"Whole country on RANSOM if I stood my ground!" - Idris Jala (Chairman, PEMANDU)

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Growing up, Dato Sri Idris Jala had one goal in life: To be the top of his class.

So asked his dad, a teacher, for advice.

His dad replied, “Very simple, son. Find out who’s currently No. 1, be his or her best friend, and do exactly what he does but put it to the power of 10.”

And so Idris Jala did just that. 😂

And mind you, he had a childhood unlike any other.

His father was the chieftain of Sarawak’s Kelabit tribe (a former headhunting community) and when Idris misbehaved, he was thrown into the pigsty!

But it all turned out well.

Because he then went on to become the CEO of Malaysia Airlines, Managing Director of Shell Sri Lanka and Senator & Minister in the Malaysian Prime Minister’s Office, and is currently the Chairman of PEMANDU.


In Part 1 of this So This Is My Why feature, we delve into his tribal origins, how becoming top of his class was a matter of life and death, and his journey to becoming the Managing Director in Shell Sri Lanka - still his toughest gig to date.

And one that offers a masterclass in navigating complex stakeholder relationships amidst a crisis that, as he shares, Shell had no prior handbook for!

Some highlights:
🔸 Surviving ghostly encounters & treacherous rapids in the Borneo Highlands
🔸 His spiritual awakening as part of the Bario Revival
🔸 Why education was a matter of life and death
🔸 The concept of “ketuit” (which is kelabit for ‘kiasu’ or being very competitive)
🔸 Why his cocky job application letters that began with the words, “I’m the word you’re looking for” were successful - twice!
🔸 His experience in Sri Lanka - involving bombs being planted at his depot, kidnapping, a major labour strike & a sniper who threatened to kill him!

Want to learn more?

You’ll just have to tune in.

Highlights:
0:00 Introduction
2.41: Art of storytelling
4:34 Dad threw me into the pigsty!
5:26 Being made to sleep on the floor
6:54 ‘Ketuit’ and learning what it means to be a leader from his dad
7:34 What does ‘winning’ mean?
8:20 To be the best in class, find out who’s currently the No 1 and be his best friend.
9:58 Becoming a lawyer
17:12 Spiritual revival in Bario
24:56 How the revival impacted his life
29:00 Life is unfair
31:48 The ‘magic’ in his cocky letters
33:54 I want a free flight home!
41:18 The most important part of education is…
46:54 Being appointed as Managing Director of Shell Sri Lanka after 27 years of continuous losses
48:40 Truly a game of the impossible
51:40 Every big decision, I make together with my wife
53:56 Never make the position become you

🎙️Show notes/transcript for this episode: https://www.sothisismywhy.com/148

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WHO AM I:

I'm Ling Yah, ex-lawyer turned LinkedIn personal brand strategist & host/producer of the So This Is My Why, where I interview inspiring people about how they found their why, and their blueprint for turning that why into a reality.

I’ve interviewed Olympians, Michelin-starred chefs, top entrepreneurs, VC founders, Hollywood actresses, and more.

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⌨️ I’d love to hear from you! Just leave a comment below or email me at sothisismywhy (at) gmail (dot) com