Kuala Lumpur, Feb 7
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday hailed the "grand celebration of Indian culture" in Malaysia, especially the record-breaking dance performance during the 'Selamat Datang Modiji' event which was attended by over 12,000 members of the Indian diaspora, friends of India from across the country and also Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim.
"A grand celebration of Indian culture in Malaysia! A highlight of the community programme in Kuala Lumpur was a dance performance which has set a record in Malaysia. Congratulations to all those who took part in the dance performance," PM Modi posted on X after the event.
The determination and spirit of the Indian community, said PM Modi, reflects the enduring strength of India-Malaysia relations.
The atmosphere was filled with warmth, energy and enthusiasm as Prime Minister Modi remarked that the Indian diaspora is the living and vibrant bridge between both countries. He highlighted the pivotal role played by them in strengthening the shared heritage and bilateral ties and also thanked his Malaysian counterpart for his steadfast commitment to further strengthen India-Malaysia friendship.
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.
Prime Minister Modi reiterated that the Indian-origin community in Malaysia had preserved its traditions over centuries. He recalled mentioning the community in his 'Mann Ki Baat' programme, where he shared that over 500 schools in Malaysia teach children in Indian languages.
"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.
"India's Vice President Thiru C P Radhakrishnan, External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, and Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Dr Murugan are all from Tamil Nadu," he told the large gathering.
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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