Fiji pageant in the spotlight
The Fiji pageant is making headlines obviously for wrong reasons. Miss Fiji 2025 Dr Peggy Ravusiro has opened a can of worms with so much controversy surrounding Fiji’s pageant world. The controversy stems from allegations of toxic leadership and mistreatment of the Miss Fiji 2025 contestants. While Dr Ravusiro made claims of bullying and body shaming, former Miss Hibiscus Alisi Rabukawaqa, who was crowned as the Miss South Pacific in 2011, shared (FT 14/01) how horrified she was seeing how the pageants in Fiji were devolving. I salute Dr Ravusiro because she had the guts to stand against what she felt was not right. She stated that she did not sign the contract because it would have bullied her into silence about matters concerning her well-being and expect her to comply with all the Miss Fiji Pageant demands. I listened to Dr Ravusiro’s press conference on Tuesday, and I was disappointed with the way she was treated. I don’t have any personal grudge against the appointment of the first runner-up Ailava Samuels as Fiji’s representative to the Miss Pacific Islands Pageant 2026, but I believe the committee is wrong in its appointment. The committee must come out clean. Dr Ravusiro has shaken some sleeping giants, and she is gaining a lot of support on social media. The Fiji Pageant team has faced a lot of criticism on social media. It’s high time the committee gets dissolved. We need genuine people who have the competition at heart. As Fiji awaits, what unfolds next will be interesting. Rajnesh Ishwar Lingam Nadawa, Nasinu
Courage at another level
Miss Fiji, Peggy Ravusiro, thank you for your courage to come out and open up on matters behind the curtains. It takes a lot of courage and determination towards goodwill for yourself and other women who choose to put their feet on the same path. Your consideration of your situation was the first step of courage you showed, taking into consideration the storm you endured inside you all this while going through the humiliation as stated by you. Of course, the coin has two sides but we have heard a lot more from you than the organisers. Having to hear about “having attitude” when you asked questions which is not music to their ears is becoming a norm, of course not acceptable. Body shaming and fingers raised on character just makes it easier targeting people. These things are bound to happen when you raise eyebrows. In the blink of an eye, you become less beautiful, talented and intelligent in “their view”. How much you can endure when the arrows are being pierced through is something only you will know. The aspirations of knowing yourself to the core level. You know yourself too well Miss Peggy that’s for sure. I salute you for that. It’s not the knowing you rather how much you can do with knowing yourself. You did it. Vinaka for that. Holding legal jargon not knowing where you are leading in terms of safety and demanding clarifications and safeguard amendments is totally understood but again that storm inside you for that duration which was not easy, you maintained that composure. Courage at another level. We hope proper investigations will take place for the sake of so many young women full of dreams and goodwill for our nation. Wishing you the best Miss Peggy Ravusiro. You spoke for many young aspirants out there. Vinaka. KIRTI PATEL Mohan Singh Pl., Lautoka
Balawa CCTV cameras
Good to see Balawa residents of Lautoka collecting funds and installing CCTV cameras in that area. I can see the two specific administrators and another from health in the pictures. Some years back Lautoka City had CCTV cameras which were damaged by a cyclone I am told, and to date it has not been replaced. These special administrators should repair or replace the CCTV cameras in Lautoka City then take pictures for their public stunts. No offence but what is the use of taking pictures when you are not a resident of that area. Geoffrey Chand Lautoka
False narratives
Apparently, the Army Commander is deeply troubled by “false narratives”. How reassuring. One might have thought the nation’s exploding drug trade, which continues to operate with remarkable efficiency, would warrant greater concern (fijivillage.com). The drug crisis is not a rumour, nor a social media invention. It is visible, measurable, and according to earlier media reports, occasionally facilitated by those sworn to enforce the law. Yet instead of directing energy toward dismantling this criminal pipeline, we are warned about “narratives”. Perhaps the focus should be adjusted. The drugs are real. The damage is real. The victims are real. The so-called “narratives” can surely wait. Equally impressive is the military’s tireless commitment to the never-ending matanigasau ritual, apologising repeatedly, and almost exclusively, to segments of the indigenous community, including individuals who played active roles in treasonous coups. Meanwhile, the actual victims of those coups, the vulagi population who lost jobs, rights, security, and dignity, remain invisible, and unacknowledged. But then again, maybe that omission is not an oversight at all. Maybe it is simply another “false narrative” being carefully preserved. Wouldn’t you agree, Major General Kalouniwai? Embarrassing indeed! Nishant Singh Lautoka
Visa bonds
The recent Fiji Times article outlining the potential requirement for Fijian passport holders to pay visa bonds of up to $US15,000 ($F34k) to enter the United States is deeply worrying, frustrating, and frankly discouraging for ordinary citizens. For many hardworking Fijians, visiting the United States is not a luxury, it is a once-in-a-lifetime dream to see family, attend important life events, or finally enjoy a long-saved-for holiday. Yet the new measures almost eliminates that possibility. Most families can barely afford the rising cost of living here at home, let alone pay a bond equivalent to $30,000 to $35,000 before even setting foot on American soil. The visa process at the US Embassy in Suva is already extremely stressful and burdensome. Repeated interview calls, a lack of assistance allowed for applicants, and inconvenient requirements like parking outside the compound already leave people feeling unwelcome. Now adding an enormous security bond feels like an unnecessary punishment placed squarely on Fijians simply because of where we were born. Other countries manage their borders without imposing extreme financial hurdles. Why are Fijians being priced out of travel, business opportunities, and global mobility? I urge the Fiji Government to take this matter seriously. Our citizens deserve fair treatment, dignity, and equal access to international travel, not barriers designed to exclude ordinary people. Remaining silent only allows such policies to become permanent, widening inequality between nations and suppressing the aspirations of our people. Fijians should not be forced to give up their dreams of exploring the world because of policies that target and disadvantage small Pacific nations. We deserve better. Suman Lata Ba
EFL tariffs
FCEF says that EFL stripped $40.7million in cash out of the company to pay dividends during a loss-making year. This means that rich people and organisations with spare cash and who had bought EFL shares were paid $40.7million. Now the poor of this country are being asked to pay for this dividend through the proposed tariffs. Is this some kind of a Ponzi scheme? I will be glad if someone enlightens me. Rakesh Chand Sharma Nadi
Pageant questions
I guess we should not be surprised by the newly-exposed pageant saga. Don’t we have a history of bungling pageants? The hurtful questions remain though, when contestants’ race or “Fijianship” questions emerge. Young people with pageantry intentions, advice for you: until you know for sure that our pageants are run by actual professionals, stay away, focus on education, work for betterment of life and family through other means. I have four queens in my house, each with her own strength and uniqueness, without any of them contesting any pageantry. Donald Singh Suva
Pageant controversy
The claims and allegations raised by Miss Fiji 2025 contestants against the Miss Fiji pageant must be treated with due seriousness. Allegations of body shaming and bullying require immediate attention and careful resolution. Today’s contestants are educated individuals who read, analyse, and fully comprehend contractual clauses before signing. Consequently, outdated provisions must be reviewed and amended to prevent any form of exploitation of young women. It is therefore reasonable to question why feminist groups have remained largely silent in support of contestants who have courageously initiated this necessary and long-overdue reform. DINESH KUMAR Ba
Do better
Ratu Manoa Rokotavaga couldn’t have been more succinct in his take on the Miss Fiji pageant saga (FT 14/1). Hope the concerned parties pay serious heed to his illuminating analysis. My question is shouldn’t all the women be standing together in a show of solidarity with the winner Dr Peggy Ravusiro, including the woman who has been chosen to replace or displace the winner? Rajend Naidu Sydney, Australia
Miss Fiji saga
Reading through the news item in FT 14/01 tells us that Miss Fiji, Dr Ravusiro is far smarter than organisers of Miss Fiji Pageant. Rakesh Chand Sharma Nadi
Critic and tariff hike bid
Thank you Colin
I can understand Ronnie Chang’s pertinent reaction when he says it is “none of his business” to his Australian critic Jan Nissar for castigating him for his numerous letters seeking remedy for the theft of their pension money by the former FijiFirst government (FT14/1). Ronnie says this FNPF theft has “nothing to do with him”. My take is fighting for what is right is always everyone’s business regardless of where one lives. That’s why I added my voice to the call for justice by the pensioners who have suffered a grave injustice at the hands of the state authorities. Rajend Naidu Sydney, Australia
Sarcastic comments
I have some reflective thought for Jan Nissar. Continually belittling, demeaning and denigrating Fijians has only one ending: Your sarcastic, insensitive comments will one day come back to bite you where the sun don’t shine. Colin Deoki Australia
People first
Interesting was the consultation yesterday with FCCC and EFL with regards to the request by EFL for an increase in tariff. Often, when financial targets overshadow long-term social impact, we fail to see the harmful ripple effects. My view is simple: if Government is a major shareholder of Energy Fiji Ltd, then the public interest must matter most in any decision on electricity prices. Electricity is not a luxury. It is the backbone of every household budget, every business, and every essential public service. This is why large tariff increases — especially those that fall heavily on commercial users — do not stay “commercial”. Businesses will pass higher power costs into the price of food, transport, accommodation, manufactured goods, and services. The result is higher living costs for everyone, and the greatest burden falls on low-income families who already struggle with rent, groceries, and school expenses. This is also the wrong time for major increases for our nation. Our communities are already under strain from higher operating costs, rising crime, and a growing drug crisis. When businesses operating costs rise sharply, businesses cut hours, delay hiring, or close. Job losses and rising prices intensify these social pressures, while the knock-on effects reach right into public services. Hospitals, schools, and prisons are major electricity users. When power costs rise, service quality and budgets are squeezed and in healthcare especially, lives can be at stake, while our prisons, too, already operate at capacity. Keeping our children in school may also become more of a burden. There is a better path. Instead of leaning again on tariff hikes, Fiji should accelerate a people-centred win-win energy transition: Support households and small businesses to install rooftop solar (and where suitable, small wind or micro-hydro), with fair “sell back to the grid” arrangements such as net metering or feed-in tariffs. Work with iTaukei landowners to develop solar farms through transparent leases and partnerships, creating jobs and long-term land income while supplying the grid. Expand independent power producers and competitive procurement so Fiji gets the lowest-cost power, not the most convenient plan. If consumers are asked to fund future investment through higher tariffs, the public deserves full transparency and strict accountability: clear project milestones, independent audits, regular reporting, and consequences if delivery falls short. If the people are the owners — directly through the State and indirectly as the captive customers — then the people must come first! Noleen Billings Savusavu
