Kuala Lumpur, Feb 7 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday announced that an Indian Consulate will also be opened soon in Malaysia, bringing the two nations even closer.
PM Modi made the comment after participating in an Indian community reception ‘Selamat Datang Modiji’ in Kuala Lumpur which also saw a special cultural performance by 800 artistes on stage that entered the Malaysian Book of Records as the largest performance of Indian traditional dances in the country.
“Today’s community programme in Kuala Lumpur included an exhibition on the Indian community in Malaysia. The Indian Government’s decision of extending OCI card eligibility to Malaysian citizens of Indian origin up to the 6th generation has caused immense happiness among the diaspora. In the times to come, an Indian consulate will also be opened in Malaysia, thus bringing our nations even closer,” PM Modi posted on X late Saturday evening.
The initiative was received with applause and appreciation by members of the Indian community who had given a rousing welcome to PM Modi as he arrived at the event along with Malaysian counterpart Anwar Ibrahim.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the opening of the Consulate will strengthen ongoing cooperation between India and Malaysia and expand India’s outreach to the Indian community in Malaysia.
“An unforgettable community welcome in Kuala Lumpur! The energy, affection and pride of the Indian diaspora were deeply touching. Their remarkable contributions to Malaysia’s progress while staying connected to India’s culture and heritage are commendable,” he said in another post.
Addressing the gathering, Prime Minister Modi thanked the community for the colorful welcome and Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim for his gracious presence and warm remarks. He conveyed his appreciation for the contributions of the Indian diaspora to the progress and prosperity of Malaysia and for their role in strengthening India-Malaysia friendship. He also reiterated India’s steadfast commitment to the welfare of the Indian nationals in Malaysia and to deepening people-to-people ties between the two countries.
Recalling the history of ‘Azad Hind Fauj’, or the Indian National Army, in Malaysia, PM Modi paid respects to Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. Speaking about the complementary strengths of the India-Malaysia partnership, Prime Minister labelled it as IMPACT – India Malaysia Partnership For Advancing Collective Transformation. He also called upon the community to contribute towards realising the vision of Viksit Bharat and Malaysia Madani.
In his address at the event, PM Modi highlighted that Malaysia has the second-largest Indian-origin community in the world and noted that there is much that connects Indian and Malaysian hearts.
“The Indian-origin community is a living bridge linking the two countries. The cultural connections could be seen in shared traditions and flavours, linking Roti Canai with Malabar Parotta and coconut, spices and Teh Tarik, which feel familiar both in Kuala Lumpur and Kochi,” PM Modi remarked.
He also highlighted that the people of the two countries understand each other well, possibly due to the large number of common words between their languages and Malay, and have heard that Indian movies and music are popular in Malaysia. PM Modi noted that Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim sings very well, and also loves Tamil songs of the legendary MGR.
Highlighting the rapid progress made by India in recent years, PM Modi elaborated upon transformative changes in the fields of economic development, next generation infrastructure, green development, solar energy, digital roadmap and new and emerging technologies. He also underlined that India, in a decade, had made a significant jump from being the 11th largest economy to the fourth largest this year, and soon to be the third largest.
Speaking on the success of the fintech revolution in India, he noted that 50 per cent of all global real-time digital payments were being in India. He also stated that UPI based payment facility would soon be available in Malaysia, which will give a boost to tourism between the two countries.
As a tribute to the shared heritage between the two countries, Prime Minister Modi announced the setting up of a dedicated Thiruvalluvar Centre at Universiti Malaya in Kuala Lumpur. After the announcement by the Prime Minister in August 2024, a Thiruvalluvar Chair of Indian Studies has been created at the same university. He also announced Thiruvalluvar scholarships to facilitate academic exchanges between India and Malaysia.
“The influence of saints such as Thiruvalluvar and Swami Vivekananda is visible in Malaysia, and the recent Thaipusam celebrations at Batu Caves are divine and comparable to those at Palani,” he noted. Prime Minister Modi also said that Garba is popular in Malaysia and added that India deeply cherishes its cultural ties with the Sikh community, which continues to promote the teachings of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji.
Stating that Tamil is India’s gift to the world, PM Modi noted that Tamil literature is eternal, Tamil culture is global, and Tamil people have served humanity through their talents.
Prime Minister Modi further said that members of the Tamil diaspora in Malaysia are serving society in various fields and noted that the Tamil diaspora has been present in Malaysia for many centuries. He said that inspired by this history, India had established the Thiruvalluvar Chair at the University of Malaya and would now set up a Thiruvalluvar centre to further strengthen shared heritage.
–IANS
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