Smith’s attack on Sia absurd

DURING the handover of the Eastern Highlands go­vernor’s office, Malcolm Kela-Smith publicly deli­vered a scathing attack on businessman and philanthropist Simon Sia, with regard to the ownership of Bintangor Trading and the Goroka Lahanis team.
Smith told the crowd that Sia does not own the Lahanis through his company, Bintangor Trading.
Such comments are not only false and misleading, but absurd, childish and a personal attack.
For starters, Sia has al­ways maintained that al­though he is the major sponsor of the Lahanis, the team belonged to the EHP people.
He has invited business houses, local businessmen and women, even politicians to be part of Lahanis by financially supporting the team.
Only a handful came forward while the rest, inclu­ding Smith, never even wanted to be linked with the Lahanis.
Both Smith and Sia are businessmen based in EHP but there are huge diffe­rences between them.
Smith, through his Pa­cific Group of Companies, own subsidiaries such as Pacific Helicopters, Paci­fic Properties, Boser Security Services, Jais Aben Resort, Airlink and many more.
He came to Goroka before independence and how he acquired these assets is public knowledge.
Sia came to Goroka in the early 1990s and only last year, acquired full ownership of Asia Pacific Investments (API), the parent company of Bintangor Trading, the major sponsor and franchiseowner of the Lahanis.
API only conducts merchandising business in Kainantu and Goroka, including the Mandarin Restaurant.
Smith makes millions every week while Sia makes a meagre thousands a week, and yet in the past six years, Sia has unselfishly spent a minimum of K1 million annually on the Lahanis alone.
This does not even include what Sia has contributed to the Goroka and EHP School Boys Rugby League or other sports within the province.
Even as the governor, Smith has never assisted the Lahanis. Of the K350,000 the provincial administration committed last year, the team only received K150,000.
A cheque for the balance of K200,000 was released in May but was never given to the Lahanis board headed by Sia.
For the record, the Lahanis’ players are the highest paid players in the history of the semi-professional competition since Sia came onboard.
Sia will continue to dish out his hard-earned money on the team and other cha­ritable work in the pro­vince.
The last thing he expects is for someone of Smith’s calibre to stoop that low, throwing such personal remarks.
I wish to humbly ask whether Smith is interested in taking over the Lahanis from Sia and run it for the next six years.
Smith’s companies have made millions and it would only be proper to reciprocate to the people, but I doubt so.
Therefore, I urge Smith not to paint negative pictures of Sia with innuendos and false, misleading criticisms.
Instead, respect Sia for he is fast becoming a household name in the province.

Mark Roy Dunkin
Asaro, EHP