The disconnect between the lives of ordinary Fijians and some of those who dominate the national debate has never been so stark than in the case of Imrana “Patricia” Jalal – the international lawyer who picks up a multi six figure US dollar salary working for the Asian Development Bank in Manila while many of those she used to represent as a women’s advocate back home barely exist on the $5-an-hour minimum wage.
Imrana Jalal, of course, has every right to insert herself into the national debate. But her latest intervention has sparked a furious response from the Executive Director of Dialogue Fiji, Nilesh Lal, who has accused her of defaming him with what he describes as a false claim of gender bias in the convening of a panel of six worthies to discuss changes to the Constitution.
The advertised panel is made up of the Acting Attorney General, Siromi Turaga, the lawyer and close friend of Imrana Jalal, Jon Apted, Nilesh Lal himself, the New Zealand-based British academic, Professor Jon Fraenkel, moderator Shailendra Singh, the head of journalism at USP, and the sole woman, another lawyer, Seruwala Nayacalevu.
Yet one woman on a panel of six is not enough for Imrana Jalal, who ripped into the selection, describing it as a “manel”, not a panel, and saying that it would never be tolerated at the ADB or World Bank. The minimum female participation – says the Madam from Manila – should have been one third, presumably irrespective of their availability or the merits of what they might have to say.
Of course, a roll call of Imrana Jalal’s gender-obsessed local glee club have joined her in piling into Nilesh Lal on Facebook – a veritable who’s who of the Suva beau monde who either still live in Fiji or, like Imrana herself, have long since left for greener pastures overseas.
They include the kind of people the more discerning have long crossed the street to avoid – virtue signalers and the politically correct who think the rest of us hang off their every word. Yet in ripping into Nilesh Lal for not toeing the ADB/World Bank line on gender inclusion, Imrana Jalal seems to have made a big mistake.
Smarting from having been belted over the head by the Madam’s designer handbag, Nilesh Lal points out that Dialogue Fiji actually approached eight women to take part in the panel discussion on the Constitution and only one was able to come – Seruwala Nayacalevu. And she has been duly included.
Clearly, hell hath no fury than a Fiji expatriate feminist unhappy that a man like Nilesh Lal can’t miraculously conjure up other members of the sisterhood to meet her prescription for gender balance. Yet it seems entirely fair for him to make the point that if other women were unwilling or unavailable to participate, what on earth was he supposed to do?
Imrana Jalal used to boast that she was destined to be attorney general of Fiji and her husband, Sakiusa Tuisolia, would be prime minister. It hasn’t exactly turned out that way. Yet a couple of decades on, the Madam from Manila is still behaving as if she calls the shots in Suva – the arbiter of appropriate conduct – and still has a gaggle of devotees on social media.
One of them appears to be the rent-an-academic, Professor Jon Fraenkel, who Nilesh Lal included in his “manel”on the Constitution but has now offered to be a “no show” because Madam isn’t happy.
Yes, Jon. You better get onto it. Just do what the Madam says.
But let’s return to the beginning. Here’s the sequence of events that have turned into a social sh*t-storm in Suva. Or is it a storm in a tea-cup? Take your pick.
Then the pile-on began…
Fancy Charlie Charters for once being a voice of reason. Not such a Charlie after all. Yet there’s understandably been a furious response from Nilesh Lal.
All he wanted was a reasoned debate on constitutional change. And yet he winds up getting the social media version of a street beating.
As lawyers are presumably consulted because Dialogue Fiji depends on external funding, it is Imrana Jalal who is so far coming off second best in the court of public opinion.
At a time when hospital patients are being threatened by raw sewage seeping into the operating theatres at CWM, this little sh*tstorm reminds us that some people in Fiji, as well as some who have left, are not only obsessed with the inconsequential. They have lost the plot.
Chin-chin, everyone. Bula! Or as they say in the bars of Manila…
Tagay!
And who says I’m irrelevant? Suck it up, losers.
Gender on this critical issue facing our country is not an issue; it is merit based best minds who can generate worthy conversation.
Old Imrana always wants to be in the spotlight picking up any fight but this time with the wrong guy (Nilesh) who we all know does his homework well.
Some of these feminists need to understand that meritocracy also plays a part in selection and not just inclusivity. Nilesh has always done the right thing, including this time around.
Isa Pat Jalal. She’s still smarting over the fact that the idiots she threw all her support behind simply in her blind rage against anything FijiFirst have now well and truly abandoned her.
Saki is seen hobbling along the the Nasese seawall trying to keep fit in anticipation of a plush govt gravy train job he was promised, Pat jalal occasionally pops up at bourgeoisie events, looking even more weathered than at the last shindig.
Both still hoping that their old Suva elite connections will deliver what they were promised in exchange for keeping up the anti Frank/Aiyaz hate before and after elections. But like Shailendra Raju and a few others they have been well and truly liumuried in good old Fiji ishtyle. No relevance, no attention and no solution on what to do about the matavalevu manual syndrome they are going though.
Of course merit doesn’t matter to Pat and co as long as their friends and connections are included in anything that can get them relevance and attention. Not that this panel lot is going to be transparent and impartial either.
Fraenkel was and is anti anything FijiFirst and has openly campaigned for Sodelpa in prior elections because he thinks he’s got to prove that he’s more itaukei than his wife. Frankly Fraenkel is a bigoted idiot who thinks he understands and has all the answers to Fiji’s political issues.
The moderator, Shailendra Singh, is a hard core Biman Prasad supporter and backs NFP to the hilt. So how can he be an impartial moderator?
Jon Apted fancies himself as a constitutional expert which he is not and is another member of the dancing gang that celebrated brazenly against FijiFirst and for the coalition clowns when they formed govt. Of course he is also very much part of the elite Pat Jalal crowd who absolutely hate Frank/Aiyaz cos they exposed her husband amongst other things for buying personal goods on tbe company credit when he was the big AFL boss under his equally corrupt and racist patron, Qarase.
Of course Siromi is most probably the dumbest lawyer in fiji who Shitiveni Rabaku has been trying to replace for months after initially firing him!!..Imagine carrying that reputation around with you!! So basically we already know what this bunch of idiots will say and what positions they will take if this talk fest takes place. It will be a complete waste of time.But according to Pat Jalal, it’ll be all OK if a couple more women are invited even if they are without merit, or experience or impartiality.
Meanwhile Nilesh is finally beginning to realise that his earlier blind support for anything anti FijiFirst has made him look like a bit an idiot too. So in order to distance himself from the obvious idiots, he is now trying to tell the world that he is not part of this elite world. But alas his anti FijiFirst prejudice is all on record. According to Nilesh and many others like him at the time, FijiFist couldn’t do anything right and had to go at any cost…even at the cost of f**king up the whole country.
So good luck with the talk fest if it happens. Meanwhile the average Fijian will just face another sad daily grind struggling to put food on the table and trying to make a meaningful life for their families. Pat Jalal will just be sipping her wine in the corner, with her old Rockefellers gang laughing at and making fun of anyone beneath her…and according to her, we are all beneath her.
We agree regarding the partiality of this supposed expert and impartial panel. Even some months back they and a similar talk fest on the Constitution. And again like this one it had no one in the panel who could talk specifically from the point of view of the 2013 Constitution.
We mean if Dialogue Fiji is all about dialogue then why not invite Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum to talk about the 2013 Constitution (after all some quarters say that he drafted it – not true by the way – ask the aussies), hear their side and rip into him, if need be, and have a dialogue.
We cannot understand why Dialogue Fiji and Nilesh etc are so lamu to put this fellah up in such panels. Even when the FNU organised one, they didn’t call anyone from the FF era to talk about the constitution.
You would think that it would be common sense. After all we need to know the rationale of why something was put in the constitution before you would want to or think about changing it.
We think that because this panel is so mediocre and self serving and wanting to protect a particular narrative that they are too lamu to call someone like Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum. Maybe Nilesh will be exposed and his donors will question the need for continued funding.
Agree with everything about Frankel. He is academically weak and under the cloak of academia just a wannabe in the Pacific, in particular in Fiji. He needs to learn from people like William Sutherland and Simione Durutalo.
Revise the panel, if its going to have any mana, not according to Imrana Jalal but according to impartiality, credibility, substance and something that has been missing for the past 3 years – intellect.
What about a CommonMan type or CommonWoman on the panel? Subject to availability or inclination of course. Are only the academics ” qualified ” to say or do anything of worth?
Very recently Ms Jalal diagnosed or judged Alex Forwood as suffering from Relevance Deprivation Syndrome. What an own goal by Ms Jalal reflecting her own persona onto someone else.
How dare another woman like Alex get some attention in the halls of power as well as social media by digging and being the conduit for exposing the rot almost daily. Rather than sharing stories and photos of Michelin star dining and globetrotting with the “glitterati”. Oh how great and relevant I am in the halls of ADB and IMF – where the loan books are carefully balanced and more so the global gender inequality ledger balancing act.
This outburst against Dialogue Fiji without getting the facts correct or checked by a lawyer is a glittering example of Confirmation Bias. One wonders then at the quality of what goes on inside IMF and ADB…anyone can apply, especially females, available or not. Competent or not.
At least this has generated interesting feedback. If it was not for the fact that ‘Anonymous’ gives away his extreme bias for FijiFirst, maybe God’s gift to Fiji, his analysis of the various players is revealing.
I am not sure how Shailendra gets this role as a moderator, his past record is pathetic. He tries to put up a facade of being neutral and in the process has nothing to contribute to the debate or inspire conversation. Maybe as an academic he is sort of a respected option. But there again look at his products from USP and the dire state of journalism in Fiji. But that is conversation for another day.
If Imrana had any conviction to help Fiji, she would be back in the country and not shuttling between Manila and Washington and clinging onto her 6 figure package. I recall she was at the ADB Governor’s meeting in Nadi and did not have the spine to speak substantively on any issue affecting Fiji at the time.
I do feel, however, Nilesh needs to think outside the box and not just use the same old tired warhorses for such discussions. We have heard these characters before. Why not open it up to meritorious individuals. If he does not know such people that is his biggest challenge. Dialogue Fiji should not just be an ‘old boys/girls’ club!
That USP moderator was born neutered.
Ditto Veeejay Narayan and the kailoma kaiindia Stanley, aka Manoa’s left scotty, and the punk at dead fijilive.
As Freddy Croaker at Butt St might say, it’ll be interesting to see how the media reports this panel – sorry, manel’s deliberations.
Imrana will remain in ADB until she turns 65. This will ensure she receives the maximum pension entitlement for the rest of her life.
That way she is assured she can continue her glamourous lifestyle without lifting a finger.
She may not be able to get a job upon her return to Fiji.
Therein lies the problem of taking sides. You never know who will be in power next. Or the people you side with decide to shaft you.
Hence the need to stand up for what is right and never side with anyone for convenience or out of spite.
I wonder if institutions such as the Asian Development Bank recruit on merit where applicants have to compete for positions regardless of where you’re from or do they have specified number of positions for different countries?
I don’t think they do..it’s a bs job travelling achieving nothing talk fests and living a glamorous life. These international bodies are useless. Let these people try and work say in aust, they couldn’t cope.
I’ll bet anything you like that none of those posting their ‘thoughts’ on social media platforms will apologise and admit that they went off, half cocked, whilst not having all the facts to back up their hurt feelings and spewing lies about others. They dish it out, then take cover after the damage they cause is done.
Keyboard warriors without a conscience. Shameful !!
Thank you GD for highlighting the conduct of this person. It was high time she was called out for being two faced.
Surprisingly Annie has not mentioned that she has a Masters of Finance in her post supportive of Pat.
As for Patricia Jalal, she should read the posts her husband put out on FB about how his harpooning her was being a pioneer for taukei men and Hindi woman. No love in that then?
Guess his post was not misogynistic and suited Pat who could not, according to Abdul Jalal, get a man from her own religion because she was “soiled goods”.
Masters in finance. Waiting for the plumb job or diplomatic posting or a high flying lucrative position paying 500k+.
No independence, no neutrality, burnt too many bridges pontificating half informed, half baked, opinionated jabber.
Another example of why not to put all the eggs in the same basket.
Because when it hits the fan, rather, at CWM, when s.h.i.t. floods the floor, it can and often does render one otherwise unemployable.
GD, I am glad you and the other contributor picked up Jon Fraenkel’s open bias and prejudice. His recent paper at the Law Society Conference, of course invited by the Wylie lawyer, reinforced this once again. He sometimes acts like he has some kind of burden to liberate us, maybe like Patricia Jalal, sorry Imrana Patricia Jalal.
She was known as Patricia for years because it was not cool in those days to have a kaidia sounding name until she went off to Sydney to do further studies where she “found” her Islamic identity, well of sorts, but only because it was lucrative to do so.
It got her published on the front page of one of the newspapers and quickly got her attention because the west was just waiting to hear from these poor oppressed Muslim women who had the gall to liberate themselves.
Well Imrana has served Patricia well because she was able to say that an Imrana was supporting someone like Qarase and other right wing causes of his. And you are right, she was going to be made the AG after QB Bale.
Unfortunately for her, Frank came along and screwed that up and so did Aiyaz.
Organisations like ADB/World Bank that look for ‘diversity’ didn’t mind having an ‘Imrana’ in their management. Make them look good with many, including their clients.
Well the lesson is to check the facts before opining on social media.
Ironically though, it has however raised awareness of the panel’s question: How can Fiji design a constitution review process that truly reflects the will of its people? And maybe the spat highlights the danger of using social media as a forum for this process.
Obviously the committee will need to return to the town and village halls to listen to people. This time hopefully with all mobile phones left in secure lockers at the door. Wannabe posers, social media and anonymous or AI content can be noted, but engagement of it for the review process should be avoided.
Why? Because although a lot of people mouth off and go down rabbit holes on these questions on Facebook, social media is now well-proven to be corrosive of a healthy process of consultation, consensus-building and ultimately, a strong democracy.
It’s that principle of a necessary limit to free speech to stop someone falsely shouting ‘fire!’ in a packed cinema, thus endangering life and limb as they scramble for the exit. Too much social media content these days crosses that line.
Employing independent and balanced research, the review committee might also have follow-up confidential sessions with well-informed individuals or small groups who represent a balanced cross section of the community. It goes without saying that the voices of all groups and sides in the political spectrum must be heard.
Let’s not forget that William PooPoo Parkinson and his wife, So pee. They blindly support Imrana aka Patricia. Imagine if that VHS copy from the 80s surfaced again, Bruce Debruce was a star while Patricia was the ultimate queen. Soupee also features. They both made Lynda look like a pussy cat.
Made in Wainadoi. People in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones, there was no gender bias in that Video. Be careful what you wish on others Imrana – your poopoo does stink. Maybe we should ask Pramesh Sharma, the sex pest who lists Saki as a mate and Imrana as another notch. Please get off your big horse and realise that your secret isn’t a secret anymore.
Add UN and most of its agencies to that list of overrated, overpaid and underperforming. Sooner it is rid off the better for the nations. Except for those who would never make it to these so called prestigious roles other than through DEI policies of recruitment. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
What’s with some women in Fiji wearing Martin Scorsese type glasses. So ole turkey neck is back and the Pure Fiji poster boy with his annoying nasal voice has managed to get on the committee.
Less said about Shailendra the better with the type of journalists he is churning out. One hardly sees new faces on boards and committees. It’s always the old who you know folks.
Imrana’s continued attempts to insert herself into Fiji’s political discourse reveal a troubling pattern of selective advocacy and self-promotion. While she routinely positions herself as a defender of democracy and gender equality, her silence on critical national issues — such as the Commission of Inquiry (COI) report and the injustice faced by Pulewei — speaks volumes about her priorities and the limits of her so-called principles.
It is difficult to reconcile her self-styled image as a feminist leader with her convenient silence when accountability and fairness demand attention. The absence of any meaningful comment on these matters exposes a glaring inconsistency — one that undermines the credibility of her broader claims to champion justice and equality.
Her effort to block Justice Temo’s appointment appears less about upholding democratic integrity and more about protecting personal or political interests. Such conduct reflects the very hypocrisy she often accuses others of. When advocacy becomes selective and self-serving, it loses its moral force and becomes little more than political theatre.
Imrana’s constant invocation of institutions like the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and her insistence on one-third female representation may sound progressive, but when detached from due diligence and factual accuracy, these gestures ring hollow. True gender equality is about empowering competent and deserving individuals — not reducing representation to a quota or a talking point for personal relevance.
Public figures who claim to stand for justice and equality must be held to the same standards they demand of others. Credibility is not built through selective outrage or performative advocacy; it is earned through consistency, integrity, and a willingness to confront uncomfortable truths. Anything less is a disservice to the causes they claim to represent.
Nilesh is perhaps more courageous and fearless by taking a prinicpled approach by holding the government to account on matters of national interest and importance. He has spoken out more on these issues than Imrana has ever had in her lifetime.
Imrana on the other hand is nothing more than a BIG mouth which only opens when it suits her personal interest.
To feed her ego, she is no longer able to think rationally. She is a dying self proclaimed star of democracy and rule of law – who has done nothing to hold the government to account nor did she do her due diligence before making such idiotic posts.
It somewhat confirms that not all that glitters is gold. She is probably just gold plated which explains why she is fading away.
I heard Professor Shameem declined the invitation to the Fiji Dialogue event because she thought it pointless to talk about an unlawful decision by the Supreme Court to water down a Constitution alongside two ‘jons’ (Johns) as the Aussie expression.
Being in those international jobs is useless. It’s just travelling and talk fests achieving nothing. Just noise. The whole gender equality is a joke.. that old guard of that so self proclaimed intellectuals and elite IJ/ JA group and a few others who jumped on that bandwagon thinking they were the elites are just money hungry and spot light driven. No good for Fiji. They knew how to put on a fake British accent and preach.
Professor Shameem should not lower herself to the level of these pieces of smegma.
Fade on to grey where the colour quits pretending,
Where right and wrong stop bending.
Dreams have faded and anger still looms at what could have been
Them Jones are now figments of my ego stuck in grey
No one listens no one cares
Just a face grown old in its own shape
No heroes left, just breath and bone,
Trying to make peace with the unknown.
You call it wisdom, I call it rust.
You call it faith, I call it dust.
Life don’t end it just get quieter,
Like a match burning under water.
Not every fire’s meant to burn forever.
Some just teach you how to see in the dark.