Malaysia

Moving toward Malaysia

MALAYSIA has signed a bilateral payments arrangement with Fiji to develop new trading links and move away from dependence on The Eur opean Community, the United States and Japan.

The agreement was signed in Bangkok on October 12 by Jaffar Hussein, Governor of Bank Negara, Malaysia’s Central Bank, and Fiji Central Bank Governor Ratu Jone Yavala Kubuabola, during the annual International Monet ary Fund and World Bank meetings. The two banks will guarantee payments on behalf of exporters and importers to reduce risk and enhance bilateral trade.

Malaysia has similar arrangements with Iran, Venezuela, Nigeria, Mexico, Mo zambique, Romania, Botswana, Zimba bwe and Chile.

Vanuatu riddle Vanuatu President Fred Timakata dis solved parliament on October 14, six weeks after the dismissal of the country’s first prime minister Fr Walder Lini.

Timakata has called a general election for December 2. Meanwhile, Fr Lini has claimed that according to the Westmin ster parliamentary system he is the opposition leader he was dumped by the ruling Vanua’aku Party and formed his own National United Party (NUP).

The NUP is now the majority party with 22 members after William Mahit, who

Lini had sacked as Lands Minister, crossed the floor to join the NUP on October 11. However, the Tan Union’s Vincent Boulekone, who also is the Speaker of Parliament, said the NUP had been formed after the last election, so it did not even exist in Parliament because no-one had voted to elect any NUP MPs. Boulekone said he would only accept a decision after a parliamentary debate.

Fatal air crash All 15 people aboard a Solomon Islands Twin Otter plane died when it crashed during a domestic flight on September 27. It crashed in mountains 40-miles south east of Honiara on a flight from Kirakira. The passengers included the recently recruited expatriate pilot, a mother and her two children, an Austra lian volunteer teacher, a prisoner serving a life sentence and his police escort, and the principal of a Church of Melanesia theological training centre and his wife.

Parliament building unstable NEW Zealand contractors are working on a new piling system to stabilise the new parliament building on Majuro in the Marshall Islands. Building was suspended at the end of last year when large cracks were found in the structure of the US$l6 million parliament and administration complex. Engineers found part of the building had sunk because of the unstable coral reef.

No win on Fiji casinos THE Methodist church in Fiji has reiterated its stand against casinos in Fiji.

The church was reacting to reports that a US$l2.2 million hotel development

had made provisions for a casino, although negotiations with the govern ment were continuing for approval.

General secretary of the Methodist church in Fiji, Reverend Manasa Lasaro, said casinos were breeding grounds for prostitution and other crimes.

Nori resigns

The Solomon Islands Leader of the Opposition Andrew Nori has resigned.

He said he had failed in many attempts to increase the number of Opposition members in Parliament and it would be counter-productive for him to stay on as leader. He said he also had stepped on too many toes. His replacement would be replaced at the end of October.

Drug abuse hits schools

MARIJUANA smoking is becoming a

problem in Western Samoan schools, especially in rural areas, says the head of Western Samoa’s Schools Principals’

Association. Leaula Tavita Amosa called for widespread community action. Some schools reported drug abuse has replaced cigarette smoking and beer drinking as the main offence leading to expulsion.

New USP head Esekia Solofa became the University of the South Pacific’s first South Pacific vice-chancellor last month. Solofa is presently the Director of Development at the USP’s Laucala Campus in Suva. He will replace present vice-chancellor, Geoffrey Gaston, who finishes early next year.

Solofa, 46, has a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics from Canterbury University in New Zealand, and a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Harvard in the United States. He is a former teacher and headmaster of Samoa College and has served as chair man of Western Samoa’s Public Service Commission. He joined the university as Director of the Institute of Social and Administrative Studies and was ap pointed Director of Development in 1989. He also served as pro vice chancellor and acted as vice-chancellor.

No to driftnets

CANADA has become the 15th nation to sign the Wellington Convention which prohibits driftnet fishing in the South Pacific. Protocol Two is open to all xmntries on the Pacific rim. By signing, the countries agree to prohibit use of iriftnets by any ship in the region.

Labour racket

FIJI police have begun investigations

nto a cheap labour racket luring young nen and women to Japan with the promise of good money. In Tokyo, their lassports are seized and they are illegally lired out to Japanese firms. Their wages ire taken by their agent, believed to be i Pakistani national, who workers claim >nly gives them part of their pay. □