Some Muslim spokespersons last Friday raised legitimate concerns about proposed legislation that will target terrorists from T&T. “This proposes violation of our rights, freedom of movement and travel to worship,” complained Islamic Missionaries Guild head Imtiaz Mohammed. Islamic Front head Umar Abdullah asserted that the Bill will be “negative, chaotic and oppressive for Muslims”.

However, these leaders may have jumped the gun, since they have not yet read what is being proposed. Attorney General Faris al-Rawi has indicated his willingness to meet with representatives of the Muslim community, but also noted that “There may be a lot of speculation as people would not have seen the full text of the Bill yet.”

It is also rather unfortunate that the spokespersons who protested in front of the Parliament last Friday seem to have already taken the stance that there is no need for strengthening this country’s anti-terrorism legislation and, additionally, adopted a rather bellicose tone in voicing their objections. “If the Attorney General is smart enough, he is going to meet with me today,” Abdullah told reporters, adding that “If he doesn’t, he is going to start a process that he would not be able to pull back at all” and warning that nobody “would call him a terrorist and get away with it.”

As a matter of strict technicality, though, the Bill does not identify Muslims at all. Instead, the legislation specifies persons who may commit certain acts, whether within the boundaries of T&T or internationally, and the penalties for so doing.

However, given the fact that this country has produced at least 130 ISIS recruits in the past three years—making T&T in per capita terms the highest Western hemisphere supplier of foreign fighters to the organisation—the Bill is clearly a response to that situation.

Nonetheless, Imam Abdullah denied that these recruits were affecting T&T in any way, asking: “Are they terrorizing our nations? Are they committing murders? Are they robbing our citizens?” However, ISIS is more than likely to collapse before achieving its ultimate goal of establishing a caliphate, let alone a functional polity, and when that happens the recruits will probably return to the lands of their birth.

Indeed, many may try to do so even before ISIS is defeated, and the authorities here must have the legal means to deal with them since they will very likely pose a threat to national security.

More generally, the greater concern should be that so many individuals have left T&T, some with their small children, to join ISIS which, scholars and leaders around the world have insisted, is perverting the peaceful principles of Islam.

Local Muslims should be especially concerned that most of the recruits are reportedly converts to Islam, suggesting that those who have been born into the faith are far less likely to become radicalised.

Leaders should thus be exerting every sinew to spread the tenets of Islam in a manner that repudiates the extremism that has drawn these men to ISIS.

In this context, it cannot be assumed a priori by Muslim spokesmen that there is absolutely no need for strengthening and revamping this country’s anti-terrorism legislation.

Good law balances the rights of citizens with the need for security and, as a general principle, errs on the former side. This should be the starting point of any objections to the Bill.

I had a plan. Rent a truck, fill it with plastic bottles and dump it on the road in front of the Red House. Block the road with a mound of plastic trash. This was back when the Red House still housed the nation’s Parliament. I didn’t want any old truck, but a big quarry dump truck. A big rig that can carry tens of thousands of bottles, like the ones the criminal gangs use to transport illegal quarry aggregate.

The idea was to shame Parliament into dealing with the enforcement of litter laws, enact recycling and implement proper waste disposal—that is, no longer throw junk into the swamp. Simple things really, just day-to-day logistics of keeping a society litter-free and presumably a lot happier and healthier than living surrounded by trash.

I relished the thought of radical, direct action. I sought advice from a lawyer about the possible fine, which I was willing to pay. Then she smothered my idea by saying: “But then you will be a litterer just like them.” Silence on my part. I’d come for legal advice. Instead I got moral judgment. I was shamed. Somebody whom I respected imposed a social norm on me.

Shame changed my intended behaviour. I too am a herd animal, just like you. We all just want to belong. Can shame be used to stop littering? What about traffic behaviour and violence? The default philosophy is that we need laws, an efficient judicial system and enforcement to deal with crime. That is a true statement but it does not take into account our ineffective government that makes it unlikely that these prerequisites will be met. Can we think of tactics that do not involve burdening the judiciary or prisons with nonviolent crimes?

In T&T we shame people on social media for sitting on turtles. For generations we ate turtles and our parents and grandparents encouraged us to sit on them. They were both tasty and fun. That was the social norm. Then we learnt that we had overexploited them and that sitting on them could harm them, even kill them. That knowledge did not change behaviour but shame did.

When pictures of people sitting on turtles went viral on social media that changed. We were introduced to a new social norm that expects us to protect turtles and allows the condemnation and ridiculing of people who harass turtles. Turtle rules have changed and if you need help adapting to this change your fellow citizens will help you. Thus was born the viral turtle sitting picture.

Public shaming is fun for people who do the shaming but the subject might be stigmatised for life. A viral video does not fade away. This kind of shaming can be damaging psychologically and amount to disproportionate punishment. Punishment is not the purpose of rules, getting the desired behaviour is. Can shaming be done in a kinder, gentler way?

Antanas Mockus did exactly this when he was the mayor of Bogota from 1995-1998 and 2001-2003. Back then Bogota was crime-ridden and full of dangerous drivers. The cops were corrupt and inefficient, the judicial system overburdened. He had to figure out a way to make his city liveable with few resources.

He managed to drop homicide rates by 70 per cent and traffic fatalities by 50 per cent. He did weird, innovative things. Tens of thousands of residents were given a placebo vaccine against violence. People were encouraged to take out their anger on balloons instead of one another.

One of his coups was replacing traffic wardens in one part of the city with mimes. If you jaywalked, the mime would follow and mimic you. You were profoundly shamed in a way that you would never forget. It was done playfully but at the same time you would feel as if you were the worst citizen if you were the butt of the joke. People changed their behaviour to avoid being shamed.

Mockus printed thousands of cards with a thumb up, or a thumb down. Drivers were rewarded with a thumb up for good behaviour or a thumb down for bad. There was no fine involved. No court case. Just the knowledge that your peers are watching and judging you. It was satisfying for onlookers to see rule-breakers.

Imagine walking through downtown Port-of-Spain, throwing a bottle into the drain, and then being shadowed by a mime who mimics the way you walk, the style of your hair. That’s an instant calypso tent. The crowd will love it, you won’t. Shaming can be an education and it doesn’t cost much.

T&T is ravaged by high crime, littering and dangerous drivers but these are only symptoms of a society that has lost social norms. People no longer seem to know who to look at for guidance. We have lost the words to explain what is going on. Mockus explained his policy by saying: “Innovative behaviours can be useful when you run out of words.”

Imagine walking through downtown Port-of-Spain, throwing a bottle into the drain, and then being shadowed by a mime who mimics the way you walk, the style of your hair. That’s an instant calypso tent. The crowd will love it, you won’t. Shaming can be an education and it doesn’t cost much.

Voices of a surprising number and stature have taken the Attorney General to task for his “tactical” decision to remove a provision (requiring a 60 per cent margin of votes for passage) originally inserted into the marriage amendment bill, once it reached committee stage in the Senate, when bills are modified. Retaining the “three-fifths” provision would have required Opposition support in providing votes beyond the Government’s 56 per cent majority in the House of Representatives to pass the legislation there later this month.

A dangerous precedent, an assault on the constitution, shocking, belligerent, hasty and autocratic, several of my chattering-class colleagues have importuned. (Save Kevin Baldeosingh, who delighted in the manoeuvre, and said he was now voting PNM.) Hamid Ghany saw it causing a “firestorm of controversy.”

I’m sure most citizens neither noticed, nor care.

Indeed, the unease among those in civil society who’ve pressed both the UNC and PNM governments to amend the marriage laws was why the special majority provision was included in the AG’s bill in the first place. That seemed the disappointingly tactical move—a political tack to either blame the Opposition for the legislation’s failure, or sidestep any courage in human rights leadership, by forcing the Opposition to share the risk.

Politics of that sort was the reason the Children’s Act five years ago failed to take on these very issues, which until now the Senate’s Independent bench seemed to be the only parliamentarians with the belly to champion, abstaining all when the final bill leaving child marriage intact passed in early 2012. There was this moment in the Senate’s committee phase of that bill, in the wee hours, when another attorney general turned to Opposition Senator Hinds, noting the Independents’ hankerings, and said he wasn’t really minded to alter the bill. Unless the PNM was.

They weren’t; and the current AG, then a Senator, has repeatedly invoked the unfinished business in that Senate session in his legislative campaign on child marriage.

But back to the trampled Constitution. Dr Ghany’s previous column elucidated in his schoolmasterly way how our Constitution, uniquely in the Commonwealth, adopted the 1960 Canadian Bill of Rights framework. How this translates into legislative practice is that Parliament can routinely enact laws “inconsistent with” the rights enshrined in the Constitution by simply declaring so; which then requires each house pass the legislation with a 60 per cent majority. That amounts to ten per cent or just three votes more in either house. Votes can come from anywhere: exclusively from Government if it has 25 or more of the 41 House seats; and from just three of the nine Independent senators.

Not all new laws that address rights require supermajorities. And commentators seem to ignore the AG’s words to that effect piloting the marriage bill, and those by lawyers on the Independent Bench in the debate.

Ultimately, how any legislation alters the balance of constitutional rights is subject to a test of reasonableness and proportionality. If it meets this test is answered only by the courts—whether passed by a 50.01 per cent or a 100 per cent majority. Political co-operation of an Opposition Michael Harris described as “obstreperous in the extreme” in enacting such law is no assurance of its substantive constitutionality. Indeed, the three-fifths legislative provision, intended as added protection, can instead embolden Parliament to enact rights-altering law by supermajority, without regard to proportionality. Commentators’ much-making of the scared three-fifths, and its marriage bill deletion as a reckless move that will lead to costly litigation, misses the point that the Maha Sabha will sue the AG if he changes Hindu marriage law, three-fifths or no three-fifths.

Some Caribbean legal scholars argue our Canadian three-fifths provision—that’s nowhere else in the region—masks the true test of constitutionality and ought, like the savings clause, to go away. It may simply erect another barrier to minorities and unpopular groups getting rights respected by majoritarian legislatures with cowardly politicians.

Just last year, our politics of morality seemed stubbornly predictable: Politicians in Government would abstain from advancing sexual rights and freedoms, in a public performance of piety or deference to “public opinion.” Out of power to make change, they’d be eloquent about rights. But last month’s performances on both sides of the aisle show sexuality politics now has—Basdeo Panday’s famous 2005 rendering of Machiavelli’s tenet—a morality of its own.

A PNM AG was championing sexual autonomy. The Opposition was offering up Senate seats to give the patriarchal case for 12-year-old marriages greater voice. A legislative proposal for minor girls’ marriages with parental permission—and the children’s involvement—was tabled. And finally, Kamla cried that rights to family life are being trampled by imperious legislation to ban marriage of minors. I’m unsure what toppled the old order.

What has been drowned out in all this is girls’ rights. To have a say over their own bodies. To be protected. To sexual education and health services. To decide whom to marry. To not be criminalised or punished for sex or pregnancy. And to marry under 18, with judicial supervision and without parental consent. Sadly, all the chatter about other rights and marrying them off pregnant has drowned out a coalition of voices asking parliamentarians for sexual autonomy for adolescents and respect for their evolving capacity.

Congratulations to Single Pan champions, Newtown Playboys, on their accomplishment. The question remains, are they willing to evolve? It seems that it’s time to change the band’s name. At last observation there are a number of female pan players in the group. Indeed, female steel pan musicians are prevalent in all steel bands, It’s time we get with the times and be “politically correct.”

The name Playboys/Playboyz needs to be changed and Pan Trinbago should encourage pan orchestras to be gender neutral in their identification. Of course old habits and customs die hard, but there is precedent, recall “Gay Desperadoes.”

Let us honour the achievements of the female pan players by being considerate and thoughtful. After all, it can be argued that they are saving the steelpan movement with their participation.

The Faculty of Food and Agriculture and the School of Veterinary Medicine met recently with dairy farmers of the Cattle Farmers’ Association to decide on a plan to “stop the decline of and regenerate” the dairy industry in T&T.

In 2016, three consultative meetings took place with dairy farmers in the East, Central and South of Trinidad. A final meeting took place on January 24, 2017, at the Faculty of Food and Agriculture, UWI, to validate the plan and to set goals for the short and medium term periods.

Among the priority areas identified by farmers were information on good animal production practices, availability of probiotics and fodder seeds, repeat breeder services and continuous communication between farmers and UWI.

It was agreed that a baseline survey on the status of cattle farms will be conducted to provide data on the current status of dairy farms.

The meeting was attended by approximately 45 farmers and was facilitated by lecturers from the Faculty of Food and Agriculture, led by the Dean, Dr Wayne Ganpat and the School of Veterinary Medicine, led by Dr Winthrop Harewood.

Bullying in T&T has now become a national pastime. As in liming, drinking, partying we can now add constant bullying. And it is not just in the schools, but we can start right there. The teachers bully the children and the parents.

Imagine parents being made to line up in the wee hours in the morning to collect application forms because the principal of the school says it must be so? And then the Minister of Education is told to mind his own business. Now that is what I call real bullying. A feeling of intimidation is immediately set with regard to parents and teachers.

The children beat up each other because they are aping the teachers behaviour. There is no respect for each other because laughing at other people is the order of the day. Endless circular bullying is now a form of wicked entertainment.

I do not want to walk down my favourite road with the collective unions. Police, teachers and all other government-paid team players hide their lazy attitudes behind the union leaders. The mantra is “We will not vote for you in the next election if you do not give us better salaries for doing nothing.” The present Education Department appears to be under siege as everything that could possibly happen, is happening to schools situated in the constituencies represented by the Opposition MPs—suddenly falling apart, over run with rats and other vermin.

Children sick from insecticides being sprayed in the vicinity of schools. Parents and children protesting in the burning sun. Now that is emotional bullying for everybody. Are children’s lives being risked by deliberate spraying? I do not want to believe that the health of innocent children is being compromised. Insecticides can cause cancers that may not show for many years.

Is the new head of TTUTA the latest of our toothless tigers who stand by and do nothing about the new subject on everyone’s curriculum: “Bullying in ten easy lessons”?

Lynette Joseph

It was with some fanfare that the Minister of Finance recently cut the ribbon at the formal opening of the new corporate headquarters of the National Insurance Board at Queen’s Park East in Port–of-Spain. This development is expected to realise savings in terms of the NIB’s hitherto rental expenditure and even generate rental income from the first two floors and provide parking for some 241 vehicles.

What struck me, however, is the fact that the investment portfolio of the NIB has been falling from 2.6 per cent in 2015 to less than two per cent in 2016 and the hint of a possible increase in the retirement age from 60 to 65 years of age.

In addition to the falling away of investment income, no doubt due to the global economic environment, there appears to have also been a falling away of revenue from contributions towards the scheme and an increase in expenditure in terms of the payment of benefits, which no doubt prompted the Minister of Finance to contemplate the increase in the retirement age. Recent trends towards early retirement and higher life expectancy has been threatening the sustainability of existing pensions and the payment of superannuation benefits. In Britain life expectancy is set at 77 years of age for men and 81 years for women and the pension age is 65.

In Germany the retirement age is now 67 with the lower birth rate and ageing population playing a major role in this decision. In Greece which is currently grappling with a huge national debt and economic problems, early retirement has been banned altogether.

Increasing the retirement age could help save the country millions of dollars each year because workers will be required to pay into the NIS for a longer period of time while the institution should have to pay out less in social security\NIS benefits. One will need to factor into the equation the impacts of trade unionism and worker morale, in the face of this fundamental change in its terms and conditions of employment and some give and take may become necessary. Perhaps some middle ground where retirement between age 60 and 65 becomes optional could be on offer.

Given the current trend of low energy prices in oil and gas and the current straitened financial circumstances of the economy of T&T, the idea of raising the retirement age from 60 to 65 years of age appears feasible and makes good economic sense.

Peter Narcis

CAVE HILL—A sterling effort by Guyana Jaguars proved fruitless in the end as unbeaten Barbados Pride pulled off a dramatic two-wicket win in the last over to ease into the semi-finals of the Regional Super50 in Barbados, yesterday.

Defending 187 in a low-scoring contest at 3Ws Oval, Jaguars rallied to take the game into the last over before succumbing to their third defeat with three balls remaining.

Pride seemed assured of victory at 119 for two in the 36th over but Barbadian left-seamer Raymon Reifer and fast bowler Ronsford Beaton scythed through the innings, triggering a collapse which saw six wickets tumble for just 61 runs.

With Pride needing six runs from the nerve-wracking last over bowled by Reifer, Jomel Warrican (two not out) got a single off the first delivery but Carlos Brathwaite (11 not out) failed to score off the second ball.

However, the West Indies Twenty20 star then cleared the ropes at long off with the third ball, to hand Pride an emphatic victory—their sixth on the trot in the competition which booked them their spot in the final four.

Shai Hope top-scored with 63— his first score of merit in the series —while all-rounder Kevin Stoute, in for his first game stroked 51.

Reifer led the Jaguars attack admirably with four for 46 while Beaton claimed two for 41.

The victory took Pride to 28 points while Jaguars, who started the tournament with two defeats but rebounded to win their next three games, remained on 13 points.

Sent in earlier, Jaguars suffered a serious batting failure and could only muster a lowly 186 all out off 50 overs.

Veerasammy Permaul, batting at number nine, top-scored with 32 while opener Rajindra Chandrika struck 30 and wicketkeeper Anthony Bramble weighed in with 29.

Ashley Nurse continued his wicket-taking form with three for 28 while fellow off-spinner Roston Chase (2-21) and seamer Jason Holder (2-42) finished with two wickets apiece.

Jaguars appeared to be cruising when Chandrika and Assad Fudadin (18) put on 58 for the first wicket before the rot set in and they lost seven wickets for 61 runs to slump to 119 for seven in the 37th over.

Chandrika was fluent in his 43-ball knock which included six fours before he was bowled by Nurse in the 14th over and the left-handed Fudadin followed in the next over, caught at extra cover off Chase.

Captain Leon Johnson, who made 21, added 26 for the third with Chris Barnwell who scored six before he was run out at 86 for three in the 23rd over and with just one run added in the next over, veteran left-hander Shiv Chanderpaul was caught and bowled by Nurse for one.

With the innings collapsing, Permaul and Bramble combined in a 42-run, eighth wicket stand which helped Jaguars scrape past the 150-run mark.

In reply, Pride lost the dependable Kraigg Brathwaite in the third over for three, nicking Reifer behind with 10 runs on the board. Hope then inspired two partnerships to put Pride fully in control. First, he put on 60 for the second wicket with Stoute who struck five fours in a 61-ball knock before holing out to long-off leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo.

Hope, who faced 129 balls and counted four fours, added a further 39 for the third wicket with Jonathan Carter who struck a four and a six in scoring 17.

When Carter swept left-arm spinner Permaul and was caught behind square by substitute Shimron Hetmyer, Pride suddenly went into decline losing a cluster of wickets, setting up a frenzied finish. CMC

Scores:

JAGUARS 186 off 50 overs (Veerasammy Permaul 32, Rajindra Chandrika 30, Anthony Bramble 29; Ashley Nurse 3-28, Roston Chase 2-21, Jason Holder 2-43) vs PRIDE 188 for eight off 49.3 overs (Shai Hope 63, Kevin Stoute 51; Raymon Reifer 4-46, Ronsford Beaton 2-41)

Pride won by two wickets.

There was jubilation all around yesterday after Central FC got a solitary strike from Rundell Winchester in the 41st minute to beat San Juan Jabloteh 1-0 at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva, to capture the Digicel T&T Pro League $1 million cash prize and title, the crown they won last year.

The victory assured the Central “Sharks” their third title in four years, an achievement that also includes two Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Club Championships. After the win, coach Dale Saunders credited his entire coaching staff, the players and the “Almighty God” for the win.

“It was a great all round performance by the players and a great team effort by all for the title. I first have to thank the Almighty God for this victory, for without him none of this would have been possible. In the field, we never gave up the confidence and belief in ourselves that we would win the title today,” Saunders said.

“The players came out here, knowing exactly what was expected from them and they delivered just that. They fought really hard and got the result they needed.”

Saunders’ assistant Stern John said the title, which is the third in the club’s four-year existence, basically sums up the strength of the team and the organisation.

Central, who were on 44 points yesterday, needed victory to hold off second place Directv W Connection (43 points), who also defeated Ma Pau Stars 2-0 at the Mannie Ramjohn Stadium in Marabella. Goals for W Connection came from Jamal Charles in the 53rd and Hughton Hector in the 80th minute.

In Couva, however, Jabloteh settled first and should have scored when defender Josiah Trimmingham rose unchallenged to head wide from a left-side corner in the seventh minute. Moments later Trimmingham was guilty of a blunder in defence but Central captain Darren Mitchell could not get a shot at goal.

Watched by national coach Dennis Lawrence, Central gave him something to cheer about soon before the break. Mitchell delivered a pin-point cross from the left which Winchester met sweetly on the head to beat a stranded Javon Sample in the Jabloteh goal.

After the break, Jabloteh may feel unlucky not to have equalised as chances went begging. Trimmingham in the 48th minute found himself at the end of a lofted Mitchell cross and with the goal at his mercy, he fired straight to the legs of the advancing goalkeeper.

Later in the 65th minute, Keithy Simpson stormed through the midfield and released perfectly for Tyrone Charles, who fired wide with the goal gaping in front of him. Three minutes after Charles returned the favour to Simpson when he picked him out inside the box from a free kick but with the ball needing the slightest of touches, Simpson somehow turned it wide.

Yesterday’s

Central FC 1 (Rundell Winchester 41) vs San Juan Jabloteh 0

W Connection 2 (Jamal Charles 53, Hughton Hector 80th) vs Ma Pau Stars 0

Final standings

DIGICEL PRO LEAGUE

P W D L F A GD PTS

Central FC 18 15 2 1 41 14 27 47

W Connection 18 15 1 2 50 13 37 46

San Juan Jabloteh 18 9 2 7 32 23 9 29

Ma Pau Stars 18 8 4 6 33 29 4 28

Club Sando 17 7 3 7 30 31 -1 24

Defence Force 17 6 2 9 24 30 -6 20

Police FC 17 5 4 8 35 34 1 19

St Ann’s Rangers 17 4 4 9 20 36 -16 16

Morvant Caledonia United 17 2 5 10 18 31 -13 11

Point Fortin Civic FC 17 1 3 13 17 59 42 6

Even after three fine hundreds in five innings in the ongoing Regional Super50 in Antigua, in-form left-hander Kieran Powell has still lamented his lack of “big scores”.

The 26-year-old has been on an amazing run of form, hitting 105, 135 and 106 en route to a tournament-leading 429 runs for Leeward Islands Hurricanes but said he would not be totally satisfied until he began to notch more scores in excess of 150.

“I need to get big scores. I got [three] centuries and two of them are just 105 and 106 so we’ve had talks in the team meetings where when you get in you need to kick on and obviously I got out with 14 overs left so I think I missed the chance to get 150-plus,” Powell said following Hurricanes’ 105-run victory over English County Kent here on Saturday night.

“Nevertheless, the team managed to get to a respectable total and then the bowlers went and did the job so I’m happy with the overall team performance.”

Powell’s 106 was the basis of the hosts’ 275 for nine at Coolidge Cricket Ground, and it helped them register their fourth win in five outings.

The hundred emphasised the stylish batsman’s rich vein of form that has seen him also get 52 in a losing effort against reigning champions T&T Red Force, and 31 against Kent in the Hurricanes’ opener two weeks ago.

Powell, who is returning to regional cricket this season in earnest following a two-year break from the game, said he was still high motivated despite his abundance of runs so early in the tournament.

“Personally, I wake up every day thinking I haven’t scored a run for the tournament yet so that’s why I go out and bat each game with a big appetite to try … and get some big runs on the board because I can’t rest on my laurels and think ‘I’ve got this amount of runs’ and be complacent at any point in time,” said Powell, who has played 21 Tests and 28 One-Day Internationals.

“I always think of it as though I haven’t scored any runs in the tournament yet and I owe the team a massive score every game so I think that’s my driving force in terms of getting these consistent scores and achieving this consistency so far in the tournament.

“Hopefully if I can continue to get some runs and the other guys get some runs as well and the bowlers keep performing, we can be lifting the cup at the end of the tournament.”

Hurricanes top Group A here with 19 points, six clear of Red Force who lie second, with Kent lying third on nine points.

And Powell was quick to reiterate that his form would be irrelevant if it was not enhancing Hurricanes’ fortunes.

“We’re trying to do everything to aim it towards the team,” he noted. “It’s just fortunate that I’m the one getting the runs at the moment and I’m going to try to continue to bat as deep as possible and hopefully I can continue to help the team.”

Hurricanes impressively won their opening three games before crashing to a narrow 11-run defeat to Red Force in their fourth game.

Their victory over Kent on Saturday put them one step closer to the semifinals but Powell urged his side not to become complacent.

“Nothing changes. Obviously we are close to qualification but we need to go and play each game on the day and we can’t just afford to think we are ahead and get complacent and lose games because of that,” he warned.

“We need to go out and play hard, play consistent cricket, and keep playing team cricket and that’s going to get us to the semifinals.” CMC

Police looked to Joelisa Cooper for inspiration and she responded with 34 goals from 43 attempts to lead them past Fire Service, 49-46, in a tight match-up in the Premiership Division of the Courts All Sectors Netball League.

It was a packed schedule of matches at the Eastern Regional Indoor Sports Arena in Tacarigua on Saturday evening with five matches played in two divisions, the other was in the championship category.

Cooper, the national senior netball captain, opened in the circle with goal-shooter Tahirah Hollingsworth and they functioned well together, but their team still trailed by one (13-12) at the end of the first quarter.

Hollingsworth was not at her best, shooting with 50 per cent accuracy, only connecting six from 12 tries.

She was replaced by Jeselle Navarro, who confirmed for her Police team that it was a good change as she produced nine off ten in a match, which saw the police officers take the lead at the half, 26-24 before advancing further ahead by the third quarter, 39-33.

Aquila Blugh was quite effective down the other end, connecting 44 off 54 for Fire, but her team was unable to overcome its deficit despite outscoring the grey and blue, 13-10 in the final period and had to settle for the three-goal loss.

In the other Premiership match, Kernesha Greenidge with a leading 16 in 25 and 15 of 23 from Anastascia Wilson, earned the University of T&T (UTT) a 32-27 victory over the University of the West Indies (UWI).

UTT led in all four quarters, 12-2 in the first, 20-14 at halftime, 25-20 in the third before ending with the five-goal victory.

Afiya Vincent (15/29) and Akeela Rodriguez (12/18) combined to score UWI’s goals but in a losing effort.

UTT got a win from its Championship Division team as well, after it topped Las Lomas, 35-31 in a closely contested match.

Shooting for the winner were Akeilah Francis (23/42) and Oprah Douglas (12/13).

The return of goal-shooter Karlene Sylvester sparked Defence Force to its first victory of the season in the Championship Division.

She netted 26 off 42 to pilot the army/coastguard squad to a hard-fought 35-31 over Jabloteh.

In the other match of the division, Roannta Dalrymple keeps coming good for Unit Trust Corporation (UTC) and the unit to its fourth win from five matches, whipping Bermudez, 42-25.

Dalrymple, the goal-shooter, produced 31 in 43 tries in a match, which her team led from the first pass.

The quarter scores read 11-6, 20-15, 28-22, all in favour of UTC.

Premiership Division

Fire 46 (Aquila Blugh 44/54, Simone Morgan 2/6) vs Police 49 (Tahirah Hollingsworth 6/12, Joelisa Cooper 34/43, Jeselle Navarro 9/10). Quarter scores: 13-12 (Fire), 26-24 (Police), 39-33 (Police).

UTT 32 (Anastascia Wilson 15/23, Kernesha Greenidge 16/25, Liliah Matthews 1/1) vs UWI 27 (Afiya Vincent 15/29, Tiana Dillon 0/2, Akeela Rodriguez 12/18). Quarter scores: 12-2, 20-14, 25-20 (All in favour of UTT)

Championship Division

UTT 35 (Akeilah Francis 23/42, Oprah Douglas 12/13) vs Las Lomas 31(Racquel Russell 26/41, Anita Pitt Russell 5/11). Quarter scores: 10-5 (Las Lomas), 17-17, 27-23 (UTT).

Jabloteh 31 (Semo Bancroft 3/5, Giselle Hobson 16/36, Samantha Lewis James 12/22) vs Defence Force 35 (Karlene Sylvester 26/42, Jody Sprott 1/1, Kemaria James 8/15) Quarter scores: 9-6, 20-12, 25-21 (All in favour of Defence Force).

UTC 42 (Roannta Dalrymple 31/43, Ayanna Peters 11/23) vs Bermudez 25(Makeda DeFreitas 10/16, Indra Anderson 13/23, Okera Dennie 2/7). Quarter scores: 11-6, 20-15, 28-22 (All in favour of UTC).

Matches

Today

Retro Division

Les Enfants vs Bermudez, 5.30 pm

Harlem vs Carib Senators, 6.20 pm

Jean Pierre Challenge (Championship Division), 7.15 pm

Tomorrow

Alternative Division

Fire vs Police, 5.30 pm

Defence Force vs USC, 6.45 pm

Right Action returns off a 213 absence for an aged Maiden Stakes over six furlongs of Wolverhampton tapeta today; just a question of Richard Fahey’s charge going down and coming back, if able to replicate anything like his best two-year-old form achieved at Pontefract last July.

Although Right Action did not match that time-handicap mark in three subsequent outings he shaped encouragingly, just out of placings. We expect this Dandy Man gelding to prove too strong for likely Mark Johnston-trained favourite, Blue Bahia, a length second to Garam over course and distance last month.

Others don’t appeal but it wont be a surprise if once-raced Ebitda improves, Luke Morris hasn’t been booked without good reason.

Ron Harris has also been on the phone to Luke’s agent for Noble Asset in the aged handicap over five furlongs, unopposable given the handicapping system appears to have let this experienced six-year-old in with a gift mark. My opinion!

Course and distance winner Berlusca is also approaching his best judged, on a promising third at Chelmsford eighteen days ago, and should go close in the aged handicap over ten furlongs.

This surface is unique, other all-weather tracks seem to ride a tad slower and accent is on early speed which means it’s imperative to support experienced jockeys whenever possible.

A wide draw at Dunstall Park is a coffin box and number one isn’t much better because asking a thoroughbred to do too much in the early stages means they are being asked to do it at both ends. Seldom does that pay off. AWR is tough but I’m fascinated by it, even though genuine bets are few and far between.

Be patient, wait for the ball to come on to the bat!

Wolverhampton

10.50 Belusca (e.w)

11.20 Right Action (nap)

1.20 Noble Asset (e.w)

OBITUARY of ANGELO BISSESSARSINGH, 1983-2017

He could talk at length about the experiences of the Amerindians, the islands’ first settlers; the African slaves who began arriving at the start of the 18th century; the East Indians who came as indentured labourers from 1845; the Germans who were put in local “concentration camps” during the first world war; and the Jews who settled here after fleeing persecution in Europe before the second world war.

He could tell you about T&T’s first heart operation, its first cinema, and its first car accident fatality, such was his commitment to learning as much as he could about the land of his birth.

“I believe that by learning one’s history, it instils a sense of pride and it instils a sense of purpose,” he told journalist Vernon Ramesar, in one of a series of interviews on Ramesar’s television programme beginning in 2013.

The interviews revealed Bissessarsingh to be a confidently knowledgeable, eloquent and engaging speaker. Bissessarsingh said he wanted to chronicle as much of the country’s history as he could for as long as he could. This he did.

When he died last Thursday, he had finished work on a historical novella and a reader on T&T folklore, both yet to be published. There were other projects, he said, that he expected to be published after his death.

Even after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in January 2015 and given just months to live, he managed to finish his second book, A Walk Back in Time: Snapshots of the History of Trinidad & Tobago, which was launched in February last year.

His first, Walking with the Ancestors: The Historic Cemeteries of Trinidad, was self-published in 2014.

But Bissessarsingh was probably best known for running the Facebook page Angelo Bissessarsingh’s Virtual Museum of Trinidad and Tobago.

He started the project in 2009, after being turned down for a job at the National Museum.

He had a collection of artefacts, documents and drawings and began posting photos of them and of natural and manmade landmarks around the country. The photos appeared with background information.

The page slowly grew a following, who would add their own knowledge and personal experience of a subject. Eventually Bissessarsingh wasn’t the only curator of the page.

Dedicated followers started to post their own images and knowledge, making the Virtual Museum a community where T&T’s history was celebrated and discussed.

In a regular column with the T&T Guardian, in interviews with reporters and in comments on the Virtual Museum page, Bissessarsingh bemoaned the treatment of the country’s artefacts, from documents to buildings.

He spoke out against the destruction of the Greyfriars Church, the dilapidated state of the Magnificent Seven buildings and other historical sites, and the seeming ineffectiveness of state agencies with responsibility for preservation.

“Our post-independence experience and conditioning has taught us to despise all history as being ‘colonial’ and the heritage of ‘oppressors’ with pale skins,” he wrote in his Back in Times column in 2015.

“The inevitable state of affairs resulting from this prevailing mentality has been the swift destruction of our anthropological artefacts, ranging from the ornate architectural gems to documents, photos and books.”

He told Ramesar he wanted to help average people appreciate history. To do this you had to make history more that just dry facts and dates, he said. You had to bring history alive.

“Even for me, at times it becomes boring and crusty. There’s only so much repetition of dates and places that you do, before you lose interest,” he said.

“But I think that history is a living subject because there is a relativity between what was, and what is, and what is to come.

“And if you can add a little humanity and a little humour at times, I think that is where people get interested and people will join,” he said.

“And they also seem to have a perspective on history and themselves that they’re willing to share, and I’m always willing to listen and talk about it.”

In discussing the popularity of his most recent book in T&T and abroad, he told Ramesar in a final interview last year:

“The book is not just about history, it’s about memories. It’s about looking at those pictures and seeing your own life in sepia tones. And that is why these books are important.

“I could go in any academic history book and tell the statistics of slavery or the statistics of indentureship. But if I told you a story about one of those long trials, it becomes totally connected to your experience.”

Bissessarsingh—who worked in the Disaster Management Unit of the Ministry of Local Government—developed his passion for history and archeology as a child with the encouragement of his family and teachers at Naparima College. He told Ramesar of a seminal experience at age five.

“I remember one day my father took me to an Amerindian site. Everything I touched, I felt kinship with it: The pottery, the stone tools, the shell remains. I think we even found human remains on that site,” he said.

“I still entertain the utmost fascination for these things now as I did then. I have never lost my enthusiasm for them,” he said.

Bissessarsingh—who was awarded the Hummingbird Medal Gold last year for his contribution to history and education—worried about generations of T&T children being brought up without appreciation for the islands’ past.

“I believe many of our children are growing up without a sense of time, place, purpose, and also without a sense of their heritage,” he said.

“And there can only be a negative result from that.”

Historian and author Angelo Bissessarsingh died of cancer in his Siparia home at 10 am on February 2 at the age of 34.

Soca star Ian “Bunji Garlin” Alvarez yesterday sent out a “Defend the Women” challenge to all men in T&T.

In a three minute thirty-five second video sent via social media in apparent response to the latest killing of Jamilia DeRevenaux, Alvarez said T&T’s women are under pressure and being forced to endure serious problems.

Garlin said most men hide behind social media platforms, such as Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, to “bad up women” but instead those same men need to man up and defend them.

“We need to teach some of them males to be men too. Let us defend the women. Nobody say it is going to be easy, it is supposed to be easy because it’s our women, we have to defend them. If you going out the road and you see a man roughing up a woman in the public…soldier rally and get help, because that woman could die right there,” Alvarez said.

He added that every time “these characters” (referring to men who abuse women) escape “they are moving closer to your aunts, niece, mother and all females in your family…don’t wait for this to hit home then for all to react and it too late. Let us defend all women now.”

Alvarez’s video was posted hours after DeRevenaux was killed just outside her workplace at MovieTowne, Port-of-Spain, on Sunday night. (RD)

Jamaat-al-Muslimeen leader Yasin Abu Bakr yesterday launched a scathing attack on the administration of justice as he accused a judge and several judicial officials of being biased against him.

Bakr made the remarks in the Port-of-Spain High Court yesterday after Justice Frank Seepersad refused to recuse himself from his trial for malicious prosecution against the State for charging him with a murder in 2010 for which he was eventually freed.

In rejecting the application, which was based on Seepersad’s dismissal of a parallel constitutional motion over the same issue two years ago and another malicious prosecution claim in which Bakr was only awarded $5,000 in compensation, he (Seepersad) said that the application should have been made before the start of the trial.

After the ruling, Bakr was invited to take the witness stand to testify but instead began a rant against Seepersad.

“He (Seepersad) is biased. I will not subject myself to being tried by this court,” Bakr said as he got up and walked out of the court. The case was stood down for a short time as Bakr’s lawyer Farid Scoon attempted to pacify a visibly agitated Bakr.

After the break, Bakr returned to the court, apologised and completed his testimony and cross-examination.

“I am sorry about earlier. I was just expressing my feelings. I apologise,” Bakr said as he apologised for his outburst.

In his lawsuit Bakr is alleging that Coroner Nalini Singh acted maliciously when she charged him and his former follower Brent “Big Brent” Miller with murder following the conclusion of a coroner’s inquest into the death of 22-year-old mechanic Israel Sammy in September 2010.

Sammy, also a former member of Bakr’s organisation, was shot dead behind his Valot Street, Boissiere Village, Maraval on May 20, 1998. Singh’s decision was eventually overturned one month later when Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Roger Gaspard said that there was insufficient evidence to sustain the charge.

During his testimony, Bakr repeated challenged State attorneys to produce the transcripts of Sammy’s inquest which he said proved his allegations. However, he claimed that the transcript, which is not evidence in the case, had been altered.

“I would request that the transcript should be show to the court because it was jumbled up and they scratched off all the things that were said,” Bakr said.

His allegation was strongly challenged by attorneys Ravi Rajcoomar and Jagdeo Singh, who represented the magistrate and the State.

Both attorneys questioned Bakr’s claims as they noted that he had not made the allegations against Singh’s judicial support staff in his lawsuit and had no evidence to do so.

Bakr also noted that like Seepersad, Singh had refused to recuse herself from the case, upon his attorney’s request in 2009.

In her testimony, Singh was questioned by Scoon on the evidence she relied on to summon him to the inquest and eventually recommend the charge.

Singh said that Bakr had been implicated in Sammy’s murder in a statement from Miller and that she summoned him to inform him of the allegations and for him to properly defend himself at a preliminary stage.

She later admitted that the statement given to her by police was a copy that had not been signed by Miller.

Singh will continue her testimony when the trial resumes on February 21.

Jamaican judge, Justice Patrick Robinson, is not buying the argument that the Caribbean Court of Justice cannot replace the Privy Council.

He made the comment in an interview before the Law Association of Trinidad and Tobago’s (LATT) second symposium on acceding to the final appellate jurisdiction of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) over the weekend. “We have been brainwashed to believe that we are not good enough. And that what is foreign, what is white, what is European, especially if it is English, is better. And it’s absolute rubbish,” Justice Robinson said.

“We have a court in the Caribbean Court of Justice that is as good as if not better than the Privy Council and that can fulfil all the needs of the region.” Justice Robinson, who is the second Caribbean national ever to sit on the International Court of Justice, was one of three members of a distinguished panel of legal experts invited to argue against the retention of the Privy Council in England at the event, which was held at the Southern Academy for the Performing Arts in San Fernando.

He also commented on the court’s excellent disposal rate. Of 192 cases filed at the CCJ in over a decade of operation, 180 have been completed. He said generally, cases are disposed of within a year. Adding to his list of points in favour of the court, Robinson noted its accessibility.

“We cannot afford the 5000 mile trek for justice,” he said, reminding that the CCJ has allowed for teleconferencing and encouraged pro bono representation. “The average CCJ appellant need not be, and is not, as well-resourced as the average Privy Council appellant.”

Senior Counsel Martin Daly also shared his experience as a two-term appointee to the 11-member Regional Judicial and Legal Services Commission (RJLSC), which selects CCJ judges. Saying that he would focus on the “thickness of the insulation of the judges,” Daly laid out a case for “a unique and tamper-proof RJLSC.” He said his road show travels with the court over six years had inspired great confidence in its administrative and institutional arrangements.

“To have (the court’s judgements) read and critiqued by eleven persons from many different jurisdictions, just lends itself to seeing that any of these arguments about undue influence being brought to bear in the appointment of judges or any of the other administrative arrangements of the court simply can’t stand scrutiny.” Retired Indian Supreme Court Justice Bellur Srikrishna expressed surprise that after 54 years of independence, T&T had still not managed to dispose of the far-off Privy Council in favour of a regional court that already has the backing of all Caricom states, at least in its original jurisdiction on disputes related to the Treaty of Chaguaramas.

“No sovereign country can allow its judicial decisions to be subject to review by a court of another sovereign country,” said Srikrishna.

“This is a democratic republic. You have been independent (over) 50 years. I am surprised that 50 years it has taken. In India we did it in two.”

Srikrishna visited the CCJ headquarters in Port-of-Spain and said he was encouraged by the software for case management, which has the potential to expedite the delivery of justice. “I am extremely impressed with the technological advances there. Even today in the Indian Supreme Court you don’t find these improvements,” he said.

Focusing on the 11-year track record of the CCJ, including its learned and culturally sensitive judgements, the panellists also touched on Privy Council shortcomings. In 2009, the President of the UK Supreme Court complained that his judges were spending too much time on Commonwealth appeal cases.

“We have overstayed our welcome,” lamented Robinson. “They have become weary, exhausted, of these people from the Commonwealth.”

Daly recounted appearing before the Privy Council in a hanging case, where, at lunch on the second day, before his team had concluded important arguments they were told to wrap up because the court had allotted two days to the hearing and a case from New Zealand was scheduled next.

“I don’t understand that way of disposing of our business,” said Daly.

“The time has come for us to give ourselves some priority, to have some control over our timetable, and most importantly to give people in the Caribbean the opportunity to have greater access.”

Only 11 countries still use the Privy Council as their appellate court, and the majority of them are from the Caribbean. T&T and Jamaica are two of the Caribbean’s significant holdouts to the court’s final appellate jurisdiction, which has been accessed by only four Caricom states.

While Law Association president Reginald Armour admitted to being disappointed by the low turnout from the San Fernando Bar Association, he said: “We at LATT have to be the spokespersons to promote the national conversation.” Among the civil society stakeholders were university lecturer Dr. Indira Rampersad, union president Vincent Cabrera, human rights activist Diana Mahabir-Wyatt and others.

The Law Association intends to convene a meeting to put a resolution in support of the CCJ to a vote. Assuming that the resolution passes, the association will then lobby political support. The Government has expressed its backing for the court, but requires Opposition cooperation. Replacement of the Privy Council requires a parliamentary special majority.

It’s still an open murder case after a year.

The family of slain Japanese steelpan player Asami Nagakiya and officials of the Japanese Embassy in Port-of-Spain continue to live in hope that investigation into her murder a year ago will soon be closed.

“We hope this unfortunate incident will be solved in the near future,” said deputy head of the Japanese mission, Masatushi Soto yesterday.

“We also hope as Carnival 2017 approaches, Japanese nationals come for Carnival and stay and such a tragic incident will not occur again.”

The body of Nagakiya, 31, was found on Ash Wednesday last year under a tree in the Savannah on Queen’s Park West.

Clad in the yellow Legacy costume in which she’d played mas on Carnival Tuesday, the body bore lacerations to the head, arms and legs, suggesting a struggle. An autopsy showed that she had been strangled.

Forensic tests were done on bite marks on her lips and cheeks. Video footage from cameras in the area in and around where her body was found were checked.

Nagakiya’s body was taken back to Japan and cremated.

Her death was particularly mourned by many in the pan fraternity since she had played with several Woodbrook steelbands during her visits to T&T over seven years.

Soto said the embassy keeps in contact with the authorities on the matter but have received no information. He said he appreciates that the police may have constraints with human resources and technology but said Nagakiya’s family still holds out hope for a positive outcome.

Soto said about 30 to 40 Japanese nationals usually come for Carnival and he isn’t aware of any cancellations after Nagakiya’s death.

At the end of December, homicide detectives told the T&T Guardian that more than 25 people had been interviewed in connection with the case, including several people with alleged criminal backgrounds and people in Japan. Up until then, there were two persons of interest.

According to investigators, one of the very first interviewees—someone Nagakiya was seen with at a Woodford Street, Newtown building—was killed ten months after she died. They said the young man, dressed as woman, allegedly attempted to rob a Woodbrook businessplace last December and was shot.

Senior Supt (Homicide) Sacenarine Mahabir, who said the case is being pursued diligently, added: “Murder investigations are never closed. We call on members of the public who may have information on this matter, no matter how small they think it is, to contact us,”

Other senior homicide officers said the matter is being vigorously pursued but investigations have not produced “useful information”.

Marcus Ash, drill master at PCS SiIver Stars, the steelband Nagakiya last played in, said members are concerned about the lack of progress in the case.

“I feel really disappointed. She’s missed, especially now at Carnival time. This was her season, playing music. We feel her absence.”

Eight months after it caused an uproar over its decision to increase fees for its personal and business banking services, RBC Royal Bank announced yesterday that, effective March 27, it would be introducing a number of new fees and increasing some of its existing fees.

The Canadian-owned bank published a new personal banking schedule of fees and charges on its website. The new schedule includes an $8 deposit fee for what the bank describes as day-to-day banking, day-to-day savings, enhanced savings and student banking customers. The bank’s schedule does not make clear whether this new deposit fee includes ATM and salary deposits or if the fee pertains to only in-branch deposits.

Deposits by savers over 60 and those defined as young savers remain free, as do deposits made by VIP banking customers and those who enjoy RBC Royal’s no-limit banking.

Deposits in the bank’s high interest bearing eSavings accounts will now pay $14 to deposit.

According to the Central Bank’s comparative schedule of fees and charges as at June 30, 2016, RBC Royal Bank charged no fee on in-branch deposit transactions (teller) up to the middle of last year.

The bank also increased the monthly service charge on its day-to-day banking accounts to $25, which includes five free cheque transactions, but customers in this category will pay $3.50 per transaction thereafter. The Central Bank schedule indicated that the maintenance fee on savings accounts at RBC Royal Bank up to the middle of last year was $15 a month.

Young savers pay no monthly service charges for keeping their monies at RBC Royal Bank, while for those 60 and over there is no service charge if they maintain a balance of $15,000 or more.

RBC Royal Bank also increased from $7 to $8 the cost of in-branch withdrawals and other customer-generated debit transactions for many of its day-to-day customers. But this service remains free to its VIP customers, its 60 plus customers and its young savers.

Customers of the bank face a new cheque book distribution fee of $25 (if distributed by TTPost) and a fee of $30 if the bank holds their cheque books for more than 30 days.

The bank also alerted its customers that some of them will be required to pay a new fee of $4.50 a month for the processing of their account statements.

RBC Royal customers as well face a new international transaction charge of 0.25 per cent of the transaction amount on any foreign purchase made with their credit card. They are also likely to pay higher late payment and over-limit fees on their credit cards come March 27.

A high-level local private sector grouping yesterday called for the modernisation of the Industrial Relations Act (IRA). They say the current legislation is outdated as it was drafted and brought to Parliament in 1972.

Calling themselves the Joint Chamber Group, the heads of the Energy Chamber, the T&T Manufacturers Association, CEO of the T&T Chamber of Industry and Commerce, CEO of American Chamber of Commerce as well as chair of Aegis Business Solutions held a news conference after meeting with the members of their respective organisations.

Their collective position is that the IRA needs to be updated to be relevant for the 21st century.

Asked whether the group had met with anyone to discuss their concerns about the Act, Amcham’s Nirad Tewarie said they had met with the former administration as well as AmCham had engaged President of the Industrial Court, Deborah Thomas-Felix at an event that chamber hosted two weeks ago.

Asked whether the joint business chambers were against the collective bargaining process or trade unionism, they all agreed that they have consistently recognised the important role of trade unions and that trade unions were a valued partner in the day-to-day running of their business.

The leaders also denied that local companies are using the country’s economic downturn as an excuse to retrench workers.

Energy Chamber president Thackwray Driver said the statistics within the energy sector speak for itself and justify retrenchment by the companies that have seen their revenues and profits decline sharply. CEO of T&T Manufacturers’ Association Ramesh Ramdeen said his members would not lay off workers without having proper justification.

The news conference was held at the Arthur Lok Jack Graduate School of Business at Mt Hope.

Substantiating his point, Driver said the companies that provide services to the energy companies within the sector, have experienced a 30 per cent decline in prices. He added that there is a decline in the economy and it cannot be business as usual.

“The economy has undergone a major shock. Our gas production is down 24 per cent since 2010. The country is in a very difficult position and if we do not recognise that, we would not be looking at the reality of our economy. There would be structural transformation happening to our companies in that environment and it is inevitable.”

Ramdeen said no manufacturer would lay off any worker “unnecessarily.”

Rather, he said, manufacturers value their workers. He added that no manufacturer had ever announced that “they are going to prioritise” the retrenchment of any worker.

“I haven’t heard of any manufacturer closing their operations and sending home people at this point in time. They are working with the labourers. They are working with the unions to ensure that they create a sustainable environment so that all parties can come out of this economic downturn in the best possible way.”