Idris Jala

Who is Idris Jala?

Dato' Sri Idris Jala, who is from the Kelabit ancestry, is the current Minister without Portfolio in the Prime Minister's Department and chief executive officer of the Performance Management and Delivery Unit. He is a Senator in the Dewan Negara, upper house of parliament.

Before that, Idris used to work for Shell. In 2005, the Malaysian government elected him as CEO of Malaysia Airlines due to massive losses of the company. In February 2006, he announced the airline's business turnaround plan from a 9-month loss of USD400 million in 2005 to achieving a record profit of USD260 million in 2007 until September 2009.

In May 2008, Idris appeared on national television announcing the airline's first ever 'zero fare' for domestic and a selection of international flights, a move that raised his spat between him and AirAsia’s boss, Datuk Seri Tony Fernandes to a new level.

Idris Jala is a Kelabit from Sarawak and is a Christian. He is one of non-Malay non-Muslims to have been appointed to head a GLC.