Govt. called “hypocritical”

By Joyetter Feagaimaali’i-Luamanu 07 March 2018, 12:00AM

A woman has called Prime Minister Tuilaepa Dr. Sa’ilele Malielegaoi’s administration a bunch of hypocrites. 

Taranaki Mailei, of Moto’otua, lives across a construction site. She is disappointed about the continuous hard labour on Sundays. 

She has also questioned why Samoa amended its Constitution to reflect that Samoa is a Christian State when there are foreigners working on Sundays. 

 “If the Prime Minister has declared Samoa to be a Christian country, then the Prime Minister must see to it that Samoa walks the talk,” she told the Samoa Observer. 

“That includes all the Chinese and their heavy duty construction work on Sundays, which violates and disrespects Samoa’s observance of Sunday, our holy day of worshiping our God. 

“There are about three elders living right next to this construction site who are sick and are having to not only put up with this construction noise during the week, but now Sundays as well. 

“This is downright rude and inconsiderate.

“The Government should consider proposing a law that prohibits hard labour on Sundays, reflecting that Samoa is a Christian State. 

“They cannot say one thing and do another, that is hypocritical,” said Mailei. 

She noted that it is common knowledge that Sunday is observed and no hard labour is conducted. 

“If a Samoan works hard labour on Sunday, that person will be ridiculed, yet it is ok for a foreigner to come into Samoa and be allowed to work hard labour on Sunday. 

“Do you see the hypocrisy in all of this? 

“I want the Government to fix this because it is a bad reflection on those who actually changed our Constitution and a bad reflection on all Samoans.”

Calls to the Construction Company for a comment have not been returned as of press time. 

Ms. Mailei joins a growing number of concerned Samoans who expressed frustrations about Chinese companies working on Sunday.

Last year, Tuilaepa Soiamoa Grey, raised similar concerns. She had also accused the government leaders of being hypocritical and urged Samoans to wake up to what is happening.

“As a Christian country, our day of worship is on Sunday,” she said. 

“I have nothing against the government’s decision to make Samoa a Christian state. I fully support it.

“But what I find contradictory and hypocritical is when the Government changes the Constitution, yet allows foreigners to disrespect our day of worship by continuing to do hard labour on Sundays.

 “There are six days they can do their work, but at least spare us the Sunday so we can worship peacefully.”

The concerned citizen noted that Parliament should have made a note about this when they amended the Constitution. She added perhaps it’s time for the Government to forbid any labour work on Sunday.

 “Again, it goes back to when the Government moved to legalizing Samoa as a Christian state. Why is it that we are a Christian country, yet there are people who work hard labour on Sundays? These Asians clearly have no respect for our traditions. 

“Each and every Samoan knows that we don’t do any hard labour work; what makes them any different? They are visitors to our country, whether they are citizens or not, they should respect our traditions. 

“If our Prime Minister goes to church on Sundays, we should follow his examples.”

By Joyetter Feagaimaali’i-Luamanu 07 March 2018, 12:00AM
Samoa Observer

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