Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim had a warm opening for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, sharing that several people had asked him to pass on a message to the prime minister because of his immense popularity.
Anwar made the remarks during his interaction with PM Modi on the sidelines of the 18th BRICS Summit, highlighting the latter’s popularity among people who had asked the Malaysian leader to convey their message to him.
“See, Prime Minister Modi is so popular; I got so many messages to pass on regards to him, Malaysian PM Ibrahim said.
When a bilateral begins with a message from the people 🇮🇳🇲🇾
Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim had a warm opening for PM @narendramodi, sharing that several people had asked him to pass on a message because of the Prime Minister’s immense popularity.#BRICS2026 #BRICSIndia2026… pic.twitter.com/G1XJIqmmC0
— MyGovIndia (@mygovindia) September 12, 2026
The Malaysian Prime Minister is in New Delhi for the BRICS Summit, where he held bilateral talks with PM Modi, with defence, investment, semiconductors and strategic cooperation emerging as key areas of discussion.
PM Modi and Anwar reviewed the progress in bilateral ties following the Indian Prime Minister’s visit to Malaysia in February 2026. Their discussions covered trade and investment, defence and security, semiconductors, infrastructure, the digital economy, energy, fintech, education, tourism and people-to-people ties.
Malaysia also agreed to the establishment of an Indian Consulate General in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, in a significant development expected to expand India’s diplomatic and consular presence in the region.
“Prime Minister Modi warmly welcomed Prime Minister Ibrahim to India and appreciated Malaysia’s participation in the BRICS Summit as a Partner Country,” the External Affairs Ministry said.
The two leaders also exchanged views on regional and global developments and reiterated their commitment to further strengthening the India-Malaysia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. PM Modi also welcomed Malaysia’s continued support towards deepening ASEAN-India ties.
India and Malaysia have deepened their bilateral partnership in recent years, with ties elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in August 2024.
During PM Modi’s visit to Malaysia in February 2026, the two sides discussed cooperation across political engagement, defence and security, maritime affairs, trade and investment, the digital economy, science and technology, energy, agriculture, health, education, culture and tourism.
