Letters to the Editor: letters@fijitimes.com.fj
Potential disaster
I WISH to raise concerns about the potential danger that is increasing every day because of the increased rate of farming on the slopes of the Edinburgh Drive in Suva.
Years ago there was a notice placed at the site warning and discouraging anyone to plant.
Gone are the trees which helped stop soil erosion and the subject area is now covered with root crops.
The root crops which are frequently harvested disintegrate and weaken the soil and because of the very steep nature of the slope, a major landslide is on the menu which will cause a lot of damage, cut out the major route to the city and can also result in fatality.
There is evidence of soil erosion and small landslides which occur frequently during a heavy downpour. Just recently few trees were cut to extend the farming area.
Efforts should be made to rehabilitate the slopes by planting trees and enforcing policies and discourage planting. This has to be implemented immediately in order to save lives.
SATISH N NAKCHED
Suva
Fiji soccer
CAN the Government please look into what the Fiji FA is doing? Visit the social sites and see how frustrated the soccer fans are.
Poor performances by our U17 and U20 sides recently, we don’t even have a senior national team and are almost the bottom team in the world rankings.
Local soccer standards have dropped dramatically.
Rewa and Nadi where denied Champion vs Champion spots and replaced by Ba who didn’t win anything last year.
U20 players breaking camp and some not turning up in camp, why? Does anyone bother looking at what the management are doing in camp and how these players are treated?
The Sports Ministry needs to wake up and investigate what’s going wrong.
I believe Fiji soccer is at its poorest form at the moment.
ABEN DEAN
Suva
Marijuana usage
THANK you Ian McLeod and yes, those who think growing of marijuana can be justified by making some money, are pathetic.
This is something that can be used by any person as an excuse for earning money if the green light is given to do so.
It’s a sad thing when we continue to find marijuana plants in certain places.
I hope people realise the negative impact of marijuana and stop participating in such things.
There are other good ways of earning money so go for it rather than finding the easy way out.
I still sympathise with people who think planting of marijuana should be legalised in Fiji.
For a country such as Fiji certain wrong decisions can turn out to be disastrous in no time.
I hope the authorities get to the root of this and deal with those found participating in it very seriously.
Illegal stuff are illegal and that’s the reason it’s called illegal as they have more negative effects than positives.
KIRTI PATEL
Lautoka
FNPF response
WE refer to Talei Burness letter titled Pensioners Fate (FT 13/1/2015).
We would like to inform Ms Burness that changes were made in the FNPF pension scheme to keep it sustainable for current members and/or future pensioners who will not need to rely on support from non-pensioners.
The point that the CEO continues to make was that now with 70 per cent of FNPF contributions being retained for retirement, members will have more significant amounts when they reach age 55 and should, if they choose, be able to obtain good pensions without any subsidy from non-pensioners.
I believe Ms Burness has had to make some adjustments when her old subsidised FNPF pension was put on a sustainable footing, and she does have my sympathy.
However, we would prefer not to dwell on her resentment but encourage her to celebrate the pension reform which have strengthened the FNPF for the benefit of all Fijians.
TEVITA NAGATALEKA
Assistant general manager
Prime Services FNPF
Aussie dollar
YESTERDAY’S The Fiji Times suggested that the falling Australian dollar should lead resorts to reconsider their pricing.
Fortunately, we booked and paid for our accommodation months ago so were unaffected by recent fluctuations.
My partner and I are at the end of our first trip to Fiji. It will probably be our last because of the exorbitant prices tourism operators charge. It appears to us that Fiji charges are at Aussie rates or worse.
We travel frequently in S.E Asia so are aware of what Fiji’s competitors cost.
In Vietnam, we can have a top quality restaurant meal for four, including drinks, for $F30. Accommodation in Indonesia, Thailand or Vietnam is one third of the Fijian price and includes cable TV.
Still, we came to Fiji for the diving.
After realising that scuba dives are over three times the price compared with elsewhere, we cancelled after the first dive.
Fiji is a beautiful country and we will treasure our experiences with its people.
However, Fiji must wake up to the reality of the competition.
SALLY WARREN
NSW
Australia
Positive reforms
I WOULD like to fully endorse my support to the facts and views mentioned in Vishal Prasad’s and Savenaca Vakaliwaliwa’s letter regarding the positive education reforms in the country.
The 653 teachers being absorbed into the system would surely increase the attention a student needs in school for better productivity.
It would also lessen the burden of teaching multiple classes for some teachers and would reduce their workload.
For all the positive and much needed reforms and investment in the education sector, the Government of the day needs to be thanked wholeheartedly for their correct investment and commitment to improve Fiji’s education system and ensure excellent human resources in the near future.
I would like to specially thank the Education Minister and the officials working on this reform for their hard work.
Vinaka vakalevu and anticipating more positive reform implementation to even better the education system.
Wishing all the students, teachers and education officials a very productive academic year.
RAJNESH SINGH
Suva
Let’s work together
I WOULD like to echo Mr Hazelman’s comments in this column (FT 15/01) about “Unprofessional environmentalist” and agree that WAF certainly did inherit all its ageing pipes and systems and are working really hard to be on par and I too must commend them for the hard work they have all put in from the CEO right down to the labourer, vinaka vakalevu.
I guess like all the other institutions in Fiji that have undergone a change in management they have all inherited the same debts as was left by their predecessors and I commend them for their hard work, but I plead with them not to be complacent as yet as there is still a lot of work left.
But that being said you and I also have to play our part in making sure the current and new infrastructure is not damaged further by our negligence, let’s work together to build a better Fiji so that our children do not inherit our mistakes.
LAWRENCE WARA
Suva
Own worst enemy
ALTHOUGH she didn’t complete her primary school education because of an accidental injury, Ellen G White is a religious author and writer and has penned a lot of books including Steps to Christ – the 6th bestselling non-fiction book of all time with 60 million copies being sold worldwide.
In the opening sentence of the book she wrote: “Nature and revelation alike testify of God’s love”.
In His famous sermon on the mount, Jesus categorically reminded his listeners, “which of you by taking thought, can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take you thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow, they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these (Mathew 6:27-29)”.
A recent ad on FBC TV cautioned the public on burning rubbish. A decade back we never realised that in clearing our compound and burning the rubbish in the back yard is in fact an added burden on the environment resulting in the ever altering face (Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde) of climate change.
Researchers have found that an avocado a day keeps bad cholesterol at bay and eating more fibre is good for the health. Modern man’s insatiable drive to gain by destroying mother nature.
We are in turn and in reality indirectly destroying ourselves by off balancing the natural functions of the world around us.
In carelessly overstepping nature in order to gain economically. We seem to be losing both in the process. Question is, what’s the solution?
Osea Sivo Naisau
Nailaga
Ba
Star remembered
I JUST learned through this daily that former rugby great Ravuama Latilevu passed away. Lati was a great player, who dominated Fiji rugby in the ’70s.
Although he didn’t spot that handlebar moustache the Nadro players were famous for, Lati had a tenacity to win and never say die attitude.
So great was his tenacity to win that the Australian tour of ’76, Lati punched a fellow player he thought didn’t give his all. Subsequently Lati was expelled from the team and Lautoka’s Navitalai Senilagakali was flown to replace him. So long brother. Never forgotten.
SUSEN SAKAL
USA
Teacher shortage
SO there was a shortage of teachers. I’m told the shortage is in special areas.
But it’s a good move not only for teacher-student ratio but for the employment of our graduates.
Let’s move forward, we cannot change the past, but let’s learn from it.
ALLEN LOCKINGTON
Kava Pl
Lautoka
Market vendor
IT is absolutely unpleasing to see that on Saturdays Navua market vendors who transport their farm produce from as far as Vakabalea and Raiwaqa to the Navua market have no proper facilities to sell from.
These poor vendors spread sacks or tarpaulines alongside the road opposite the Navua market and sell their vegetables. Majority of these vendors are females. They do not have any seats or overhead shelter to have protection from sunshine and rain.
During hot sunny days their vegetables such as Chinese cabbage, rourou, dhaniya, choraiya, etc, get affected by the heat and finally these vendors either have to sell the mentioned items far below the actual price or throw them away. Market fees are collected by the authority as soon as the vendors arrive with their produce.
Ever since the market fees are collected by the market master, I believe these vendors should be provided with facilities like overhead shed to protect them and their produce from the sun and rain. The temporary overhead shed could be erected with the help of tarpaulines by afternoon of Fridays and dismantled by afternoon on Saturdays.
This system if implemented will surely uplift the moral of these vendors. Looking at this on humanitarian grounds, the public will appreciate and admire the authority for providing some proper means of facilities.
I believe Navua Town is still left to be declared a town. Matters are dealt and controlled by the local authority.
The local authority can convince the Government of the day to assist their office by providing resources.
It might not read good to Navua Rural and Local Authority that this matter is highlighted through the newspaper, however, I believe that some proper measures should be taken by them on the above issue.
I would surely like to see improvements in Navua Town.
INDAR JIT
Navua
War on drugs
THE war on drugs continues in Fiji today and tens of thousands of marijuana plants are being uprooted in the North, in the interior of Viti Levu and in the islands in 2014 alone.
The street value of these drugs run into tens of millions of dollars.
It appears that while uprooting is done by police in one part of the country, re-planting and production continues in other parts so the supply on the streets is hardly affected.
From 1996 to 2000, I was part of a research team doing a project on Sea Rescue and Maritime Surveillance within Fiji’s EEZ with the co-operation of the USP Department of Maths and computing science and Air Fiji Ltd.
Our team was led by Dr Jito Vanualailai now the Director of Research at USP and the late Professor Takashi Soma from Japan.
In our presentation to Government in 1999, we showed how via remote sensing we can use infrared images from satellite or from aircraft to map out distribution of forests and vegetation cover including marijuana.
Every species of plant has its own unique reflection “finger print” to sunlight that can be detected and mapped via computer analysis and have their GPS locations identified.
The cost then was considered too high and the project was shelved.
Today, with the invention of the drone, the costs can be tremendously reduced provided we work with the manufacturers who can custom-design it for our purpose.
The impact of this technology will be such that within a month or so, we can hand over to our Police Drug Unit the maps, size and GPS locations of all out-door marijuana plantations in Fiji and continue re-doing it every three months intervals or whenever we think it necessary.
To cut the costs further down, the same drones can be used in a joint venture with the Forum Fisheries Agency on Maritime Surveillance and with other regional countries on Sea Search and Rescue.
Fiji has hundreds of USP graduates who have done GIS units covering Remote Sensing who can be further trained to run the analysis part of such a program.
We may need just a handful of foreign expertise in the initial implementation stage to help guide us on drone operations and to set things in motion.
TIMOCI GAUNAVINAKA
Waila
Nausori
Media freedom
I ACTUALLY like your article on issues surrounding media freedom, media ethics and greater exposure and incentives for our local journalists in Fiji. (The Fiji Times article Focus on Freedom 14/1/2014).
The Charlie Hebdo incident has made people all over the world talk about our right to free speech.
Yes! Freedom of speech is the cornerstone of a democratic nation such as Fiji. And people in Fiji adore free speech.
Freedom of speech gives us the right to speak up our minds on various issues affecting us and humanity.
Here in Australia some individuals and groups are putting pressure on government to repeal and amend certain hate laws so that they are free to blaspheme, lampoon and bad mouth others without being prosecuted.
I wonder if Fiji has hate laws that control our freedom of speech and prohibit us from insulting, offending or humiliating others?
Personally I believe my freedom of speech doesn’t give me the right to make fun of others in a way which will make them feel very offended and downgraded and desiring retribution.
SHAKUN PRASAD
Melbourne
Australia
Votualevu roundabout
IT is very good to see the four-lane construction now underway from the Nadi International Airport through to Denarau and it will be a great advantage to all road users and the travelling public.
My concern is the Votualevu roundabout. It was built about 10 years ago by which time a master plan would already have been in place for the four-lane bypass road included now under construction.
The point to make is where are all those road and civil works engineers 10 years back.
One can start to see the partial destruction of that roundabout now to accommodate the bypass.
It is such a waste of taxpayers’ money and government resources.
Did those engineers not know of the existence of a master plan.
TUKAI LAGONILAKEBA
Namaka
Nadi
Elderly care
AS we catch up with age, at times our expectations are high for our children to take care of us, irrespective of the commitments they have. They can become stressed themselves knowing they are unable to support their parents to the level they would prefer.
Let’s keep up with the time as blessed by the Almighty at this age, adjusting ourselves with or without children.
Things do not change, we change.
TAHIR ALI
Hamilton
NZ
Different weather
JOHN Ruskin once wrote: “There is no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather.”
I was so happy waking up on Monday morning to the sound of continuous rain. It has been awhile since we had this much rainfall, especially after the hot and humid weather we experienced throughout the festive season.
To celebrate, I wanted to run outside bare to rain bath but then I thought of the neighbours who might report me for “indecent exposure”.
WISE MUAVONO
Lautoka
Bus service
THE LTA recently conducted training for bus operators in the West and they mentioned the purpose of the program was to improve service and also the health and fitness of both the driver and the vehicle.
I commend them for their initiative but I guess they forgot another equally important component which was the passenger and how comfortable is the passenger while using the said service.
I have mentioned this before, the aisle for these buses, the new and the old is too narrow, thus if one was to stand on the aisle, there is hardly any room to make for a disembarking passenger, and further to that when we travel to work in the morning, the drivers like to cram us in the bus like sardines.
The only bus company that I have seen that has ample room for those standing and those sitting is the Vatuwaqa bus company, alas too bad I do not live in the area it services to enjoy it.
Well, here is hoping the bigwigs may take a line or two from this letter and make some adjustments in the near future.
Until then just like everyone else I’ll just grin and bear the uncomfortable travelling conditions.
LAWRENCE WARA
Suva
Catch them all
I HEAR that LTA is expecting to purchase more speed cameras.
It would be great if they can form a partnership with the Ministry of Environment and all other stakeholders who are concerned with the welfare of our beautiful environment.
When you travel the main Queens Highway, you will come along a lot of filth and I am sure it will be only humans who will do that.
The same can be said for all other parts of the country but it would be a start if the main stakeholders can first begin with one side of the main island.
If we give it a trial, I’m sure people who pollute the environment, drive dangerously and even those who run away from the law will be caught.
Together, a lot of awareness, positive mind-set and improvements will be achieved for the betterment of Fiji and its future generations.
LEONARD ROUNDS
Narewa
Nadi
Police chief
I REFER to letter F/T 16/01/15 by Indar Jit of Navua replying to Jalesi Nakarawa of Hamilton, NZ on the above subject.
A person who has a bit of common sense would know that he meant our commissioner and not one from some other country because the letter was in The Fiji Times and not New York Times.
NARDEO MISHRA
Suva
Speak up
THANK you Frank R. Eggers FT(13/01) for your consideration which makes you say that the senior citizens and other passengers on buses supinely cower before misbehaving drivers?
I hope you do realise the reason we call them senior citizens is the fact that they are physically weaker which prevents them from arguing.
At a certain age people don’t like to confront and take things further.
As for the other passengers, it’s probably the case of “mind your own business” which is becoming a norm in public transport nowadays.
These type of people are not bothered with what happens as far as they reach their destination on time.
As much as we wish that what you say is put into practice, it’s really hard to change the mind-set of some. I do give a nod to that, however, sadly, we can’t make people react accordingly.
However, some surveillance should be of great help in public transport which should thoroughly be managed by the bus companies or owners.
As for the bus drivers with such pathetic behaviour, they should be dealt with in such a way that it becomes a lesson for all the drivers out there.
As far as Mr Eggers’ suggestions are concerned, I would like to remind you, “we can take the horse to the river but cannot make it drink”.
KIRTI PATEL
Lautoka
iTaukei in exile
WHEN we talk about exiling people from the village or removing them from the VKB, we are talking about removing our own iTaukei sons and daughters from where they rightly belong.
Have our iTaukei leaders lost their mana and authority and the family and churches they belong to lost its milk of human kindness?
As an iTaukei, let other races exile their people or remove them from their family tree or disown them, but please, not us iTaukei people who are renowned to be Christians with the friendly bula smiles.
Those who are heading towards being exiled are just a handful and if they do not listen to the plea of their family members, the vanua or the church then dob them in to the police to take action.
An iTaukei who has been exiled or removed from the VKB will still be known and attached to where he or she is from, making this solution of no effect.
Furthermore, as stated by others, no one wants them to live in their village or suburb.
Good Friday is the next public holiday coming up where we Christians remember our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, not throwing in the towel or give up on us, because He wants to save us from our many sins and be reconciled to our loving Heavenly Father.
We need His character as we deal with our own family, village members and church members.
SAVENACA VAKALIWALIWA
Nasinu
Teacher graduates
SIX hundred and fifty three new teacher graduates will be absorbed into primary and secondary schools from Tuesday next week to help reduce the student-teacher ratio, Education Minister Dr Mahendra Reddy confirmed yesterday.
Six hundred and fifty three more citizens are armed with graduation certificates and like the minister said they would be absorbed into primary and secondary schools.
To all of you who have attained this higher education recognition, please accept where you will be posted.
If you are posted to a maritime school or a school in the interior of Fiji or rural school, I say go there and start your career.
Get the experience and move on.
Teaching in the rural areas may not be your cup of tea but it will take courage and determination.
I know of so many teachers who were posted to rural schools and protested. They wanted a school in town.
But they went nevertheless.
And guess what, after a tour of three years they almost didn’t want to return to the urban school.
Anyway, I congratulate all of you and hope one of you comes to the Mulomulo area.
It’s in the chiefly district of Nawaka.
I tell you when you return to a town school, you will be better armed and will have become a better educator.
ALLEN LOCKINGTON
Kava Pl
Lautoka
Book of Life
THE insinuation by a few to diminutively rewrite the Vola ni Kawa Bula (VKB) to be a Vola ni Kawa Boko (VKB) has raged like summer storm in this column and even jammed the coconut wireless.
Seriously though, could we take a peek on how one is eligible to grace the pages of this exclusive and glorious register or when one loses their spot?
We have been led to believe that second only to the Book of Life on entering the pearly gates, that the VKB, not that the two registers are in any way related, is also an internal register.
Really? How about the non-Fiji citizens iTaukei who have sworn loyalty to another sovereign and have chosen not to reapply for Fiji citizenship? Do we now have two different breeds of iTaukei on Earth?
One, a Fiji citizen iTaukei gracing the pages of the VKB; eligible to obtain a TIN and do business in Fiji as other Fiji citizens, shares in the lease monies or royalties consumed as landlords by iTaukei, eligible to have a voice by voting in local and national elections, oh and vulnerable to provincial soli.
Second, non-citizens iTaukei who may not be eligible to assume full status enjoyed by the Fiji citizen Itaukei. Generally speaking, if non-Fiji citizens are foreigners or alien elements, then what do we call non-Fiji citizen iTaukei?
For those who choose to be eternally disassociated from all things in Fiji, there are provisions to renounce one’s Fiji citizenship.
I guess one’s bloodline for ever locks all iTaukei in the VKB; non-Fiji citizen or Fiji citizens, I think.
But a different breed of iTaukei are scavenging the streets of foreign cities.
A prominent iTaukei lawyer once told me he met a iTaukei lady in the party strip of the Gold Coast, Queensland.
It is normal pleasantry in a foreign land for an Itaukei to ask one’s village in attempt to join the vanua dots.
When asked, the iTaukei lady sound lost and turned to her Aussie partner struggling along with his walking stick. She asked in blended raw Fijian Aussie slang “..uh, e hani wati ish mai viliji”.
The lawyer was shocked when a village next to his was verbatim by the lady’s partner.
He was more shocked and a bit angered when the good lady proudly said she had been in Australia for a long six months.
Don’t you think this kind of third breed of iTaukei may qualify for the diminutive second VKB.
SEMI KUBOUTAWA
Brisbane
Australia
Exam results
ONCE again the FSFE and FSLC high school exam results are out and students, along with parents and teachers, would be eager to know which student has scored the highest and the number of quality pass rates their school has had.
The school management would be eager to know how their school students have performed in comparison with other rival schools in the district and what the national highest mark is.
While external exams for sure puts a lot of pressure on students, getting lower marks than expected in external exams is not only disheartening but can also traumatise students if parents do not acknowledge and accept the marks their children get in external exams.
We should always encourage and support our children with whatever marks they get and we should always tell them that getting low marks does not mean it is the end of the world.
There are a lot of opportunities available for our children that they can venture into and we should always support them with choosing a career path that best suits them rather then forcing them into something they don’t want to do.
AVINEEL KUMAR
Nadi
QUICK VIEWS
Only in Fiji
“10 Jumping off bridge,” reads a road sign along Kings Rd, somewhere between Nausori and Korovou. Vandalism is humorous sometimes, isn’t it? Can someone please put the “No” back? Only in Fiji.
DONALD SINGH
Suva
Fiji Airways
FIJI Airways seem to be changing CEOs like its going out of fashion. No sooner one has come in, we hear he is leaving again. Funny eh! Is something wrong?
ALLEN LOCKINGTON
Kava Place
Lautoka
Shortage
THE revelation that there is a massive shortage of teachers in our education system ( FT 16/01) should not worry the nation unnecessarily. That problem can be fixed when priority is attached to it. Meantime, I believe the important thing is that there is no shortage of manpower in the military to ensure national security, that is the security of the democratically elected Government.
RAJEND NAIDU
Sydney
Police chief
I THANK Indar Jit (FT 16/01) for his sense of humour but I don’t expect him to know about any police commissioner from around the world. But seriously, the Fiji Police Commissioner appears to have disappeared from the scene with the Acting Commissioner in place.
JALESI NAKARAWA
Hamilton NZ
New recruits
I AM writing to express my views on the new teachers who have been employed by Minister Dr Reddy. 653 new teachers got directly employed by the minister. I believe no government and minister has ever done this before. This wonderful step has lit the light on poor families and parents whose children were waiting from 2011. Dr Reddy cleared this issue and absorbed everyone in their system. I would like to praise your efforts.
VINAL KUMAR
Nausori
Back to school
DURING this time of the year parents are busy shopping for exercise books, textbooks, school uniforms, school sandals, school bags and all other little things required by the various schools for students. Schools require other fees before a child can be accepted into the school. Can someone explain when or where is free education applicable. Or does free education mean partly free tuition.
DAN URAI
Lautoka
Fuel surcharge
AIR Niugini has announced the airline will reduce the airfares for both its domestic and international sectors effective from February 1. According to the CEO, the decrease was because of the drop in the price of crude oil which has resulted in the reduction in the fuel surcharge. When can we expect our local airline to do the same for all its routes.
SELWA NANDAN
Suva
