NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday to a ceremonial red-carpet welcome, marking the start of a high-profile visit aimed at imparting fresh momentum to India–Malaysia relations.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim received PM Modi at the airport, underscoring the importance Kuala Lumpur attaches to ties with New Delhi amid expanding strategic, economic and cultural engagement.
PM Modi was accorded a traditional reception, with artistes performing music and dance reflecting the shared cultural heritage of the two countries.
Malaysian Minister of Human Resources Ramanan Ramakrishnan and Deputy Foreign Minister Lukanisman bin Awang Sauni were also present.
Malaysia, with a 2.9 million-strong Indian diaspora, is a key pillar in India’s Act East policy.
Shortly after his arrival, PM Modi attended an Indian community event in Kuala Lumpur, accompanied by Prime Minister Ibrahim.
Addressing the gathering, he emphasised the deep historical and emotional links between the two countries, particularly through the Indian diaspora.
“Malaysia has the second-largest Indian-origin community in the world. There is so much that connects Indian and Malaysian hearts. The exhibition that Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and I saw a short while ago shows these connections beautifully. You are a living bridge that links us,” PM Modi said.
Highlighting the role of language and culture in shaping civilisational ties, the Prime Minister underlined the global significance of Tamil, spoken widely among Malaysia’s Indian-origin population and recognised by the Malaysian government as a minority language.
“Tamil is India’s gift to the world. Tamil literature is eternal, and Tamil culture is global,” PM Modi added.
Referring to prominent Tamil leaders in India’s current Indian leadership, he added, “I proudly say, India’s Vice President, Thiru C P Radhakrishnan ji, our Foreign Minister Jaishankar ji who is with us today, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman ji, who has presented Indian budget nine times, and Dr L Murugan, our Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, are all from Tamil Nadu.”
Drawing a parallel with the Indian-origin community in Malaysia, he said, “In the same way, the members of the Tamil diaspora in Malaysia are also serving the society in various fields.”
The Prime Minister also projected India as a reliable global economic partner, stressing that trust had emerged as a defining element of New Delhi’s international engagement.
“Earlier, India was seen just as a huge market. Now, we are a hub for investment and trade. India is seen as a trusted partner for growth,” he said.
“Whether it is the UK, UAE, Australia, New Zealand, Oman, the EU or the USA, countries have trade deals with India. Trust has become India’s strongest currency.”
In a social media post after his arrival, Modi said he was deeply touched by the warm welcome extended by my friend, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, and added that he looked forward to strengthening bilateral bonds.
The two leaders travelled together in the same vehicle to the community event, signalling the personal warmth underpinning the engagement.
"Celebrating the India-Malaysia people-to-people connect! PM Anwar Ibrahim and I are heading to the community programme in Kuala Lumpur,” Modi said in an another post.
The visit comes at a time when India and Malaysia are seeking to broaden cooperation across defence, trade, innovation and emerging technologies.
In his departure statement before leaving India, PM Modi had said the historic relationship between the two nations had witnessed steady progress in recent years.
“The historic ties between India and Malaysia have seen steadfast progress in recent years. I look forward to my discussions with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and to further enhancing our comprehensive strategic partnership,” he had said.
“We will aim to deepen our defence and security ties, enhance our economic and innovation partnership, and expand our collaboration into new domains,” he had added.
India and Malaysia elevated their relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership in August 2024.
Delegation-level talks scheduled for Sunday are expected to result in agreements aimed at expanding cooperation in key sectors.
New Delhi is also expected to once again raise the issue of the extradition of controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik during discussions.
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said PM Modi’s visit carried a rich agenda and was expected to provide a major boost to bilateral ties.