The Performance Management and Delivery Unit (Pemandu) was not privatised, but was dis-established on March 1, 2017, says former Pemandu president and chief executive officer (CEO) Idris Jala.

Idris, who is currently the president and CEO of Pemandu Associates Sdn Bhd, said many had thought that the government had privatised Pemandu.

"Many thought that we had privatised Pemandu, but no, we had never privatised Pemandu but it had been disestablished on March 1 this year, and passed the baton to the Civil Service Delivery Unit (CSDU) under the Economic Planning Unit," he said.

He was speaking to reporters after launching the Malaysia Development Experience Series of Knowledge and Research Report, together with the chief secretary to the government, Ali Hamsa, in Kuala Lumpur today.

Pemandu is a unit set up in 2009 under the Prime Minister's Department with the task of developing the National Transformation Programme and coordinating its implementation.

On Pemandu Associates, Idris said it was a pure private consulting firm established by the Pemandu management and staff.

"The consulting firm will provide consulting works to the government, and currently, we are assisting Tanzania, Oman and India's Andhra Pradesh governments," he said.

He said as of February this year, 45 Pemandu Associates staff were deployed to assist CSDU to ensure a smooth transition work over the next two years.

"This number will be reduced to 30 in 2018 and Pemandu will completely disestablished by the end of February 2019," he said.

- Bernama