Co-captain’s role
In December 2018, I had written a letter in support of 2019 World Rugby 7s rookie of the year Ratu Meli Derenalagi and I had stated that the young lad was bound for stardom. Hence, it doesn’t come as a surprise that the former QVS star has been chosen to be the co-captain of our 7s team alongside the great Jerry Tuwai. Tu Meli’s selection is a result of his commitment and dedication as an outstanding forwards payer. He was part of our five tournament wins and made the 2018/19 WRSS Dream Team with Botitu, Tuwai, Tuimaba and USA’s Pinkelman, Tomasin and Niua. Derenalagi may have created history for being the youngest player (at the age of 21) to be the co-captain of our 7s team. I read in yesterday’s daily that Tu Meli was cherishing a dream come true as he got the chance to lead the team with Jerry Tuwai. I’m sure that Tu Meli will walk the talk when he mentioned this in his interview, “I’m looking to pull up my socks. I will be leading the players in a strict manner so they can put their minds on the games this weekend.” Our boys left our shores in high spirits on Monday and I’m sure the spirits continued to be high when they landed at Auckland International Airport. The Fiji Times team of veteran photographer Rama and veteran sports deputy editor Maikeli Seru will cover this weekend’s Hamilton 7s. I know the new format has not digested well with many coaches including Gareth but I suggest that the format issue be put aside and efforts be directed at completing a treble in a tournament which is so close to home and a tournament where we have such a huge Fijian crowd! Rajnesh Ishwar Lingam Nadawa, Nasinu
Times’ team
Thank you The Fiji Times for sending your senior photographer Rama and the deputy sports editor Maikeli Seru to cover the Hamilton rugby 7s this weekend. Those of us who will miss the live action on TV will be able to read and see all the actions of Hamilton 7s. Nardeo Mishra Suva
Get priorities right
IT seems the Fiji Teachers Union is still fretting and fuming over the monitoring of the teachers by the Ministry of Education labelling it a shameful act (FT21/01). While they may have a reason for their anger, I believe this is not the time to be haggling over petty issues when there is a bigger fish to fry. The results for Years 6 and 8 speak for themselves. The low pass rate in both the exams is a matter of grave concern and must be addressed with urgency. Obviously there is something amiss here. Therefore, it is imperative for all the stakeholders to put their heads together and engage in dialogue to diagnose the problem so that appropriate interventions can be put in place to improve the performance. If the foundation is weak then it’s likely to have a severe impact on the students’ future academic achievement. Let’s get our priorities right please. Something has to be done and it must be done fast. SELWA NANDAN Lautoka
Respect issue
During the police passing-out parade at the Vodafone Arena, the Attorney-General, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, said that police deserve respect from the citizens of this country. (FT 21/01) I want to remind the A-G that respect is earned and not deserved. By this I mean that if one wants to be respected then he/she should first show respect. If the police want the citizens of this country to respect them then they should first respect the people of this land. This reciprocity of respect is applicable at every level of the society. If our government leaders want respect then they should show respect. If church leaders want respect then they should show respect. If teachers want respect then they should show respect and so on and so forth. With this being said, I again confirm my reminder to the A-G that respect is earned and not merely deserved. Kositatino Tikomaibolatagane Vuninokonoko Rd, Navua
Looking back
I was little taken aback — but in a good way — and shaken out of my Sunday reverie, when I read the brief piece in “Look Back” in The Sunday Times of 19/01, about the cost of road reconstruction in Fiji in 1965. Let me just quote the interesting bit: “Reconstruction of principal highways on Viti Levu cost an estimated”…wait for it…. “259,000 pounds”. The construction works included the Kings Rd, between Suva and Nausori and between Lautoka and Bau.” Even without considering the inflation and exchange rates over the last 55 years, the actual figure was both staggering and kind of disheartening in comparison with similar costs today. I am sure today the term “million” would be somewhere in that figure. I am also sure “Bau” should have been “Ba”. Otherwise, call the cardiologist and an ambulance ! Edward Blakelock Admiral Circle, Pacific Harbour
Class size
The ideal number of students a class needs to have to make teaching/learning process most effective and enjoyable. This debate has raged over decades between the teacher unions, Ministry of Education and educationists from various parts of the world. In Australia and New Zealand, class sizes are 25. You will be horrified to learn that in urban schools in Fiji, the class sizes are 45 plus. Can you imagine the plight of a teacher in class one handling single handedly so many children milling around who are first-timers in the school system? There is not enough room for the teacher to walk about freely. He/she has no option but to keep shouting at the top of his/her voice to control the uncontrollable kids. This is the nightmare our teachers in primary schools have to go through. A sure recipe for stress and mental breakdown. The Ministry of Education has done so many good things vis-a-vis education. Could a solution be found for this very human problem. Can two teachers per
class be appointed instead of one? Alternatively could more classrooms be built to reduce class sizes. The zoning process has really not helped. Please do treat teachers with a milk of human kindness. They deserve
this dignity. DEWAN CHAND, Donu Place, Namadi Heights, Suva
Tourism issue
The comments by Des Wilson (Letters to the Editor – Tuesday, January 21, 2020) is indeed meant and should be directed to policymakers, both at political and operational levels. Fiji has become a very expensive destination and I totally agree with Wilson. We have been expensive not now, but in the past 15-20 years. If policymakers were looking for a reliable international guest feedback, then I presumed they got one yesterday from Des Wilson. Tourism is a global industry and business operators in Fiji should have a rethink about their pricing strategies. If our product is expensive, guests can wave us goodbye and go elsewhere. The efforts of Tourism Fiji to promote and market Fiji as a tourism destination is a losing game even before it started. The prices of food in our hotels are really expensive. I heard stories about guests at a premium five-star hotel in Denarau where housemaids during daily cleaning routine would clear out noodle wrappers, bread plastics and empty tuna cans from guests’ rooms. That scenario tells us a story. But having mentioned that, we need to note that there are two sides on the coin. Prices are soaring because of the common fact, hospitality and tourism business operators are been bombarded with taxes imposed by the Government. No other industry pays the kind of taxes that those in tourism are paying. I can easily recall Dixon Seeto, as president of the Fiji Hotel and Tourism Association, normally raised the issue of taxation as one of the reason our destination pricing structure is based upon. You name it, hotel turnover tax, bed tax, environmental tax in addition to the common taxes every business must pay. There should be a rethink in the way we price ourselves in the global tourism. Tourism key stakeholders need to take a good assessment and analysis with destination that we have similarities, especially those in the Indian Ocean, the Caribbean and those nearby in the South Pacific region. These countries are receiving guests in the millions and yet, we have been trying to reach a million arrivals in the past 10 years and still we cannot. The global tourism industry is growing, the cruise industry is growing at a rate never experienced before, the development of the aviation sector which is impediment to tourism business is growing but our tourism industry in Fiji is at a snail’s pace. Something is terribly wrong. The jigsaw puzzle is not complete and the problem is just right under our nose. We are overpricing ourselves and figures from our traditional market are a testimony of this overpricing. Can policymakers, both at political and operational level look at this issue urgently. Ilaitia Bose Suva
In threes
Queries and responses have popped up in threes. Just as it happens in Hindi TV series. They say things thrice. Even turn their bodies three times. Let’s stick with speaking only to avoid hospitalisation from bodily cramps. About what has been raised, let’s keep our fingers crossed and hope to hear one, two, three, finish. Before one, two, three, germs. Mohammed Imraz Janif Natabua, Lautoka
Looking into what
When, asked Sunil. Looking into it, says Allen. Into what? That proverbial pipe, says John. Lateral periscope or what? Will be good underwater. Oh, but you have to complete building the pond to fill the water first, Nah? Or just to douse a fire or two. LOL, LOL, LOL! MANOJ LAL PATEL Drasa Ave, Lautoka
Punishing ratepayers
Can the Government tell us why local government ministers are punishing the ratepayers for the mistakes of the administrators that were running the councils? Sukha Singh Labasa
Rubbish galore
No plastic bags. More trash by the roadsides. Simi Kuruvoli Makoi, Nasinu
Consultation issue
I believe one of the requirements of positive coexistence is consultation. Since 2006 I believe there have been numerous examples of how not to do things. Dan Urai Lautoka
Planting trees
The Rev Dawn Gikandi’s story on the tree planting exercise with the minister and his team members is like a poetry in motion. Vinaka The Fiji Times, definitely no nation big or small, wealthy or poor can escape the wrath of climate change today. The US and their bandwagon that is calling climate change a hoax need to urgently remove their blinkers and think fast and keep alive the fight against climate change. It seems the smaller nations are doing all the clean-up and the bigger nations are staring in our faces. No more David and Goliath, this is real and a fact, the raging bushfires not in Australia alone but the US and the frequent and sudden cyclones, thunderstorms, volcano eruptions, tornadoes, are all coming nonstop, no brake. Blow the trumpet and make some hard noise. Vinaka Viti kei na vuravura, joka dina. Shalwyn Prasad Mukta Ben Place, Nabua, Suva
