Mahathir Mohamad: Asian Tiger

Loved and loathed but rarely ignored, Malaysia`s Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has stepped down after 22 years in power, leaving a complex legacy. He is seen by some in the West as a Muslim bigot, but for 22 years he has run a moderate multi-racial, multi-religious country.
In Picture: Mahathir Mohamad (L) walks past his successor Abdullah Ahmad Badawi at the National Malays National Organisation (UMNO) Ramadan dinner in Kuala Lumpur, 30 October 2003. AFP