Border security
IT’S a nightmare when travelling in and out of the country.
Despite observing all the criteria, most locals are treated like suspects when entering or leaving our border.
The amount of questions both verbal and written thrown at us sometimes are very frightening.
They are sometimes very disturbing and spoil all the joy of travel.
Our luggage is scrutinised to the core.
An extra kilogram will attract a fine.
The alcohol volume is so critically examined when entering the country.
Well that is the story of a common man.
But to just slip tonnes of drugs into the country seems quite normal.
Marijuana is just a weed literally in Fiji now with the influx of new and better refined forms of drugs available.
How do these drugs find their way into our streets?
If a common man, who just wants to travel after saving for ages is treated like a suspect, how do these culprits beat the system so easily?
RAJENDRA PRASAD, Nakasi, Nausori
Meth grab and run
WHAT a shining example of law enforcement we have — stealing meth right under his colleagues’ noses!
A true genius!
SANJEET PRASAD, Labasa
Drug bust
HATS off to the Fiji Police Force for the massive drug bust destined also for the shores of Australia and possibly NZ.
Round up all the suspects and perpetrators involved.
And remember, there are bigwigs involved too who’ve had “inside” information to be able to operate such an elaborate and diabolical drug trade.
Wouldn’t be surprised if the bust has overseas criminal connections.
There needs to be more anonymous tips for destroying the drug trade that’s destroying the lives of innocent children and people.
No justification will ever convince me that legalising the use of certain drugs will put an end to the suffering and misery that drugs cause.
I know firsthand what it does to people and how drugs debilitate and destroy people’s lives.
COLIN DEOKI, Australia
Drug dangers
THE Fiji Times’ news “Raid nets white drug” (FT 15/1) is a major concern for all of us, schools, communities, customs, police, medical teams, and immigration.
The drug and substance abuse always lead to crime rise, poverty, and affects the economy at the expense of the innocent.
It’s sad and shameful to read in The Fiji Times and the international news that this is “one of the biggest seizures ever” in Fiji.
We all have a role to play — cooperate with the concerned authorities to get to the root of the problem.
“A pill can thrill but can also kill .”
Stop drugs.
Tahir Ali, Hamilton, NZ
FHEC and sectoral needs
THE Fiji Higher Education Commission is reportedly looking to align educational offerings with the demands of key industries.
Great idea; however, it has been around for many years and shouldn’t be put out as some new initiative.
TELS loans and scholarships (policies) of old were designed to achieve exactly that.
This is not a politically motivated letter.
DONALD SINGH, Suva
EFL surprise
MOST residents in our tiny, sleepy neighbourhood of Beverly Estate in Votualevu, Nadi were rudely awakened when the fans and air-conditioners came to a stop on Wednesday morning this week.
I limped outside to see the EFL trucks on the road and caught up with the neighbours who were already on their lawns watching the EFL guys like they were aliens hanging from electricity poles.
We all wore the same inquisitive faces — did EFL notify us about this power shutdown
Perhaps and perhaps not, but on Wednesday, January 17, I was able to greet and wish my neighbours a happy new year.
Thank you, EFL.
SAMU RAILOA, Nadi
Glitch me baby
AT the last national general election counting process, the members of the public received a surprising news from the SOE “we had a glitch in the system”.
Fast forward, did the public just get a “glitch” on the front of The FijiTimes (19/1) or was it really a glitch me baby report!
AREKI DAWAI, Samabula, Suva
Blues throw down CVC challenge
IT’S going to be a hot battle when league winner Lautoka takes on IDC winner Ba in the Pillay Garments Champion versus Champion (CVC) series that will kick start the 2024 football season.
Ba, having defeated Lautoka 2-1 in the Courts IDC final at the HFC Bank Stadium, triumphantly returned to the summit of Fiji football after some years of winless run in the local tournaments.
The Men in Black are the most successful team in the CVC series, having won an impressive 20 titles compared with Lautoka’s two CVC series titles.
Fuelled by young boys in Nabil Begg, Darold Kakasi, Mohammed Raheem, Rahul Naresh and Etonia Dogalau, Ba will be hot favourites to clinch the CVC trophy and with Sunil Kumar and Master Timoci Seru guiding the side, expect a solid performance from Ba.
However, it will not be easy against Lautoka which is an equally good and experienced side.
They love playing Ba and will give their best, considering their rivalry.
Best wishes to Ba and Lautoka as they prepare for the crunching CVC battle!
RAJNESH ISHWAR LINGAM, Nadawa, Nasinu
Stealing meth
JUST few days ago I forewarned on this esteemed column the possibility of methamphetamine seized last weekend going missing from the evidence storage.
Lo and behold, now a police officer is charged for allegedly scooping some of the synthetic drug.
Even before reaching the evidence storage.
Kemudou!
Fiji Police Force have you ever heard of the proverb “Forewarned is forearmed?”
WISE MUAVONO, Balawa, Lautoka
From outside
HE is doing just as he said.
Opposing from out of Parliament.
I don’t know what’s worse.
Khaiyum using the media or the journalists being used.
EDWARD KUMAR, Lautoka
Nervousness shows
WHY do members of government jump up and down whenever the former A-G speaks?
What is their fixation because the nervousness shows very clearly.
JAN NISSAR, Taj Mahal, India
Theory of karma
WHAT an irony!
During his reign in power as the top hound dog in the Bainimarama regime, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum deported people out of the country.
Today he is stopped from leaving the country.
What’s that thing they say about karma?
RAJEND NAIDU, Sydney, Australia
Sandalwood planting
SINCE we have focussed more on planting mangroves, can we also plant some other types of trees?
How about some sandalwood?
Imagine the beauty of nature if there was more of these!
KELEPI DAKUIYACO, Waikalou, Navua
Bus conditions
ARE the authorities aware of a certain bus company in Lautoka which is a moving chimney?
The smoke from this company’s buses is as black as charcoal and it has one of the oldest and noisiest buses servicing some interior routes in Lautoka.
I wonder how many have had to get their pressure checked after riding this noisy jukebox of a bus.
AVITESH D KUMAR, Ba
Loss hangover
CAN someone please offer former A-G Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum a “Mother” (energy drink)?
This will progressively but certainly get rid of his embarrassing post-election hangover, rants, egotism and his present relevance in Fiji’s political sphere.
NISHANT SINGH, Lautoka
Migration — An ongoing journey
Migration is a complex and global phenomenon
It is triggered by multiple reasons and factors
Migration is breaking emotional ties for greener pastures
This journey is inextricably tied up relationships
The bitter sweet relationships are deeply affected
The joys and sorrows, smiles and tears fill the hearts
There is an agony of separation
So many memories are fractured
To seek for a better and prosperous life
There are so many sacrifices embedded in this journey
In moving from one physical space to another
We need to migrate our mind too before it’s too late
We must evaporate the negative state of mind
From confusion and delusion
To reality and searching for the silver lining
Our actions and attitudes will be
Sewn in the seams of our future
How valuable is what we lose
On the way to succeed?
Migration generally leaves behind elders
To fend for themselves
While skilled and experienced individuals
Pride to make future in another country
Cultural values may be lost in this journey
This depends on the intrinsic values of our mindset
Migration symbolises hopes, aspirations and dreams
In the same breath, it symbolizes separation, agony and loss
BHAGWANJI BHINDI, Laucala Beach Estate, Nasinu
Self respect
HOW important is self respect in a person’s life?
I suppose to understand self respect we need a better handle on what it actually means.
According to the dictionary, self respect means “pride and confidence in oneself, a feeling that one is behaving with honour and dignity”.
Self respect is also loving yourself and treating yourself with care.
In a nutshell, it’s also the result of staying true to your core values and not willing to compromise the things you value and hold dear.
Excellent examples of actions that build self respect are:
Earning your success honestly without harming others or acting against our own values. Calming ourselves and speaking to someone with care even when we’re angry.
Persevering to achieve a challenging goal even when we want to quit.
Taking time to help a friend in need.
Owning up to our mistakes and trying to make them right.
Basically, self respect is rooted in common decency.
It’s our internal navigation system providing us with a moral compass.
And having self respect is basically about the way we behave towards others and towards ourselves, especially when no one’s around and no one’s looking.
Research studies show that we can find inner peace and create lasting happiness through developing self respect.
All of us, no matter who we are, make mistakes, and sometimes, say and do the wrong things.
It’s just human nature and part of our human imperfections.
But it’s what we do afterwards that determines the true extent and nature of the value we hold and place on self respect.
Do criminals and drug dealers have self respect?
Do politicians with questionable ethics and integrity have self respect?
Do people always looking for an unfair advantage have self respect?
Do corrupt government officials have self respect?
“I cannot conceive of a greater loss than the loss of one’s self respect!” – Mahatma Gandhi
COLIN DEOKI, Australia
Protesting in Israel
A CITIZENS protest in Israel is calling for an end to the Israeli war on Gaza and an end of the Israeli military occupation of Palestine.
That they say is the only way for enduring peace between Israel and Palestine (Aljazeera 19/1).
It makes one wonder how come some in Fiji are parroting the propaganda of “the most extreme far right government of Israel” to continue the war to eliminate Hamas?
Rajend Naidu, Sydney, Australia
Choose health for the kids
MELINA Senievo-Tuilau, our shopper for this week, had a timely advice for parents, “Choose health for the kids”.
The mother-of-two and the shop manager for The Tree Boutique, who loves both her job and family, shared that she considered health for her family.
She urged parents to always prioritise children when buying groceries.
She encouraged shoppers to be wise in choosing supermarkets and emphasised that children must be a priority, especially when it came to food.
To supplement her story, the editor-in-chief penned an informative editorial titled “The NCDs challenge” (FT 19/01).
He alluded to the importance of partnering with key stakeholders in changing the mindset and getting people engaged in the war against NCDs.
Engaging communities means a better outcome for us as a nation in terms of our health, and subsequently productivity on the work front.
A healthy diet, good sleeping and eating habits, reducing the consumption of alcohol, kava and cigarettes, and regular physical activities are the way forward to reducing the incidence of deaths from NCDs.
Together we can Fiji!
RAJNESH ISHWAR LINGAM, Nadawa, Nasinu
Thrills and spills from Lawaqa
THE 12th edition of the McDonald’s Fiji’s Coral Coast 7s enters its final day today, with the eliminations and finals. Local teams Army Green, Fire, the Fiji Development, and the invitational NZ Development sides look hot at Lawaqa Park.
The excitement is rife, as the thrills and spills from the Coral Coast has set the platform for next weekend’s Perth 7s and the remaining local 7s tournaments in Fiji.
The McDonald’s Fiji’s Coral Coast 7s has gained prominence because of the organisation and the fact that household names in 7s and rugby have graced our shores for the tournament.
Thanks to Jay Whyte and his organising team, fans have had a chance to meet the likes of David Campese, Wallabies stars George Gregan and Lote Tuqiri, the all-time leading try scorer on the HSBC WRSS circuit Dan Norton, former South Africa 7s skipper Kyle Bown, renowned ref Rasta Rasivhenge, former All Blacks 7s stars Karl Te Nana and DJ Forbes, the late Jonah Lomu, Springbok sensation Bryan Habana and 7s Guru Sir Gordon Tietjens.
Apart from these stars, our local wonder boys such as Waisale Serevi, Rupeni Caucau and Bill Satala have graced the occasion.
Expect a brutal encounter today, as teams try to win the title.
All eyes will be on the Fiji Development side.
Wishing all teams and organisers the best!
RAJNESH ISHWAR LINGAM, Nadawa, Nasinu
Unusual dry run
WHO else could have known better than Sir Gordon Tietjens, Fiji not winning first place in the past 15 tournaments since May 2022.
What Ben Gollings has to say about this?
It’s the year of the Olympics and Ben is still trying to put a team together when at this moment he’s supposed to be in fine-tuning mode.
As Tietjens mentioned, the next two weeks will be really important for them moving forward heading to Perth.
There are times for rebuilding where new players come up and replace some experienced players and it takes time to gather momentum.
For Gollings, past teams there were no experienced players at all and we haven’t noticed a momentum at all.
Very simple if we lose the next leg, get Sir Gordon Tietjens in and get Ben Gollings out.
TOMASI BOGINISO, NSW, Australia
Rugby mentors needed
TO be one of the final players picked for the Perth 7s is an achievement in itself and is the wish of every 7s player.
After the long drought and pressure against our team management, it’s going to be tougher.
In reality, gifted players are hard to find nowadays.
Those who are highly skilled, flamboyant, fast, wise and with cool heads under extreme pressure.
Most players nowadays are lacking basic fundamentals required to produce the best combination on the field like a well oiled machine in action.
For the whole process to achieve positive results, we need and must be extra careful in our decision making, especially those in charge.
I believe we need great mentors such as Ryan and Baber and the late great Ratu Kitione Vesikula.
Our die-hard fans have been following and watching the whole process with great hope and enthusiasm, expecting nothing less but a winning combination in Perth irrespective.
Hopefully our chosen gladiators will make our country proud.
EMINONI VARO ROKOWADRAU, Natabua, Lautoka
Speedster in town
IS Dan Norton in town?
Thank goodness he’s an ambassador at the McDonald’s Fiji’s Coral Coast 7s and fans have a chance to meet him off the rugby paddocks.
This is a man who broke our hearts on many occasions, scoring tries which painfully snatched victory from our hands.
Meanwhile, Norton can expect fans speeding towards him requesting selfies and photos.
All in all, it’s a blessing to have Norton in the rugby crazy town of Sigatoka.
FLOYD ROBINSON, Micronesia
War of words
MANY eyes must have been caught by this striking bold headline in Wednesday’s (17/01) The Fiji Times where the former A-G and economy minister Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum tried to pick on the Finance Minister Professor Biman Prasad by saying that honourable Prasad had absolutely no clue on how to run a modern economy.
In his counter attack Prof Prasad said Mr Sayed-Khaiyum was suffering from withdrawal symptoms because he was so drunk with power for so long and now he lost it.
According to our observations, while in power, Mr Sayed-Khaiyum was in charge of multiple ministries simultaneously.
He even had a stint at the Education Ministry, and this could be one reason why this particular ministry is in shambles today.
Within a short period of time we had four different education ministers.
We further observed that Mr Sayed-Khaiyum, because of extra power, was branded a dictator that no other minister in the former government would dare to open his or her mouth but to follow the orders.
I believe because of poor judgment and management, the former economy minister failed to control the finance properly and as a result our small nation with less than a million people is facing a $10billion debt.
I believe most government properties: example quarters, hospitals, schools, roads and water supply etc were neglected.
Regular maintenance of these buildings as seen before 2006 almost disappeared.
The culture of freebies and handouts were introduced by the previous government.
I believe with such poor record, Mr Sayed-Khaiyum does not qualify to criticise or attack the current administration.
At the end of the four-year term the general public will have authority to scrutinise the performance of the Government.
Let us have patience and wait until 2026.
VIJAY MAHARAJ, Navua
Former A-G should move on
FORMER A-G Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum should clean his own back yard first before making unsolicited claims against Finance Minister Professor Biman Prasad and the Government of the day.
According to Mr Sayed-Khaiyum, Prof Biman Prasad “was handed the economy on the platter with a fast-growing economy” and that “the economy is not functioning smoothly” (FT 17/01).
He also mentioned that the Government is living in the past, and all the shortcomings are practically blamed on the FijiFirst government.
All this noise by Mr Sayed-Khaiyum just weeks after coming back to Fiji, with complaints being received against him for allegedly making false declarations pertaining to their declaration of assets, liabilities, income, and expenditures which are submitted to the Registrar of Political Parties.
Apart from the usual governmental duties, what extra did his government do while in power for 16 years?
Debt reduction?
No!
In fact, we are in this situation because of the careless and lavish spending of the previous government, so who else should the Coalition Government blame?
They cannot shift the blame to Ukraine or America.
RAYNAV CHAND, Nakasi, Nausori
Wailoaloa crematorium
SOMETIMES, reaching and coming out of Wailoaloa Cemetery becomes a challenge because of congested and haphazard parking.
Exiting is not easy the way vehicles have been parked.
If you want to leave early, you will have to wait until the line is cleared.
The situation is worse when multiple bodies are scheduled to be cremated at once.
Looking at the size of the crematorium, I think it is not fit to accommodate more than one cremation at a time.
In terms of occupational health and safety, overcrowding should at all times be avoided.
Maybe it would be wise to allow a reasonable gap between cremations so that one group leaves before the next one comes in.
This could be made possible by a policy guideline devised and implemented by cemetery management.
The time slot is to be allocated by the caretaker on a first-come- first-served basis.
Suppose the first confirmed booking is for 1pm, other users will have to select and settle with the next available time slot.
Allowing at least one hour gap between cremations will alleviate the congestion both inside and outside the crematorium.
It is achievable if our Hindu brothers take my suggestion on board with open mind.
At the end of the day we all want the funeral conducted in a dignified manner and without a hassle to anyone.
Let us all be proactive and environment conscious.
SURESH CHAND, Nadi
