The year 1972 budded a beautiful affiliation between two men who in their own right were well-recognised in America and in Fiji.
The profound meeting of the two gentlemen quickly developed a connection that later flourished to a good friendship and diplomatic relation.
It was in 1972 that the late American entrepreneur (prominently known as the publisher of Forbes magazine in the world) and multi-millionaire, Malcolm Forbes Sr met Fiji’s Pita Nacuva, who was then director of Town and Country Planning in Fiji, to discuss about the possibility of buying an island in the country.
Mr Nacuva such as his companion is no stranger to notability having held high-esteemed portfolios in his career, from being director of Town and Country Planning, permanent secretary to various governmental departments, being Minister to various ministries, was the Ambassador for Fiji to America and Mexico before becoming the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
As the story of their first meeting was lightly shared by Mr Nacuva in The Fiji Times editorial conference room – the feeling of appreciation was clearly expressed in the narrative. In was in that year that Mr Nacuva received a call from Malcolm Forbes Snr to make an appointment to see him, a quiet unexpected engagement for the then director.
“When he came he said he was Malcolm Forbes and I said I knew him very well as I’ve read stories about him,” Mr Nacuva said.
“He had told me that he was thinking of buying an island in Fiji.
“I asked him which island did he wish to buy and he responded Laucala Island.”
He said Mr Forbes Snr knew that as the director of town and country planning everything in terms of development in Fiji would go through me.
“I said yes with respect according to the Act,” he said.
“I said we were going to advise him on what he can do about the island as it was an ideal one. “We had a good chat and this started a good friendship between us.”
Mr Forbes was also aware of Mr Nacuva’s involvement in the master plan study the “Tourism Development Program for Fiji 1973” of which he referred to when chatting with Mr Nacuva. From the simple conversation over buying an island, the mutual friendship developed further where Mr Forbes Snr at the end of every year would send Mr Nacuva a Christmas Greeting card. Something he did until his death in 1990.
“When I went to the US he had passed away, but I paid a courtesy call to his office in New York and said hello to his son, Malcolm Forbes Jnr,” he said.
“He said he remembered his dad always talking about me and on how he was encouraged by me to do the development.” Mr Nacuva during the courtesy visit to the Forbes was the Ambassador of Fiji to America and Mexico then.
Even after Malcolm Forbes Senior’s passing, Mr Nacuva still had a respectable relationship with Mr Forbes son, Malcolm Forbes Junior – who today is known as the Editor-in-Chief of Forbes magazine and a politician.
In 1992, Mr Nacuva had a bold and steadfast approach to Mr Malcolm Forbes Junior when he visited him in his office at 5th Avenue and 12th St in New York on a Friday morning in November. Fiji President at the time, Ratu Penaia was at the Walter Reed Military Hospital on a medical review. He had been fl own to the U.S by an American military aircraft (no cost to the Fijian Government) and had recovered. Even though the President had recovered, he couldn’t walk and was on a wheelchair.
Every evening Mr Nacuva would visit and talk to the late President at the hospital. Ratu Penaia had shared with Mr Nacuva that when he was going to be discharged from the hospital he wanted to return right away to Fiji because of his duty to the nation. The Prime Minister then, Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara, had even offered for the President to stay with his friend in America after being discharged but the late President was adamant to return to his duties. With the President’s thoughts in mind, Mr Nacuva looked at ways that Ratu Penaia could travel back to Fiji.
Considering how the President was on a wheelchair and couldn’t travel on a commercial flight, Mr Nacuva asked around about air ambulance services.
With the airlift costing $US10, 000 an hour, Mr Nacuva had to find another alternative that wasn’t as costly for Fiji, especially after the coup.
“Sitting together one evening, the President and I were talking and considering how he was committed to his calling, I suggested someone we could ask for an aircraft,” he said.
“He (Ratu Penaia) said o cei (who)? Because he didn’t want any talk of corruption coming in during our discussion. “I said I had a close friendship with a family in New York and that I could go ask them if we could use their aircraft to take him back to Fiji. “The discussion was between the two of us –he was quiet.
“He thought for a while until he gave me his approval, but he wanted me to report to him straight after.”
The family that Mr Nacuva had in mind was the Forbes Family – specifically Mr Malcolm Forbes Senior’s son.
The visit to Mr Forbes Jnr was a faith fill visit and with Mr Nacuva was the then Fiji Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ratu Manasa Seniloli.
On a Friday morning in November, 1992 Mr Nacuva and Ratu Manasa sat opposite Mr Forbes Junior conversing about Fiji and its developments. After sharing a few laughs and light talk, Mr Nacuva respectfully approached Mr Forbes for their humble request. Mr Nacuva highlighted the medical condition in which the President was in and the need for him to return to Fiji because of his duty to the nation.
“I told Mr Forbes Jnr that he was the chief of Laucala Island but his island was in the vanua of Lalagavesi and its paramount chief was the Tui Cakau who was recovering in Washington DC’s Walter Reed Military Hospital,” Mr Nacuva said.
“I told him that Ratu Penaia can only be moved around in a wheelchair and he couldn’t travel back to Fiji on a normal commercial flight.
“I informed him about enquiring about the possibility of Ratu Penaia travelling back to Fiji on a special air ambulance, but the cost was prohibitive taking into account the financial situation of the Fiji Government as the result of the two coups in 1987.”
Mr Nacuva told Forbes Jnr that based on his friendship with his beloved father; he would like to ask him to please allow them to use his special private jet – the Forbes Capitalist Tool to fl y the Tui Cakau back home.
“Ratu Manasa was embarrassed as he bowed his head down because he wasn’t aware that I was going there to ask the Forbes for their private jet,” he said.
“As Ratu Manasa had his head down, Mr Malcolm Forbes Jnr straightaway said yes.
“He said you can use Capitalist Tool aircraft just tell me when you want to use it.
“We were flown here in the aircraft. “Ratu Penaia rested in Mr Malcolm Forbes private cabin during the trip to Fiji which was just fitting for the President.
“The aircraft was so fancy and it was like we were travelling in a hotel.
“It was a blessing for all of us to be able to travel back in the private jet especially for the late President who was committed to his calling.
“It simply shows the importance of diplomacy and maintaining good relationship and linkage with other states,” he said.
A close connection between the two men that developed over a discussion on buying an island simply permitted such an event to unfold gracefully without hindrance.
Simply a story of kind gesture built on good relation and trust.
