Khmer Times, the award-winning and leading newspaper of Cambodia, has established the Man of the Year recognition to acknowledge persons or entities who have depicted excellence in leadership, integrity, and determination in order to initiate positive changes for Cambodia, moving the country step-by-step toward a prosperous future.
This year, we believe that no one deserves this inaugural honour more than Prime Minister Hun Manet, whose visionary leadership, dedication, and strength of will have led to economic furtherance, political stability, and, most importantly, better well-being of the people amid the tensions and challenges in the contemporary global context.
In a 1994 letter, sealed with the red word “CONFIDENTIAL”, then Cadet Hun Manet, who was training at the famous West Point Military Academy of the US, expressed to his father, then-Prime Minister Hun Sen, his intention to excel in both economics and politics.
Later, in 2009, Mr Hun Manet was awarded a PhD in economics from the University of Bristol, United Kingdom. Meanwhile, the desire to pursue a political career was fulfilled when King Norodom Sihamoni officially appointed Mr Hun Manet as the new Premier of Cambodia, succeeding Mr Hun Sen, who had held the position for nearly four decades, after the CPP claimed the majority of seats in the National Assembly in the July 2023 General Election.
He officially assumed office on August 22, 2023, as the 33rd Prime Minister of Cambodia and probably the most highly educated man to have held the position. Yet, as the young Premier revealed, leading the executive power requires more than just academic success. Despite being the son of a prime minister who led Cambodia for 38 years, Mr Hun Manet has admitted that the job is challenging.
“I have lost so many nights of sleep dealing with tough problems and issues,” he said. “I just understood what my father had been through.”
In the meantime, the time Mr Hun Manet came in was already considered one of the most chaotic in human history: the global economic recession, geopolitical tensions between superpowers, and conflicts between armed groups. However, despite this, the Premier has shown remarkable results, leading to a number of milestones for the Kingdom, as witnessed by the year 2024. Although Cambodia was still recovering from the economic repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic at the time, Mr Hun Manet, just one month after entering office, announced his government’s commitment to transform Cambodia into a high-income country by 2050.
“Like many developing countries, Cambodia has much more to do to reach our goal of becoming an upper-middle-income country by 2030 and a resilient, vibrant, and prosperous high-income country by 2050,” he said at the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.
“My government is committed to taking transformative actions through our recently launched Pentagonal Strategy for Cambodia’s socio-economic development over the next 25 years.”
Mr Hun Manet’s actions throughout 2024 have shown that the West Point graduate is keen on keeping his word. Under his leadership, the Cambodian government has projected an economic growth rate of around 6%, largely fuelled by a diversified export portfolio that includes garments, electronics, and agriculture.
Notably, exports surged in early 2024, underscoring the effectiveness of the government’s strategic trade policies. At the core of those strategies are the key components that Mr Hun Manet embraces, including tax incentives to domestic producers and exporters, the expansion of the market for local products, and the execution of free, bilateral, regional, and multilateral free trade agreements.
Mr Hun Manet himself has led both the “young blood” and veterans in the Council of Ministers in a noble mission of drawing foreign investment into Cambodia, understanding that what the country desires at the moment is capital and labour opportunity for its young population. This goal has always been a priority on the agenda when the Premier and his senior officials went on official state visits and attended bilateral meetings on the sidelines of major intergovernmental gatherings.
As a result, many corporations showed interest in building ventures in Cambodia, which remains the most open and liberal country in Southeast Asia. For example, five car companies – HGB Motors Assembly, EM Automotive, GTV Motor, Toyota, and China Matrix Technology – are structuring their production in preparation for opening their assembly plants in Cambodia. Giant Chinese electric car manufacturer BYD plans to build an assembly plant in Cambodia with a production capacity of 20,000 cars per year to supply both the domestic and international markets.
In addition, Mr Hun Manet has introduced two high-level initiatives this year to support businesses: a policy advisory committee to ensure competitiveness and a private sector dispute resolution commission to solve issues quickly. His administration has also added ‘technology’ as the new component for the Pentagonal Strategy-Phase I to diversify and modernise the country’s skill- and knowledge-based industries.
Economic development, nonetheless, has not taken away all attention from Mr Hun Manet. Over the past year, the head of the government, despite his youth, has pioneered reforms in numerous sectors. The execution of the Pentagonal Strategy–Phase I, Public Administration Reform, Youth Engagement and Talent Development, and the construction of mega infrastructure projects are some examples of how Mr Hun Manet has championed and positively impacted the nation.
His no-nonsense law enforcement, meanwhile, also led to the demotions, dismissals, and penalties of many corrupt officials. He was also the first to call for justice and a solution for the people when some of them suffered from unfairness and maltreatment.
When it comes to diplomacy, Mr Hun Manet has also been recognised for his initiatives to expand international partnerships and cooperation based upon the concept of Cambodia being a ‘neutral country’ and the respect for international laws. Under his leadership, Cambodia has seen an increase in strategic partners and allies in both the West and the East and was even trusted to host international events such as the Siem Reap-Angkor Summit on a Mine-Free World and the upcoming 2025 Francophonie Summit.
Ambassadors designated to the Kingdom have praised the Cambodian Premier during their interviews with Khmer Times for his strong commitment and willingness to improve Cambodia’s ties with their respective nations.
As all of this happens, Mr Hun Manet still finds time to engage in other activities that benefit Cambodia and the people. He ran in the Angkor Half-Marathon 2024 to promote health awareness among the people, went undercover in Siem Reap to find out about the tourist industry, and even went on a boat to see the people making prahok (fermented fish paste) in the Tonle Sap Lake. By doing so, he shows that being a people’s leader is more than just sitting in the office; you must meet them yourself.
Khmer Times takes immense pride in bestowing Prime Minister Hun Manet with the inaugural title of our MAN OF THE YEAR, recognising his transformative leadership, dedication to advancing Cambodia’s economic and social development, and his unwavering commitment to transparency, modernisation, and inclusivity in governance.
This honour reflects his pivotal role in shaping a progressive future for the nation, inspiring both the Cambodian people and the global community.
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