“From my perspective, this is a loss for American Samoa; however, it is good news for CNMI and CUC,” said Alan W. Fletcher, CUC deputy executive director.
Malae was off-island and had yet to issue a statement whether he would pursue his plan to resign from CUC this March.
Fletcher said that he heard the news about Malae’s decision not to run for governor yesterday.
“I am sure this was a difficult decision for Mr. Malae,” he said.
According to a Radio New Zealand International news report, Malae said he has withdrawn his candidacy because he needs to continue to give CUC his undivided attention.
He said his departure from CUC would have a negative impact on the people and government of the CNMI.
Fletcher said Malae is a strong and accomplished leader who has worked tirelessly in the past two years to move CUC forward toward becoming the best utility in the Pacific.
“There has been a lot accomplishments, but there is also a lot more work to do,” he said.
He added that Malae’s leadership is a key component to building a well-run sustainable utility for the people of the CNMI.
“As you can tell, I am excited with his decision and look forward to continuing CUC’s pursuit of excellence with Mr. Malae’s leadership,” he said.
