Dr Clement Malau

ESP commits to enhance transparency

Provincial Administrator Dr Clement Malau said as the chief public servant, good governance is top of the agenda for his administration.

Since taking office in May of 2018, Dr Clement Malau made a commitment to focus on ensuring good governance and enhancing an evidence-based practice in the administration.

As the Chief Public Servant of the province, he hopes to live up to the expectations of the East Sepik people.

Dr Malau appointed as ESP administrator

The National Executive Council made the decision on Tuesday.

Dr Malau took over from the acting Administrator Richard Kombo.

Dr Malau’s credentials include being PNG’s Health Secretary from 2007 to 2011, working with the World Health Organization in Fiji, Professor and Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at Divine Word University and his role in helping to strengthen health systems in Timor Leste.

Why Dr Malau raised his hand for PA post

“I was motivated to support a leader like Governor Allan Bird in his aspirations to make a difference for the people of the East Sepik Province and be an example to the rest of PNG,” says Dr Malau.  

He says he is capable of taking up the provincial administrator’s position despite a background in health due to his credentials with Harvard University.

“Harvard public health taught me the values of humanity: Fairness, justice, equality, and using evidence for decision making in public health practice.

ESP leaders angered by rejection

This has angered East Sepik Governor Allan Bird and 22 other leaders in the province, who had voted unanimously for Dr Malau to take up the provincial administrator’s post.

Speaking to the media on Friday, Governor Bird said his administration had gone through the correct process to nominate Dr Malau.

“I believe the members of the NEC were misled, the first thing they were told is that candidate we chose was not a Papua New Guinean citizen,” says the Governor.