Dear Editor,

Your editorial in the 27th January 2019 Sunday Samoan which included among other things your front page article, “Editor rejects P.M’s claim,” seems to criticize the Prime Minister for not verbally answering your paper’s questions. 

And it seems clear it’s because of his distrust of your paper’s reporting and eventual publications, no doubt based on his long dealings with your paper over many years and I will return to that later.

But first your editorial says, “Now listen up folks. Let’s talk about our Prime Minister, Dr. Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, and why he’s screaming all the time, even though there is really nothing of real consequence, to scream about.” 

What a terrible thing to say about the Head of the Government and people of Samoa we revere and hold dear.

He doesn’t scream all the time, does he? So that statement is false. And there are definitely numerous things of consequence that he has spoken about, hasn’t he? 

You yourself have praised him many times and have chosen him as recipient of many awards. You will find all that in your paper’s files and records. And you have only look at the development of this country as irrefutable evidence of the significance of what he has said and done.

Since he has been a leader of Government, tar sealed roads, drinking water, electricity, affordable vehicles, wide availability of affordable goods, quality Government offices, many new and better homes for our people, more scholarships to educate our people, more jobs than ever before, more businesses, first class sporting facilities, Samoa has become a leader in technological advancement, and newer, better & safer education facilities for our children, and so forth, have become a reality.

So why have you made such a terribly meaning statement unbecoming of you? 

What is wrong with the Prime Minister requesting written questions? It’s his right prerogative. If he doesn’t want to answer any question, that’s his right as well. 

But you lashed out at him forgetting you are not perfect yourself, and despite the fact that he is the most open and transparent Prime Minister this country has ever had. It seems that your aim was to embarrass, belittle, insult, and hope to destroy the Prime Minister’s credible, a sad state of affairs indeed.

The Prime Minister has an excellent memory and he remembers history, hence his current distrust of your reports and publications, which situation has been proved further by your editorial. 

I challenge you to show that you still have credibility by apologizing and publishing details of the many times your paper has published wrong information for which you then published apologies, to show that you too and your newspaper make mistakes. 

Yours and your paper’s credibility hangs somewhat on whether you publish your mistakes and apologies or not. I look forward to reading your response in your paper soonest.

Tau Puiaitu

A Regular Reader