Nawaikula’s ‘malicious’ comment and the Public Order Act

The Public Order Act, a legislation which gets cited when our country is going through a crisis, for example, COVID-19, has

an interesting section on malicious acts.

This section reads:

Any person who(a) maliciously fabricates or knowingly spreads abroad or publishes, whether by writing or by word of mouth or otherwise, any false news or false report tending to create or foster public alarm, public anxiety or disaffection or to result in the detriment of the public; or

(b) acts or is acting in a manner prejudicial to the public safety or to the peace and good order in any part of Fiji; or

(c) endeavours to disturb the public peace by inciting hatred or contempt of any class of person, shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to imprisonment

for a term not exceeding one year or to a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars or both imprisonment and a fine.

This section came to mind when I was browsing through SODELPA Member of Parliament Niko Nawaikula’s public Facebook page where he is known to shoot his mouth off, so to say, on a number of issues.

This brings us back to an article I penned in yesterday’s publication, calling the MP out for putting up a statement saying that international agencies should not give any funds to Fiji in this time of crisis. He claimed that an opinion piece penned by Brigadier-General Ro Jone Kalouniwai where the latter discussed limitations to rights, was enough reason not to give aid to Fiji.

He also cited the incident of alleged Police brutality as another reason why all funding to Fiji needs to be cut off. Of course what he does not say about the police brutality allegation is that the Criminal Investigations Department was already onto the case and that BrigadierGeneral Kalouniwai was entitled to his opinion.

Was MP Nawaikula being malicious? It certainly seemed so. His post has been shared more than 108 times when this article went to press.

As an elected MP he should have known better and there is no evidence to indicate that his verbose rant will be taken seriously by the international community. But as aid poured in yesterday he is doing a great disservice to all Fijians by putting out such an alarming statement. Fiji is not the only country in the world receiving aid and funding during these trying times.

In fact, aid and funding to Fiji has been in smaller amounts compared to what some of our other neighbouring Pacific Island nations have received in recent weeks.

In fact, even European countries and some of the far more developed nations have been receiving aid and assistance but, yes, Fiji does need every assistance coming its way.

What Fiji does not need is elected MPs throwing a spanner in the works. Not good MP Nawaikula, not good at all!