Letters to the Editor | Sunday, June 11, 2023

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Swire Shipping Fijian Drua skipper, Ratu Meli Derenalagi with teammates after the team training session in Nadi on June 05, 2023. Picture: FIJIAN DRUA

Power of prayer

Muru cola vina maseki Derenalagi.

Your plea at page 1 of yesterday’s (10/6/23) The Fiji Times really struck my heart.

Your plea reminds me of the same that I made to the late the Rev Paula Niukula on Thursday, 5/6/80, before the Test match on Saturday, 7/6/80, between the Fiji XV and the All Blacks at Buckhurst Park, Suva.

I was the captain of the Fiji team in that Test.

We lost the match but everyone who watched the test match and met me later, told me that I was the best Fiji player in that Test match.

Maseki Derenalagi, what was the secret in my special performance in that memorable Test match?

The late the Rev Niukula urged me to pray fervently and unceasingly to God our Heavenly Father along the thoughts and belief expressed in Isaiah 40:28-31, thus: “Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the creator of the ends of the Earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; They will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

Pita K. Nacuva, Griffith Place, Namadi Heights, Suva

Political issue

Mmm … so the Coalition Government has cracked FijiFirst!

I believe, soon we will see rats jumping off a sinking boat.

Ravinesh Ram, Lautoka

My pension story

Like numerous others, I too, in utter disgust, frustration and anger felt hard done by with FNPF.

Life was too cruel with major shifts in FNPF policies.

There was much influence and undue heavy-handedness to benefit those in the higher echelons of power, then.

Ordinary members suffered immensely, and immeasurably.

Erroneously, I took lump-sum pay out.

Yes, we live to regret our moments of spontaneous anger through FNPF “decisions” we found grossly unpalatable.

Ultimately, it was our decision taken in anger towards FNPF policies then.

Numerous original batches of pensioners, whose entitlement were in the 20 per cent – 25 per cent range, at the time, continue to enjoy their benefits today.

Or am I wrong?

If so, I apologise.

Can tables be turned?

I pray in silent hope of better days for those who suffered injustice at the hands of some “super-powers”.

I am most thankful to Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Prof Biman Prasad for his wisdom, vision and truly caring heart, in this matter and for rekindling “an elusive dream” of hope for the harsh injustices suffered by many retirees.

Ronnie Chang, Martintar, Nadi

$2.2m in gifts

FijiFirst got $2.2m in gifts (FT 20/6).

That must be the first time a political party got that kind of money by way of donations from individuals in the history of Fiji.

Wonder what appealed so much for so many individuals to donate so much when FijiFirst was said to be an authoritarian government in which two men — PM Bainimarama and A-G Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum — were calling the shots during its long reign in power?

Rajend Naidu, Sydney, Australia

Male advocate

I also agree with some women, that what is promised or proposed by the relevant stakeholders is not practised in reality.

This is also evident in legislations and policies around protecting women and children.

The express provisions like the Domestic Violence Act 2009 and the No Drop Policy is there, but, I believe police and other institutions fail to properly implement these policies and still encourage reconciliation and do not charge domestic violence perpetrators immediately.

That is, the laws are laid out, however, the implementation is lacking.

There must be gender and human rights training for all legislators and service delivery providers.

Furthermore, even better to make ‘Gender and Human Rights’ a compulsory course throughout primary and secondary education.

My vision for the future has not changed since I first wanted to take action against violence against women as a child – it started with me; it starts with every male child to correct our patriarchal society.

It is a future where women and girls are free from harm and control.

It is a future where they are treated with dignity and respect.

It is a future where women and girls can aspire to achieve their dreams and live fulfilling lives without violence.

It is a future where violence against women is prevented from the start.

That’s what male advocate on women’s human rights (WHR) is all about!

Jioji M Cakacaka, Carerras, Votualevu, Nadi

Compare this

Just sit back and compare this:

  • Dalo — $2000 per ton -$2 per kg;
  • yaqona — $ 50,000 per ton – $50 per kg;
  • copra —$ 1400 per ton – $1.40 per kg
  • sugar —$ 3000 per ton – $3 per kg.

I believe sugarcane farmers are worst hit.

They get $80 / ton for cane.

That equates to 8c per kg.

I wonder where the rest of $2.92 goes to?

If the Government can assist and give at least $1 a kg for cane instead of 8c, this country will go from strength to strength.

Everybody will farm sugarcane.

No land will be left idle.

From $80/ ton to $1000 a ton.

Can one imagine the benefits?

Fiji will then definitely become Singapore.

No poverty, only economic growth.

A Shariff Shah, Savusavu

Spot on

Raymond Singh is spot on with his critique and observations about the Fiji FA (FT 10/6).

It would appear that many of the delegates from the various districts are afraid of upsetting the apple cart.

Why?

If my memory serves me correctly then many would know why.

It’s simply monetary driven decisions being made by the district representatives who lack the intestinal fortitude required to call the puppeteering masters to account.

And while they’re enjoying the friends with benefits bonanza nothing’s going to happen or change for Fijian soccer.

Good talent will continue to be relegated to history as has happened for decades in Fiji soccer.

Isa, maumau.

The whole establishment needs a shake up from top to toe.

But who will take the charlatans to task?

Colin Deoki, Australia

Lost the plot

Fiji FA has definitely lost the plot in terms of performance and results.

Imagine if the national teams were performing well.

But with the current structure it is not going to happen.

A public symposium is required to simply listen to the people.

Asish Vinay Prasad, Park Rd, Raiwasa, Suva

Soccer dying

People are concerned about Fiji’s ranking in world soccer.

Please don’t waste your time searching for answers.

In the meantime just try to find out where is soccer ranked locally.

In the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s, it was the number 1 sport here.

Even we had the sportsman of the year from soccer.

While rugby is going from strength to strength every second, soccer is totally going in the opposite direction.

I can foresee soccer dying altogether in another 10 to 15 years.

In the meantime enjoy the Fiji FACT.

A. SHARIFF SHAH, Savusavu

Fiji soccer story

No soccer development according to knowledgeable Fiji soccer analyst Raymond Singh of Lautoka (FT 10/6).

But Fiji FA president Rajesh Patel gets re-elected for another four year term.

That’s another four years of no progress for Fiji soccer according to Sanjeet Prasad of Labasa (FT 10/6).

I believe the two keen soccer followers succinctly sum up the story of Fiji soccer.

That makes me sad given the soccer talent in the country.

Rajend Naidu, Sydney, Australia

Police and the media

With reference to Christopher Griffin’s letter (9/6) asking why police media use convoluted jargon rather than simple English, I was once asked by someone from police media what would be the most effective means of communication for their TV program.

I answered, obviously, the two main vernaculars, Fijian and Fiji Hindi.

Of course my advice was ignored.

To take a couple of examples of largely bilingual countries, in Canada the main languages are North American English and Canadian French.

Police communicate nationwide using those two languages, and would think it silly to use any other.

In Belgium, the main vernaculars are French and Flemish, and those are the languages government uses to communicate with the people, not English or German or any other.

If police, or any entity in Fiji, were to communicate with the public in Fijian and Fiji Hindi, they would be sure of making themselves 100 per cent clear to over 90 per cent of the population.

With the use of ‘English’ (or something approximating to it), they can be sure of communicating maybe some of the time to a relatively small percentage of the population.

English may be taught in schools, indeed forced down people’s throats, but how much is actually learned is unknown, and in any case it is relatively difficult to understand a language that is not your mother tongue.

It requires not only knowledge that many people do not have, but also concentration – people turn off quickly.

This raises the question of why it is that people in authority are so reluctant to use local languages, when their advantages are obvious.

I believe the answer goes back to the education system which was transferred to Fiji from New Zealand around 1930, the main aim of which was to eliminate vernacular languages.

They very nearly succeeded in New Zealand but did not in Fiji.

Nevertheless, they did succeed here in making people ashamed of their vernaculars, which is why we still make jokes about people who make
mistakes in English (usually told by people whose English is even worse).

Because of that latter-day colonial education system, which we still largely follow, English is prestigious and local languages are not, and many civil servants believe that using vernacular languages is demeaning.

This is an attitude we have to get rid of if people are to have confidence in government and understand what it is doing for them.

Paul Geraghty, USP, Suva

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