Tamil Nadu CM Vijay thanks Malaysia PM for wishes on electoral victory; commits deeper cooperation
Chennai, May 13
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Joseph Vijay thanked Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim for his wishes on Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam's victory in the assembly elections and affirmed to foster deeper ties between Tamil Nadu and Malaysia.
In a post on X, Vijay said, "Deeply honored by the warm congratulations from the Hon'ble Prime Minister of Malaysia, Thiru. @anwaribrahim Avl. Thank you for your gracious gesture. I am committed to fostering greater cooperation and enhancing the bond of friendship between Tamil Nadu and Malaysia."
In a post on X, Ibrahim extended his wishes to Vijay and highlighted the deep cultural and historical ties shared between Malaysia and Tamil Nadu.
The Malaysian Prime Minister mentioned a song called "Oru Viral Puratchi" from Vijay's film Sarkar in his post, which means "one-finger revolution" representing a peaceful and democratic movement against corruption through the power of voting, noting that the revolution is on the "cusp of creating history".
"I warmly congratulate my friend Vijay on being elected Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. For many years, his adoring fans watched him defeat corrupt politicians and assorted villains within three hours, usually after a short interval. The people of Tamil Nadu have now entrusted Vijay with a responsibility far greater than any role performed on screen," the Malaysian Prime Minister stated in his post."Oru Viral Puratchi -- the 'one-finger revolution' -- is now on the cusp of creating history," he added.
Ibrahim further emphasised the longstanding relationship between Malaysia and Tamil Nadu and expressed hope for closer cooperation in the future.
"Malaysia and Tamil Nadu share deep historical, cultural and people-to-people ties across generations. I look forward to working closely with Chief Minister Vijay in the years ahead," the post read.
Malaysia is home to nearly 185,000 Non-Resident Indians (NRIs), including both skilled and unskilled workers, while the Indian expatriate community in the country is estimated at around 25,000. In total, the population of Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) in Malaysia stands at approximately 2.75 million, accounting for nearly 6.8 per cent of the country's population, making it the third-largest Indian diaspora globally.
Around 90 per cent of the Indian-origin community in Malaysia speaks Tamil, while others speak languages such as Telugu, Malayalam, Punjabi, Bengali, Gujarati and Marathi.
On Sunday, Vijay took the oath as the 13th Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu following his majestic success in the debut elections.
The oath was administered by Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar; meanwhile, Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi, Vijay's parents, actress Trisha Krishna and others were present to embrace the occasion.
The 2026 Tamil Nadu elections were registered in history books after the state declared an unprecedented mandate for Vijay. While TVK ended up winning 108 out of 234 seats in its maiden political stint, it was for the first time in the history of state politics that both legacy 'Dravidian' parties were ousted from power.
However, Vijay couldn't attain a majority on its own and was later offered support by Congress (5), CPI-M (2), CPI (2), VCK (2) and IUML (2), which were earlier the allies of the Secular Progressive Alliance led by DMK.
— ANI
Reader Comments
I'm an NRI in Malaysia and can confirm that the Tamil diaspora here is ecstatic about this. The connection between Tamil Nadu and Malaysia is real - our families have lived here for generations but still speak Tamil at home. Hope Vijay ji focuses on welfare schemes for Tamil workers abroad too.
Finally someone who understands the power of soft diplomacy! Anwar Ibrahim's tweet acknowledging Tamil cinema's cultural impact is a masterstroke. But I hope Vijay moves beyond just photo-ops and actually delivers on employment and education. The people gave him a mandate, not just for his stardom but for his promise of change.
The 2.75 million Indian-origin population in Malaysia is huge, and 90% speaking Tamil is amazing! This is exactly the kind of relationship Tamil Nadu should leverage for trade, tourism, and education. But I'm a bit skeptical about how much an actor-turned-politician can deliver on complex governance issues. Time will tell 🤔
Vijay Anna made history by defeating both DMK and AIADMK in one go! The alliance with Congress and Left parties shows he's pragmatic. Now let's see if he can build on this Malaysia connection - imagine direct flights from Chennai to Kuala Lumpur and more cultural exchanges. The "one-finger revolution" is real, machi! 💪
Interesting to see global recognition for a regional leader. The Malaysia PM's reference to "Oru Viral Puratchi" is clever political messaging. However, I wonder if the state government will prioritize Tamil language preservation and exchange programs with Malaysia's Tamil community. That would be a meaningful step beyond just diplomatic niceties.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.