategy to be working at all.
Fine is not the answer to the repeat offenders.
Harsher penalties are needed to bring about a sensible change.
We ask all parties to get involved and find the solution.
SURESH CHAND
Nadi
Water tax
THANK you for publishing my rebuttal to the Opposition’s claims on the water tax yesterday.
There was one error in it (my fault), when I said the water resource tax rates wouldn’t change in the Budget.
They do change, at the top end, from 18 cents to 19.5 cents.
What I meant to say (and didn’t) is that the Budget doesn’t change the different brackets in which water resource tax is charged.
The Opposition had claimed that there was a new “tax free” threshold which would cost $98 million in lost revenue. That is untrue.
RICHARD NAIDU
Suva
Gift of life
SAI Prema Organisation, which looks after the Sri Sathya Sai SanjeevaniChildren’s Hospital, deserves applauds for saving the lives of children.
Their quick response has assisted families whose children had congenital complications.
This assistance has been a huge relief to families who otherwise would not have been able to afford the cost of operations.
I thank Sai Prema for being the saviour. On the other hand, I’m urging parents to take heed of the signs and symptoms of congenital heart defects and take necessary precautions.
The reminder by pediatric cardiologist Dr Santosh Wadile (ST: 16/07) must be taken seriously. Thank you Sumeet and Krupali Rathod Tappoo for the initiative!
You both are blessed!
RAJNESH ISHWAR LINGAM
Nadawa, Nasinu
Pub crawl or run?
NIGHTCLUBS have never been my thing, but the current discussion and the recent change in night club closing time has indeed become a thing, news-wise.
I have never understood why people refer to going clubbing as “pub crawl”.
Anyway, it does most likely mean hopping between night clubs in the wee hours of the morning.
But then, with the doors closing at 1 am now, there won’t be any more ‘crawling’.
That early, they are not at ‘crawling’ stage yet. With early closure, we’ll see people doing “pub run” instead, actually sprinting between clubs trying to cover as much as possible within a prescribed time!
Interesting times ahead.
DONALD SINGH
Suva
Bula wear
ONE day I would like all our parliamentarians to enter Parliament in traditional wear or at least local Fiji wear, that is bula wear. These expensive suits are not us.
KIRAN KHATRI
Samabula, Suva
Fix it
I BELIEVE it would be better for the Coalition Government or the individual ministries not to tell us how are they going to fix up our old hospitals, intermittent water cuts, deterioration of roads etc until they have the money to fix it.
AREKI DAWAI
Suva
Nightclub hours
I THANK the Government for removing the special zones for liquor sales and thereby reducing nightclub hours from 5am to 1am. I also thank the members of the public who submitted their concerns. We can now enjoy our early morning walks along the Martintar stretch.
CONAN HATCH
Nadi airport
Closing time
THE Fiji Times “on closing of night club at 1am” with pictures of patrons in action, FT 15/7- picture: Atu Rasea, was a relief for many peace-loving people.
Those moving out at night for various reasons will feel safe and secure with less noise and drunkards. At times, we find eating outlets closed well before 1am.
I feel in such cases they should be allowed to open to cater for those who prefer late night dinner. Let’s practise for our wellbeing — early to bed, early to rise is the way to healthy life.
Live and let others live.
TAHIR ALI
Hamilton, New Zealand
Apologetic PM
I THINK Sitiveni Rabuka has to be the most apologetic prime minister in Fiji’s history.
MOHAMMED IMRAZ JANIF
Natabua, Lautoka
What’s in a name?
WHILE the “Magnificent 7” deserve accolades for the recent amendment of that “ridiculous” law, there is a silent unspoken group of supporters who would totally reject and disavow any claim to be registered on their wive’s birth certificates.
After all, its called a “birth” certificate for good reason and recordsa quite different event from a “marriage” certificate. Let’s never confuse those two important events.
DANIEL FATIAKI
Suva
Sari issue
I THINK the problem with the sari (Indian traditional clothing) is it is too long.
SUKHA SINGH
Labasa
Coalition Government
I BELIEVE the lone ranger is contributing more harm than good to the three-man party. I wonder if he consulted his leader before his decision to defy the PM. Smart move by the PM I must admit.
DAN URAI
Lautoka
Thrown out
I TOO rejoice at the passing of the Interpretation (Amendment) Act 2023.
However, I view this whole issue of the alteration of birth certificates imposed on women who wished to vote using their married name as a matter of illegality.
I was brought up to understand that my birth certificate is an unalterable legal document that is the fundamental means of my self-identification. There is no way that I would consider any alteration of my birth certificate that was issued in another country in a past era.
I cannot let it out of my possession because it is irreplaceable.
At present I can prove my existence also, by using my passport, due to expire next year, or my voter card that may not be valid in the future. They both identify me by my married name. I gained my latest voter card in order to vote in 2022 using my deceased husband’s name, by showing my Fiji citizenship document to the voter registration officials. I also have some numbers used by the bank or by the tax department, but I am not just a number.
I am still concerned for my many women friends who were caught up in this illegal business that served the past government as a means to prevent many women from voting, and has caused some
women to now have a passport and other documents reissued in another name.
I also wonder if there is any consideration of some recompense for my brave friends who took this matter to court.
TESSA MACKENZIE
Suva
Sexual offence stats
IT seems sexual offences are out of control, because every month our DPP always submits sexual offences statistics which is alarming to read, especially about the number of children who are both perpetrators (accused) and survivors (victims) as shared by FWRM executive director, Nalini Singh in your FT 11/07.
Despite the amount of effort and time that service providers do for community awareness to end this social problem, it points back to us parents/guardians?
Are we genuinely playing our parenting roles for our children?
There is a disconnect of communications somewhere, where messages are not filtering down to children so they really understand that rape is a no, no go area? Maybe we can start the sex education teaching from kindergarten level, primary (Class 1 to 6) to address this issue, like how the FWCC raises awareness for children about “bad touch” and “good touch”. And I concur with Ms Singh’s statement “let us call out behaviour that perpetuate rape and violence”.
To service providers who continue to raise awareness at community level, national and regional level, please continue do what you do best like what I do, by raising awareness through writing
letters!
JIOJI M CAKACAKA
Carreras, Votualevu, Nadi
Dressed in a sari
FOR the past few days our new Member of Parliament Sashi Kiran has been in the news concerning her dressing style.
Her neat way of being clad in a “sari” reminded me of one of our past members of this august House, the late Irene Jai Narayan who was originally from Lakhnow, India. She was also seen in her “sari” always. Ms Kiran not only looked attractive in her traditional dressings, she delivered her speeches with equal fluency and confidence.
She also happened to be an outstanding social worker in our community. Being a regular reader of The Fiji Times, I didn’t miss reading the credit given to Ms Kiran by Rodney Clarence Raj of Labasa, Bharat Morris of Suva and Rajend Naidu of Sydney, Australia in their letters.
I fully support their views and wish to thank and congratulate Ms Kiran for keeping up with our tradition. Besides her there are so many Indo-Fijian ladies seen in our religious functions, weddings and funerals neatly dressed in “sari” which is also very much appreciated.
Thank you.
VIJAY MAHARAJ
Navua
