People of the Year

The year 2009 is coming to an end and many newspapers, magazines and online resources usually name the most influential people of the year. This year, since not only is it the end of the year, but also the end of a decade and the beginning of a new one, the roll of honour for people of the decade is also given.

However given that I got involved in worldly affairs lately, it would be unfair to name the people of the decade for me as I do not know much about the earlier half of the first decade of the 21st century. This list that I have over year lists the three most influential people that have left their mark in my wake.

They are people whom I may recognise as potential role-models, and they come in all shape and sizes. The scope is pretty wide – from sports to politics to entrepreneurship. So, read on and see my list and feel free to leave comments on who you think is YOUR person/people of the year. The list is in no particular order.

Usain Bolt

People have probably run out of superlatives to describe the utter phenomenalism of the greatest sprinter that the world has seen throughout eternity. Many, including me, ask, “How much faster can he go?”. The answer to that question, I am afraid, no one knows – not even Bolt. Only God knows.

In the Beijing Olympics, he made a mockery of his competitors, coolly strolling over the finishing line. In this year’s World Championships, he ran a more serious race to be the first human to run under 9.6 seconds, but it is apparent that he still has more in store. His archrivals, namely Asafa Powell and Tyson Gay, seem not to have an answer to his exploits.

His super-stardom has made him the role-model to children all over the world. His laid back attitude, on the other hand, is the envy of many. Due to his fame, he has become the face of Jamaica, an impoverished country located in the Caribbean, and in the process boosting their tourism revenue.

Most importantly, he is not a drug cheat, unlike many of his predecessors who were simply sublime on track but were later acquitted of drug abuse. In the end, they were inducted into the hall of shame, whilst Bolt here will remain etched within the hearts of many long after retirement for the great athlete he was.

Mir Hossein Mousavi

I know this is a controversial choice, but in case you hadn’t known, Mir Hossein Mousavi is the man who is attempting to bring reform to the political landscape in Iran. I had never heard of this man till the Iranian elections this year, and seeing him making headlines for bravery and courage has given me a lot of inspiration.

A few months ago, he contested in the Presidential elections. Widespread reports from neutral bodies say that he had actually won, but those in power ceased to relinquish their hold. Knowing that he was the clear winner and was robbed of victory, Mousavi has gone from strength to strength to rally supporters for mass demonstrations to support his cause for reform.

His movement, The Green Path of Hope, seeks to continue protests against the present Iranian leadership following constitutional and peaceful methods. He has gathered like-minded reformists to join his cause, and it is apparent that the Iranian authorities are under pressure following his success in garnering support from the masses.

Recently, it was purported that his office was surrounded by government-aligned ‘gangsters’ that wanted to serve him a warning, and his family was harmed too. To have a man to live by his principles and stand up for the truth amid facing a hard-line, iron-fisted authoritive government, knowing that his life and that of those that he loves is constantly in danger is extremely incredible.

Tony Fernandes

No – he is not in this list because he is a fellow Malaysian. He is here because he deserves it. Well, it isn’t exactly that this has been his best year in terms of developing his business but his budget airline, AirAsia, has surpassed MAS as the most profitable airline in Malaysia.

His great vision in developing the AirAsia brand has resulted in AirAsia being the runaway leader for budget airlines in the lucrative Asia Pacific region. They have scooped numerous awards too this year. But the highlight that epitomises his reputation as one of the greatest entrepreneur the world has seen is that he has brought back the Lotus name to the Formula One grid.

He was the brainchild of the move, and it received rave reviews from Bernie Ecclestone and the Prime Minister of Malaysia among others. Besides that, there have been rumours from the grapevine that he is preparing to launch a bid for West Ham United, an English Premier League club. That would be totally amazing.

So, in terms of branching out and spreading their wings, Tony Fernandes has brought the AirAsia brand to the attention of the whole world. The witty, quick thinking CEO has got more to offer. Perhaps, in the next few years, we would see him gaining further international recognition, and who knows, powering AirAsia to be the leading airline worldwide.