This front page picture in today’s Fiji Times is a powerful symbol of how the racists in the “new order” regard the minorities in Fiji – subservient and good only to serve the interests of the iTaukei majority.
Having sacked the Assistant DPP, Elizabeth Rice, for being “white” and got rid of a long-standing Indo-Fijian administrative assistant who he accused of joining forces with his suspended predecessor to disadvantage iTaukei, the illegal Acting DPP uses an Indo-Fijian staffer to carry his documents.
Memo Sitiveni Rabuka: How much longer is the unlawful appointment of John Rabuku going to stand? You promised the Fiji Law Society that you would reverse it and issued a statement stressing your own commitment to upholding the Constitution. Yet weeks later, you have done nothing to give substance to enforcing the supreme law.
Fiji’s minorities seem good for only one thing – to pay tax to prop up their fellow citizens below the $30,000-a-year tax threshold and support a government that has abandoned them. And to act as porters for those like John Rabuku who you have appointed in direct violation of the laws that apply to everyone else but that you won’t obey yourself.
Until you do, you do not deserve to lead this nation, which is multi-ethnic and multi-religious whether you like it or not. Or perhaps you want everyone who props up your new order to join the mass exodus that is currently taking place of tens of thousands of citizens who have given up on your government and given up on their country of birth.
The “new Fiji”. Its tax base smashed and on the fast-track to being a beggar nation perpetually indebted and perpetually on the drip.
Coolie (also spelled koelie, kuli, khuli, khulie, cooli, cooly, or quli) is a pejorative term used for low-wage labourers, typically those of Indian or Chinese descent. The word coolie was first used in the 16th century by European traders across Asia.
His facial expression and action resembles that of Idi Amin. His PM boss is both blind and deaf and racism is flowing in his blood.
His appointment should be challenged in court and all matters sanctioned by this illegal DPP should be dismissed. About time constitution is reigned Supreme to stop this charade and racist propaganda.
The slow PM needs to answer to the Fijians what qualifies this guy to be in the DPP’s role. And this is an asap scenario. Things will mount up fast against Fiji on this. International investors and tourists have to be wary if they can trust our legal systems anymore. This reaks of incompetency and nepotism.
Even the law society in the region is now laughing at this matter.
My take from that same page was that multimillionaire have confidence in the PM and all Fijians.
The kuli or quli class has enjoyed massive economic affirmative actions in the last 13 years. This class has about 95% of the national wealth. This Coalition government I dare ask that they maintain and sustain the current status quo.
It is time to look at the non Kuli or quli class. About 70% of the population are non Kuli class. About 70% of the buying power are from the non quli class.
The kuli class have both the economic and political dominance. Whilst the non quli class have the numbers.
We should be very mindful of our situations and grow respect for each other. Respect and goodwill is to be our common daily currency. Stoking racial divisiveness is not good.
And what do you base your “take”on multimillionaires? That they have not uprooted their business and migrated already? It’s a million dollar plus business in each case by your own admission, not a VIP taxi that you sell and lako tu!
Could you name three such affirmative actions that as you claim, the coolie class have enjoyed? I’m not sure you even understand the meaning of the term based on your usage of it. They enjoyed an enabling environment to flourish, as all governments would create, because these millionaires employ thousands who rely on these investments to feed their own families. And that cuts across all ethnic groups in case you did not notice. It’s the same in all successful countries which rely on private sector investment which is the engine of economic growth. You sound like you slept through economics classes in school.
Sure, go ahead and engage the non-coolies in any form of economic activity. We can only wish them well. But while you do that, maybe have a look at the resource rich Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, which are 90% indigenous, run by indigenous governments and where the businesses have such protectionism based on ethnicity and affirmative action. How many of these countries are economic successes like being included in the OECD list? Go on, we await.
Your comment on buying power is laughable. So stop buying and start planting? What’s stopping you? Oh yes, that’s right! Your so called non-kuli have all fled to the comforts of Australia to pick fruits, which by the way is an example of a successful private sector dominant country.
Economic dominance comes from being aspirational and sacrifice. Every business starts almost globally as a family business and in the first few years, it is not uncommon to find the owner drawing a merger salary compared to their staff. That’s sacrifice. Your whole post reeks of envy! That’s where your problem lies, misinformed resentment served on a bed of envy. Munch on!
Only the last part of your comment about avoiding racial divisiveness makes sense, even if it is hypocritical to the heavens! Read your post again?
41,000 applications in waiting for overseas fruit picking schemes.
And to your point why are indigenous people not planting and using their land. Smart talk only and no action.
The decendants of the Coolie are leaving. Don’t worry about them. They are successful and hardworking.
The non quli do have the spending power and numbers but it all comes from coolie employing non coolie. The non coolie work their ass off trying to provide best for their little one’s future. While the non coolie enjoy all the lane and resource they have.
The coolies are also largest buyers of non coolie products sold in our local markets and this is where you are wrong, the multimillionaire doesn’t have any confidence in the PM. You think the projects by coolies happen within one year or two? That coolies multimillion dollar plan must have atleast taken 5-10 years worth of research and planning.
The coalition Government thinks they can make the non coolie rich by giving them good posts in the government. Remember, corruption and greed is every humans nature. You think that having all non coolie in Civil Service will make Fiji better?
What message is your so called confident PM sending? Divide and conquer?
Mr. Nata you are too Naive at making conclusions. Maybe next time rather than focusing on multimillionaire’s confidence in PM, maybe focus on how non coolie make wasteful expenditures.
Respect and goodwill are our best commodities. There are more than enough bounties for all.
No government is fully innocent. We are being very selective in our anger.
Blatant anti Taukei worked in the last 13 years and stoking the same is naive. Very naive.
Moala Nata respect and goodwill is earned through character and hardwork. What you are stating is what you show to the Coolies from Australia, Nz and USA when they visit your Koro. Have you shown the same respect and goodwill to other coolies?
The coolies who have toiled hard to build Fiji together with blood and sweat of other good Itaukei man and women. There is always a two side to the coin. The coolies have never stolen any land from the non coolies, yet they get disrespected and robbed by the non coolies for being hardworking like ants.
You remind me of the grasshopper and the ant. You are being naive like a child would be in their younger days. Government makes the nation and this government is on the verge of collapsing it.
Pita, Respect and goodwill are our best currency.
We come from outer islands and worked our way out of poverty. We lease land from land owners and worked the land and are living on honest labour. We are in the same boat as the kuli. Hard work and sweat is our daily lot. We suffer when our harvest are underpriced and we smile when the market is right.
Our farms are robbed during harvest but we persevere.
The vitriol and pure hatred for the itaukei , supported by the likes of you and majority of the comments are unnerving and very naive. Such hatred stoked in this column is sedition in my book.
Going back to you final comment as the reply option has exceeded and I couldn’t comment on your final comment. As an I-Taukei myself who grew up in Fiji and is now residing in Nz as a senior Citizen, I am not portraying hate or ill will against our fellow I-Taukei.
When I mean you are Naive, go back and read what you wrote when you started this conversation. You feel too much pride in yourself, that has been the issue for most I-Taukei’s. How many I-Taukei’s pay tax to the Government?
Mostly non- Itaukei the kuli’s pay town rate, tax and so on. If all the I-Taukei want to be rich, have a good life for their generations, they need to pay the taxes. I-Taukei own more than 90% of land and live in poverty why? You know why? Because your leaders are robbing you on a daily basis. The church, the family members everyone needs money and there is only one or two who earn more money by being a Civil Servant or those that work overseas.
Over reliant on Government has made the I-Taukei poor. You need to step out of your comfort zone. When you speak about your produce being sold on the cheap, what do you expect? If there is demand more demand and less supply the prices of every goods and servive will go up. But when the supply is high and no one wants to make purchase, the price will be low. You have to be innovative in the way you sell your crops Nata.
Learn from other successful vendors and farmers. No one became successful and rich on day one.
As per love for the I-Taukei. I have always provided and supported my fellow I-Taukei. For far too long we have separated the coolies from our lives. We should learn to work together. I accepted the coolies and become a successful person in life. As a senior citizen I am proud to have worked with the coolies.
Just a side advise to anyone remotely capable of leaving Fiji for a better place. It doesn’t matter who you are and what race you are, leave while you can. This place is going to become like Zimbabwe.
People are going to suffer so much due to the policies and appointments of this government.
Not that it matters, but it is a very unflattering photograph. Not only does the man look pumped up with delusions of grandeur, beard hair that is longer than head hair seems ill fitting for a public figure.
Just wondering that 14 months on from the formation of the coalition government is there someone who can do an analysis of the change that had been promised and brought.
1. Promise of lower cost of living. Vat is now 15%, life has never been harder for the poor. 15 dollars increase in social welfare but number of recipients have been cut. Also Fiji Water, a billion dollar company, gets the biggest tax break in the country’s history.
2. More accountability was promised. The Fiji Airways Israel saga continues without any attempt by the government to come out clean. Biman gives funds for girmit celebration to a organization run by his wife, with no audit reports.
3. Promise to remove tint from government vehicles. Government ministers continue to travel in parades of cars with police shouting at tax payers to get out of the way.
4. Promise to free media. We know how that has gone. Most journalists, the best ones we thought we had, are nothing but governments lap dogs.
5. Promise to improve education. No more TELS, poor parents cant send children to tertiary if children score less marks. Biggest exodus of teachers ever. Scandals in the national university with unceremonious removal of some of the best people including the Dean of medicine.
6. Promise to reduce debt. More has been added to the Fiji debt in one single year than at any other time before. We did forgive TELS debt worth 600 million owed to the tax payers of this country though. We still have the begging bowl out and more dependent on China than ever.
7. Promise to reduce ministers pay and allowance. 10k extra for all parliamentarians plus no reduction in allowance. PM has acknowledged this. Ministers enjoying drug filled orgies on official duties overseas.
8. Promise of better health service. Never in the history of Fiji have more doctors and nurses left Fiji. The theatres are falling, Dr Turagava. Most medicines are not available. Minister is doing parades. The previous minister wasn’t great either but at least he was a good and compassionate doctor who listened to patients. This one is a failure at both.
9. Promise for better housing. Just forget this one. Manoa Kamikamica says we can’t solve it and the government has also removed the 2% cap on aeekers commission. Just wait for the rent freeze to be lifted.
10. Better security for people. Our police is only parading ministers and also managing to lose the drugs in their custody. Roads have never been more unsafe, people are being robbed in broad daylight. More violent crime than ever before outside of the coups. People have no more faith in the police.
11. Promise of ” i will look after the Indians…PM Rabuka on his tictok” we all know how thats going. Racial cleansing in civil service. Racism like never before.
12. Promise of Independent judiciary and dissolution of FICAC. Well AG and Acting DPP will take the racist of the year awards. Removal of everything that was even remotely independent left from the previous government.
Thats a dozen. I am tired of typing and of being here. I fear for Fiji and for all Fijians. We have been duped. We have been lied to. We have been thought of as idiots.
We must vote these people out come next election if the elections office remains independent by then.
Asking an expert like the NFP mouth pieces on Nambaone Times, X and Facebook taking point shows and others to continue this list.
More pressure needed on Australia and NZ for not speaking out against this.
What have you done NFP? We all always expected you to bring some balance and fairness for all! It is hard to see what your agenda is. You still have time – otherwise get ready for chaos and anarchy that we have never seen before. You will never be forgiven for all the calamity you create by being partners in this catastrophe. Give us one achievement/hope that NFP can claim to have achieved. At least give us some hope by showing some courage to arrest the head winds and the developing tail-spin for the nation and all our people. We all are praying and expecting some epiphany to descend somewhere in the political ecosystem. God bless our sliding Fiji – our beloved home!
Biman,
You have sold all migrants and Indians in Fiji back to slavery like racist days. Discrimination like no other.
You knew too well what this Coalition meant for marginalised communities in Fiji and you sold your soul for power.
Karma is a bad bi$ch.
Where is your lapdog R Naidu BTW.
Hiding already like you.
You two Indians will never be forgiven by majority of voters.
“We are a country racked by increasing poverty, apathy and mistrust in the good that governments can do. How can we persuade people who are preoccupied simply with survival that democracy, good governance and rule of law are so important to make Fiji better?
One answer to that question is history that is relatable, recognisable from shared experiences, teaching us lessons about things that we must learn not to repeat, and offering us stories to which we can aspire.”
Richard Naidu, Jan 2022
The above was shared by Biman on his Facebook page during Brij Lal’s funeral.
Richard and Biman – what part of this is now different for the Coalition Government?
Democracy ????
Good governance ????
Trust ????
Rule of Law ????
Mr Lal must be turning in his grave in horror of what is in place today.
Racism in every corner of this government. Judiciary, PS positions, board appointments and even the latest batch of Fiji Police Force recruits. Less than 20 recruits of other ethnicities of the 190 intake despite Ministers directive. List was published by Fiji Police on their social media. You can check it out.
Both Richard Naidu and Professor Waden Narsey are lost. Where is their rich weekly analysis of the economy?
In 2023 the Government basically rode on policies that were implemented by the previous government. To date in their 14 months of power, they have nothing concrete to show for it.
It’s more of the same and the continuous reliance on the tourism industry will be the cause of a major economic meltdown if the industry shuts down due to unforseen global calamities. There is no form of development policies to encourage any growth in the primary industries. Meanwhile the minister responsible for the sugar industry is on another excursion to the India. While Baimaan is on the religious tour to Ayodhya.
Meanwhile we are losing thousands of skilled workers to Australia and New Zealand. These are the people who drive the economy with their spending power.
It doesnt take a University graduate to tell you the state of the economy. You just need to ask the farmer toiling his land early in the morning or the meth head looking for his next hit. They will tell you the same thing.