Idris Jala
Idris Jala | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 21, 1958 Bario, Sarawak, Malaysia |
| Occupation(s) | Technocrat, businessman, politician |
| Years active | 1982–present |
| Known for | CEO of Pemandu; Minister in the Prime Minister's Department; CEO of Malaysia Airlines |
Idris Jala (born 21 August 1958) is a Malaysian technocrat who held the position of Minister in the Prime Minister's Department and served as CEO of the Performance Management and Delivery Unit (Pemandu) from 2009 until 2015. Pemandu was tasked with steering Malaysia towards achieving high-income nation status by 2020. During this tenure, he also acted as a Senator in the Dewan Negara. Presently, he leads PEMANDU Associates as President and CEO, a global consultancy focused on public sector transformation and corporate turnarounds.
Career
Idris is widely acknowledged for his proficiency in driving corporate transformations through his Big Fast Results approach, which fosters enduring socioeconomic progress. In 2014, Bloomberg ranked him among the world’s top 10 most impactful policymakers.
He established and currently chairs The Global Transformation Forum (GTF), an international platform where leaders share strategies and insights on effective transformation initiatives.
Prior to his government appointments, Idris spent 23 years at Shell, occupying senior roles such as Vice President of Shell Retail International and Business Development Consultancy in the United Kingdom. He successfully led turnaround efforts as CEO of Shell Middle Distillates (SMDS) Bintulu and Shell Sri Lanka.
In 2005, he was appointed by the Malaysian government as CEO of Malaysia Airlines during a period of considerable financial losses. By 2007, he had transformed a nine-month deficit of US$400 million into a historic profit of US$260 million. He remained in this role until August 2009 and earned the CAPA Airline Turnaround of the Year award in 2006. That same year, he was elected Governor on the Board of IATA (International Air Transport Association).
Cabinet minister
In September 2009, Idris Jala was sworn in as a Minister in the Prime Minister's Department without portfolio and took on the role of CEO at Pemandu. His responsibilities included overseeing the rollout of the Key Performance Indicator (KPI) framework, reporting directly to Koh Tsu Koon, who was then Minister in charge of national unity and performance management. He holds the distinction of being the first Orang Ulu to serve as a federal cabinet minister.
Personal life
Born and raised in Bario, Sarawak, Idris Jala is the third child among four siblings of Henry Jala Temalai and Lapu Sakai. He belongs to the Kelabit community and practices Christianity. He is married to Pang Ngan Yue and has two sons. His father, who served as a Kelabit Highland Pemanca, passed away in March 2016 at age 84.
Significantly, Idris is one of the few non-Malay non-Muslims appointed to lead a government-linked company (GLC). Since March 2024, he and his son Leon have co-hosted a weekly podcast titled The Game of Impossible, which celebrates Kelabit storytelling traditions.
Honours of Malaysia
- :
- Commander of the Order of Meritorious Service (PJN) – Datuk (2007)
- :
- Grand Knight of the Order of Sultan Ahmad Shah of Pahang (SSAP) – Dato' Sri (2007)
- :
- Commander of the Order of the Star of Hornbill Sarawak (PGBK) – Datuk (2007)
External links
- (archived)
- Pages with script errors
- Articles with short description
- Articles with hCards
- No local image but image on Wikidata
- 1958 births
- Living people
- People from Sarawak
- Kelabit people
- Malaysian Christians
- Malaysian businesspeople
- Malaysian bankers
- Malaysian chairpersons of corporations
- Malaysian chief executives
- Sarawak politicians
- Government ministers of Malaysia
- Members of the Dewan Negara
- Alumni of the University of Warwick
- Commanders of the Order of Meritorious Service
- Commanders of the Order of the Star of Hornbill Sarawak
- 21st-century Malaysian businesspeople
- 21st-century Malaysian politicians