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ASIAWEEK Power 50 1999 > rankings > No. 39-44
 
 
 
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TO OUR READERS: Power in the Making (of a Special Issue)
THE GENERALS OF REFORM: The reformers call the shots

NO. 1: Two leading the charge for change
RANKING: Our annual listing of Asia's power players

KINGS: Above it all, the monarchs of Thailand and Cambodia
DOWN AND OUT: Who was taken off the list and why
CLOUT: The best and worst power movers in 1999
UP-AND-COMERS: The ones to watch in coming years
 

Manuel Pangilinan
39


PRESIDENT AND CEO, PHILIPPINE LONG DISTANCE TELEPHONE CO.; EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN, FIRST PACIFIC CO.
BORN July 14, 1948, in Manila, Philippines
EDUCATION Ateneo de Manila University; The Wharton School, U.S.
E-MAIL ADDRESS mvpangilinan@pldt.com.ph
FAMILY Single
QUOTE "Man's reach must exceed his grasp."
POWER POINTS The Philippines' undisputed telecom king. Has interests in regional banking, property and telecommunications through Hong Kong-based First Pacific.


Atal Behari Vajpayee
40


CARETAKER PRIME MINISTER, INDIA
BORN Dec. 25, 1926, in Gwalior, India
EDUCATION University of Kanpur, India
HOBBIES Writing poetry, taking walks, eating Chinese food
FAMILY Single; two adopted children
E-MAIL ADDRESS pmosb@pmo.nic.in
POWER POINTS Tamed party hardliners, put economic reforms back on track, and engaged in "bus diplomacy" with Pakistan. But his coalition government was toppled by a short-lived opposition alliance in April.

Tung Chee-hwa
41


CHIEF EXECUTIVE, HONG KONG
BORN May 29, 1937, in Shanghai, China
EDUCATION University of Liverpool, England
FAMILY Married; two sons, one daughter
E-MAIL ADDRESS ceo@ceo.gcn.gov.hk
POWER POINTS Too conservative for liberal politicians and too indecisive for business leaders, Tung continues to take the flak for Hong Kong's woes. Critics charged favoritism when publisher Sally Aw, a family friend and former business ally, escaped prosecution in a circulation scam and when the government tendered land to the son of tycoon (and close friend) Li Ka-shing for a technology project.

Sheikh Hasina Wajed
42


PRIME MINISTER, BANGLADESH
BORN Sept. 28, 1947, in Tungipara, East Pakistan
EDUCATION University of Dhaka
FAMILY Married; one son, one daughter
POWER POINTS Her third year in office saw the conviction of 15 men involved in the 1975 assassination of her father, Bangladesh's founding PM Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. In April, she received a peace prize from UNESCO for her successful resolution of a 20-year separatist insurgency. Oversees a stable political situation, but her government has been dogged by allegations of corruption and nepotism.

Chandrika Kumaratunga
43


PRESIDENT, SRI LANKA
BORN June 29, 1945, in Colombo, Sri Lanka
EDUCATION University of Paris. Speaks French
HOBBIES Reading, swimming
FAMILY Widowed; two children
POWER POINTS Remains a popular figure, even if her overall approval rating has slipped somewhat. Opinion polls indicate she is the most trusted of all the political leaders in the country. The army has made further gains in the war against Tamil Tiger rebels, and the intensity of the conflict appears to have lessened in recent months. The economy is ticking along with growth rates averaging about 5%, but the central-bank governor has called for spending cuts and tax increases, criticizing the government for "living beyond its means."

Lee Kun Hee
44


CHAIRMAN, SAMSUNG GROUP
BORN Jan. 9, 1942, in Taegu, Korea
EDUCATION Waseda University, Tokyo; George Washington University, U.S.
FAMILY Married; one son, three daughters
QUOTE "You should change everything except your wife and family."
POWER POINTS Not the best year for South Korea's giant business groups, but Lee has shown himself to be more committed to reform and restructuring than most chaebol heads.

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