Malau tells: I’m a permanent resident, not Aust citizen

National

Former health secretary Dr Clement Malau says he is not an Australian citizen but a permanent resident, following his job at the Melbourne-based Burnet Institute from 2003 to 2007.
He said this to clarify matters following discussions on social media regarding the appointment of the administrator of East Sepik.
It is understood that Malau’s citizenship was one of the reasons his name was dropped from a shortlist of candidates for the administrator’s position last week by the National Executive Council.
“I believe I owe it to you my friends, an explanation of who I am,” he wrote on his Facebook page.
“I now realise that not all of you know me as a person.
“It is my belief that my aspirations in life and who I am, motivated me to submit my expression of interest for the job of the East Sepik administrator.
“I have been transparent with my beliefs and aspirations in life as expressed on my Facebook page.
“I became an Australian permanent resident (not a citizen) because of my permanent job at the Burnet Institute based in Melbourne from 2003 to 2007.
“I was appointed Secretary for Health from 2007 to 2011.
“The contract expired in 2011, although there was an opportunity to extend for one more term.
“As Secretary for Health, I led a team of Papua New Guineans that developed one of the best national plans in our region.
“The plan focuses on service delivery with a back-to-basics approach.
“It is aligned to the Government’s Vision 2050, the millennium development goals and is in compliant with the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) and the World Bank’s standards for health systems development.
“Sadly, for reasons beyond my control it was not possible for me to oversee the implementation of the National Health Plan 2011 – 2020.
“In 2014, I returned to PNG, leaving my permanent job with the World Health Organisation in Fiji.”
Malau said the main reason for leaving the WHO job was the opportunity to start a second medical school for the country.
“The creation of a new medical school would create competition which would enable the production of quality doctors that would lead the health team that would ensure quality health service delivery to the majority of Papua New Guineans.
“Sadly, I was diagnosed of a treatable condition for which I applied for six months’ sick leave.
“My application was rejected and I was asked to resign. I resigned at the end of 2015. This is the reason I had left my job as professor and dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at the Divine World University (Madang). I am now fit and well, cleared of the medical condition as noted in my medical examination presented to the public service for the screening of my application for the job of provincial administrator.
“I refuse to justify to anyone who wish to question the reasons for my expression of interest for the job of provincial administrator. My conscience is clear. Improvement in services to the people has been a focus of my work, including my international work with the Secretariat of the Pacific Community in Noumea and in East Timor.
“This was my motivation to support East Sepik Governor Allan Bird in his aspirations to make a difference for the people of East Sepik.”