Idris Jala | |
|---|---|
 Idris Jala at the World Economic Forum on East Asia in 2012. | |
| Ministerial roles | |
| 2009–2015 | Minister in the Prime Minister's Department |
| Faction represented in Dewan Negara | |
| 2009–2015 | Independent |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 21 August 1958 |
| Citizenship | Malaysian |
| Party | Independent |
| Spouse | Pang Ngan Yue |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater | Universiti Sains Malaysia Warwick University |
| Website | idrisjala.my |
Idris Jala (born 21 August 1958) is a Malaysian politician and technocrat. He served as the Minister in the Prime Minister's Department and as the chief executive officer of the Performance Management and Delivery Unit (Pemandu) from 2009 until 2015, the unit tasked with spearheading Malaysia's transition towards high income status by 2020. He was also a Senator in the Dewan Negara from 2009 till 2015. At present, he is the President and CEO of PEMANDU Associates, a global consultancy firm focused on public sector transformation and business turnaround.[1]
Career
[edit]Prior to his government work, Jala used to work for Shell. In 2005, the Malaysian government elected him as CEO of Malaysia Airlines due to massive losses of the company.[2] In February 2006, he announced the airline's business turnaround plan from a 9-month loss of US$400 million in 2005 to achieving a record profit of US$260 million in 2007.[3] He served until August 2009 after successfully turning around MAS and was awarded the CAPA Airline Turnaround of the Year (2006).[2] He was also voted as a Governor on the Board of IATA (International Air Transport Association) in 2006.
Cabinet minister
[edit]In September 2009, Jala was sworn in as a Minister in the Prime Minister's Department. Jala was appointed minister without portfolio in the Prime Minister's Department and chief executive officer of the Performance Management and Delivery Unit (Pemandu). As CEO of the Performance Management and Delivery Unit (Pemandu), the unit monitoring the implementation of the Key Performance Indicator (KPI) initiative, he assisted and reported to Koh Tsu Koon, the minister in the Prime Minister's Department who is responsible for national unity and performance management.[4] Jala was the first Orang Ulu to be appointed as a federal cabinet minister.[5]
Personal life
[edit]Jala was born and brought up in Bario located in the Kelabit Highlands region of Sarawak's northern Miri Division, but owns residences in the state capital of Kuching (where his immediate family resides), the second-largest city of Miri (since his extended family and relatives on both sides from the Kelabit Higlands reside for residential domicile purposes) as well as the national capital of Kuala Lumpur, for where he resides with his own wife and children as a result of his corporate and political career.[6] He is the third child out of four children born to Henry Jala Temalai (1931–2016) and Lapu Sakai Midang Aren (1936–2023), for he has an elder brother named Rubin (born 1954), followed by an elder sister, Datin Garnette Jala-Ridu (born 1956), the spouse of former Sarawak State Legislative Assembly speaker of Bidayuh descent, Dato Robert Jacob Ridu (born 1949), then followed by a younger sister, Elizabeth Jala-Bato (born 1964).[7] His father, who was a former Kelabit Highland pemanca (tribal chief) cum retired schoolteacher since 1989, died on 22 March 2016, aged 85, whilst his mother, Lapu Sakai died in September 2023, aged 87 after outliving her husband for seven years.[8]
Jala is a Kelabit from Sarawak and is a Christian belonging to the Sidang Injil Borneo denomination of Protestantism.[9] He is married to Pang Ngan Yue and has two sons.[6] He is one of the few non-Malay non-Muslims to have been appointed to head a GLC.[10] Since March 2024, Jala and his son, Leon holds a weekly podcast called The Game of Impossible.[11]
Honours
[edit]Honours of Malaysia
[edit]
Malaysia
Commander of the Order of Meritorious Service (PJN) – Datuk (2007)[12]
Pahang
Knight Grand Companion of the Order of Sultan Ahmad Shah of Pahang (SSAP) – Dato' Sri (2007)[13]
Sarawak
Commander of the Order of the Star of Hornbill Sarawak (PGBK) – Datuk (2007)
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References
[edit]- ^ "About Us – PEMANDU Associates". pemandu.org. Retrieved 10 August 2019.
- ^ a b "Executive Profile Idris Jala". Bloomberg Business. 19 September 2015.
- ^ Alex Dichter; Fredrik Lind; Seelan Singham (November 2008). "Turning around a struggling airline: An interview with the CEO of Malaysia Airlines". McKinsey & Company.
- ^ "Idris Jala sworn in as minister". Archived from the original on 5 September 2009. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
- ^ "Jala makes good in long, treacherous journey". The Edge Malaysia. 2 September 2009. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
- ^ a b Sheela Vijayan (3 October 2024). "Idris Jala: from the jungles of Sarawak to the halls of power". Free Malaysia Today. Retrieved 3 April 2025.
- ^ "Prominent Kelabit". The Star Online. 16 November 2005. Retrieved 3 April 2020.
- ^ "Ex-Pemanca Henry Jala Temalai dies". The Borneo Post. 24 March 2016. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
- ^ "The Journey Continues". IdrisJala.My. Archived from the original on 1 October 2015. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
- ^ "Asia Sentinel - In Malaysia, Signs of Government Reform". Archived from the original on 22 January 2013. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
- ^ Sheela Vijayan (9 October 2024). "Dad and son's podcast keeps Kelabit storytelling culture alive". Free Malaysia Today. Retrieved 27 April 2025.
- ^ "Yang Di-Pertuan Agong's birthday honours list". The Star Online. 2 June 2007. Archived from the original on 4 October 2020. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
- ^ "Sultan of Pahang's 77th birthday honours list". The Star Online. 24 October 2007. Archived from the original on 3 April 2019. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
External links
[edit]
- Official website (archived)
