AGE: 61
OCCUPATION: Malaysian politician
PREVIOUS APPEARANCES ON THE TIME 100: 1
PRO: The former Deputy Prime Minister — who spent years in solitary confinement on dubious charges — hopes to peacefully overthrow a government he sees as weak and corrupt. Last fall his opposition party took control of the Malaysian Parliament — a major first step.
CON: He's currently facing sodomy charges, an unwelcome distraction.