Guns, rugby and history

Come out clean

FIRST and foremost a very big thank you to The Fiji Times for being our voice since 1869. Hats off to editor-in-chief Fred Wesley and his dedicated team for the “Who let the guns in” article (FT14/3) .

Suddenly Fiji Airways has broken a five weeks silence on allegations that bodyguards for former Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed Khaiyum were allowed to carry guns on Fiji Link domestic flights.

Fiji Airways CEO Andre Viljoen’s defence on the allegations is indeed a very pathetic attempt to gloss over a very serious public concern.

The reality is that the Civil Aviation Authority of Fiji (CAAF) issued no approvals for firearms to be carried for the purposes of Mr Sayed-Khaiyum’s travel.

An urgent investigation must be carried out immediately, and the biggest former talker and minister of so many portfolios in Parliament should come out clean as he was also the Minister for Civil Aviation from 2014-2022.

Mr Sayed-Khaiyum, you belittled our honourable leader of NFP, Professor Biman Prasad, on so many occasions in Parliament, but he remained cool, calm and collected to become the Minister of Finance and pave a way to lessen the debt burden of almost $10billion incurred by your 16 years of dictatorial rule.

Definitely, what goes around comes around so do respond accordingly. Power to the people and the people’s paper.

RAYMOND SINGH Golf Links, Lautoka

Absolute power

THE front-page headline in The Fiji Times of Tuesday, March 14 2023, “Who let the guns in” is matter of great concern to all and an issue of national interest.

The law of the land applies to all and it must be strictly adhered to by all. No one is a more superior being than the other in our so-called paradise Fiji.

This only happens in a nation if absolute power is held for long and by certain people. This is absolutely unfair to the citizens of Fiji. The people’s concerns must be raised and there is an urgent need to address the issue appropriately and accordingly.

Our local airline, Fiji Airways, is answerable. The top executives are recruited in order to operate the airline in accordance with compliances and standards. This is one reason why they are there, recruited on their capacity, knowledge and qualifications.

It is high time for Civil Aviation Authority of Fiji (CAAF) to stand up firmly and place some stringent measures to combat such occurrences in future. INDAR DEO BISUN

Suva

Hold power to account

WE see from the public reaction to the news that former A-G and “Minister for Everything” Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum (including Minister for Civil Aviation) got his bodyguards to carry guns on domestic flights without the approval of the relevant authority that the public view it as a matter of serious public concern (FT 15/3 ).

What is particularly striking is the call for the police to investigate the matter. It shows now with the change in government that the Fijian public have the confidence to hold power to account.

If there was a violation of the law or abuse of office those responsible must face justice. That is as should be in a true democracy.

RAJEND NAIDU

Sydney, Australia

Goal kicking duty

MOST respectfully, with utmost tact and diplomacy, I pray our Fijian Drua preferred goal kicker pays greater detail and consistency to his goal kicking duties this Sunday afternoon against the Queensland Reds. Vosoti au saka. It was a real commentator’s curse watching that missed penalty from right up in front in that richly-famous historic defeat of the Crusaders in Churchill Park, Lautoka, in about the very first 3 minutes of play. It was heart-sinking. Voleka na heart attack. Drua were also unsuccessful in converting 3 out of 4 tries scored — equalling the Crusaders.

While all rugby-crazy Fijians, both here and abroad, embrace this historic win, I pray we improve our goal-kicking skills when we take on the Reds in their home turf, Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane, this coming Sunday afternoon at 5pm. Any two point differential could effectively spell defeat. We pray and wish Fijian Drua play good, clean, consistent, hardrunning rugby with sustained and explosive energies, where needed most. Toso Fiji Drua toso!

Vina du va levu na leda saravou, na Drua. Waqe vina. Waqe kaikai. Waqe savasava. Me lemutou leqwa na qaqa.

Na kwai Nadi ko.

RONNIE CHANG

Martintar, Nadi

After 16 years

AFTER hearing the recent press interview of the PM saying after taking over of the Coalition Government “that it will be unnatural for the government to expect allegiance from the whole administration” unquote!

I wouldn’t blame the whole civil service machinery because I believe they have been working under fear for the past 16 years and it has crept into their minds and will take some time to return to normality including the recent case of police in trying to revoke the FWCC led march of “Reclaim the Night”.

I would suggest full counselling sessions for all civil servants to be mandatory in order to cut some slack in the world of fear of the Bainimarama Administration, that they have instilled in our civil servants and some have seen it as a normal way of life.

There is no harm in having these counselling sessions and I’m willing to be part of the process if ever needed. Mental health is very important.

JIOJI M CAKACAKA Tadra-Votualevu, Nadi

Influential characters

IT is good that we are being reminded of influential characters in our history, as in The Sunday Times (12/3) article by Shanelle Prasad on Rev Frederick Langham. However, as your correspondent Terry Hulme has pointed out (13/3), his involvement in the selling into slavery of the Lovoni people was hardly in keeping with his Christian principles.

Even the official historian of the Methodist Church in Fiji agrees that he was pompous and paternalistic (Harold Wood 1978:210).

A case in point is his revised Fijian translation of the Bible, published in 1902, the one that is still mostly used today. It was in most respects worse than the previous translation (of Hunt and Hazlewood and others), so much so that Dr Andrew Thornley, an expert in biblical translation, persuaded the Methodist Church to republish Hunt’s New Testament translation in 2012 as a more accurate and readable alternative.

Rev Langham clearly had delusions about his knowledge of Fijian, and the motive behind it can be questioned, since he used it to solicit an honorary Doctor of Divinity from Glasgow University.

PAUL GERAGHTY

USP, Suva