Kuala Lumpur: Showcasing a warm and personal rapport, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 7, Saturday shared a car ride with his Malaysian counterpart, Anwar Ibrahim, following the former’s arrival in Malaysia as part of his two-day bilateral visit to the Southeast Asian nation. Both leaders headed towards a community event in Kuala Lumpur.
Sharing glimpses from the car ride on the social media platform X, Prime Minister Modi said, “Celebrating the India-Malaysia people-to-people connect! PM Anwar Ibrahim and I are heading to the community programme in Kuala Lumpur”. Upon landing in the Malaysian capital, Prime Minister Modi expressed gratitude for the warm reception extended by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim at the airport, who personally came to receive PM Modi as a special gesture, showcasing the deep ties between the two leaders.
In a separate post on X, PM Modi said, “Landed in Kuala Lumpur. Deeply touched by the warm welcome extended by my friend, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, at the airport. I look forward to our conversations and to further strengthening the bonds of friendship between India and Malaysia”. Prime Minister Modi was also received at the airport by Malaysian Minister of Human Resources Dato’ Seri R Ramanan and Deputy Foreign Minister Dato’ Lukanisman bin Awang Sauni.
Landed in Kuala Lumpur.
Deeply touched by the warm welcome extended by my friend, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim at the airport. I look forward to our conversations and to further strengthening the bonds of friendship between India and Malaysia.@anwaribrahim pic.twitter.com/z3NLyv4QGW
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 7, 2026
The arrival was followed by a vibrant cultural welcome showcasing the shared heritage of India and Malaysia, the Ministry of External Affairs stated. The MEA in a post on X said, “Selamat Tengahari Malaysia! Prime Minister Narendra Modi has arrived in Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia is an important partner in India’s Act East policy, Vision MAHASAGAR and the Indo-Pacific vision. The visit is expected to impart significant momentum to our close & multi-faceted partnership”.
Display of soft power and diaspora strength
Prime Minister Modi attended a community event called ‘Selamat Datang Modiji’, where a massive display of cultural and soft-power diplomacy will be showcased. The Indian diaspora in Malaysia is set to attempt a prestigious entry into the Malaysia Book of Records during the high-profile event. The record attempt took place at the MINES International Exhibition & Convention Centre (MIECC) in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Malaysian counterpart.
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. pic.twitter.com/BbXhNKuRez
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 7, 2026
Under the banner of the Indian Community Cultural Committee, approximately 800 dancers performed a single, continuous five-minute choreographed piece. The attempt is titled “Largest Number of Dancers in a Single Choreographed Dance Representing a Wide Variety of Indian Classical and Folk Dance Forms Performed by the Indian Diaspora”. According to a statement from the MEA, Prime Minister Modi will visit Malaysia from February 7 to February 8 at the invitation of his Malaysian counterpart. This marks PM Modi’s third visit to Malaysia since 2015.
It was very special to have my friend, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim at the community programme in Kuala Lumpur. He delivered a wonderful address, highlighting the strong ties between India and Malaysia as well as the potential this friendship holds for the future.@anwaribrahim pic.twitter.com/HPoYAYTirk
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 7, 2026
Malaysia is a key pillar of India’s ‘Act East’ policy & Indo-Pacific strategy
The visit of PM Modi to Malaysia aims to further strengthen the India-Malaysia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership established in 2024 and underscores India’s commitment to deepening ties with Malaysia, a key pillar of India’s Act East Policy, Indo-Pacific vision, and Vision MAHASAGAR. PM Modi is also scheduled to hold bilateral talks with PM Ibrahim and participate in engagements to enhance cooperation across political, economic, cultural and people-to-people domains during the visit.
Car ride reflects Malaysian PM’s respect and love for India
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on highlighted the warmth and personal rapport shared with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, saying that the latter’s gesture of personally receiving him at the Kuala Lumpur airport following his arrival and sharing a car ride reflected his “love and respect for India”. Addressing the Indian diaspora at a community event in the Malaysian capital, Prime Minister Modi expressed gratitude to PM Ibrahim for joining the celebrations and for his words on the future of India-Malaysia ties.
“The warmth of your greeting reflects the beautiful diversity of our shared culture. First of all, I thank my dear friend Anwar Ibrahim for joining the community celebration. I also thank him for his very kind words on the scale and future potential of India-Malaysia friendship in his speech just now”, PM Modi said. Highlighting the special welcome accorded to him, the Prime Minister added, “Not just that, he came to the airport to welcome me and he brought me here in his car. Not only his car but also his seat; this special gesture reflects his love and respect for India and for all of you”.
Celebrating the India-Malaysia people-to-people connect!
PM Anwar Ibrahim and I are heading to the community programme in Kuala Lumpur.@anwaribrahim pic.twitter.com/wkMCYuatB6
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 7, 2026
IMPACT: The vision to foster stronger India-Malaysia relations
Prime Minister Narendra Modi underscored the depth of India-Malaysia ties, saying that India’s success is intrinsically linked with Malaysia’s success and in turn, Asia’s success, as he outlined that the partnership between the two nations was guided by the vision of IMPACT–India-Malaysia Partnership for Advancing Collective Transformation.
Addressing the Indian diaspora in Kuala Lumpur, Prime Minister Modi said that the two nations celebrate each other’s achievements as their own and acknowledged Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s goodwill gestures, including his wishes following the success of Chandrayaan-3. “We celebrate each other’s success as our own. I was touched deeply by Prime Minister Shri Anwar Ibrahim’s good wishes on the success of Chandrayaan-3. I agree with you, my friend; India’s success is Malaysia’s success. It is Asia’s success”, PM Modi further asserted.
Explaining the guiding framework of bilateral ties, the Prime Minister added, “That is why I say the guiding word of our relationship is IMPACT. IMPACT means India-Malaysia Partnership for Advancing Collective Transformation–IMPACT on the speed of our relations, IMPACT on the scale of our ambitions and IMPACT for the benefit of our people. Together we can benefit the entire humanity”.
Highlighting growing economic and technological cooperation, PM Modi said India and Malaysia are actively collaborating in critical sectors, noting that 100 Indian IT companies are currently operating in the country. He also noted that digital cooperation between the two countries is gaining momentum, adding that India’s flagship digital payment system, the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), will soon be launched in the country.
“It is a privilege that we played a part in creating Malaysia’s first and Asia’s largest insulin manufacturing facility. Over 100 Indian IT companies operate in Malaysia, generating thousands of jobs”, he said. “The Malaysia-India Digital Council is paving new pathways for our digital collaboration. I’m happy to share with you that India’s UPI will come to Malaysia soon”, the Prime Minister announced, drawing applause from the gathering.
PM Modi hailed people-to-people ties
Emphasising people-to-people ties as the foundation of the relationship, PM Modi spoke of shared geography and cultural connections across the Indian Ocean. “We share the same blue waters of the Indian Ocean. Across the ocean, we love to visit each other”, he said, inviting members of the diaspora and their Malaysian friends to explore India.
PM Modi invited the diaspora to experience the infrastructure growth of India
The Prime Minister also highlighted India’s rapid infrastructure growth, noting that the number of airports has doubled in the last decade, highways are being built at a record pace and modern trains such as Vande Bharat have gained international recognition. “Over the past few years, India has witnessed unprecedented growth in infrastructure and connectivity.
The number of our airports has doubled in a decade. Highways are being made at a record pace. Modern trains such as Vande Bharat are receiving international acclaim. I encourage you to travel and experience Incredible India. You must also bring your Malay friends with you. Because people-to-people contact is the cornerstone of our friendship”, he added.
Speaking on India’s economic transformation, PM Modi said, “In one decade, India has seen a massive transformation. Once we were the 11th economy; now we are knocking at the top three. We are also the world’s fastest major economy”. He added that initiatives like ‘Make in India’ have matured, with India now emerging as the world’s second-largest mobile phone manufacturer.
(With Inputs from ANI)
