PHNOM PENH: The day after Dr. Hun Manet was appointed by the King as the next prime minister of Cambodia on August 7, he was given a new honorific by the monarch as well: "Kitti Tesapibal bandit,” or Honorary Governor Doctorate, of the Royal Academy of Cambodia.

 As a doctor, Hun Manet is a member of the Royal Academy and is now the only one to carry the distinct title of "Kitti Tesapibal Bandit,” which refers to a person with deep knowledge and wisdom who leads his administration to keep the country prosperous. The request for the new title was submitted to the king by Dr. Hun Manet’s father, current Prime Minister Hun Sen. The king granted the request and asked that official government documents carry the new honorific moving forward.

Dr. Hun Manet will officially become prime minister on the evening of August 22, 2023. On that day, Prime Minister Hun Sen will resign the position he has held closely for 38 years. PM Hun Sen will remain a key figure in Cambodian politics, however, as the President of the Supreme Council of the King and President of the Senate in 2024. He has stated his intention to extend his political career to at least half a century and already prides himself on being the longest-serving prime minister in the world.