Malaysian PM meets Kanthapuram in Kozhikode; discusses education, cultural cooperation

Kozhikode: Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim met Kerala Sunni leader Kanthapuram AP Aboobacker Musliyar at the Markaz campus in Karanthur here on Sunday evening.

Anwar arrived in Kozhikode as part of his five-day visit to India after attending the BRICS Summit in New Delhi.

The Malaysian Prime Minister reached Markaz at around 5.40 pm and was received by Markaz working secretary Dr Mohammed Abdul Hakeem Azhari and secretary C Mohammed Faizy, among others. He later held a meeting with Kanthapuram AP Aboobacker Musliyar.

The discussions covered educational exchange programmes between Markaz and Malaysian higher education institutions, as well as cooperation in education, culture, and academic activities. They also discussed the welfare of the Indian community in Malaysia.

At a reception at the Markaz Convention Centre, Anwar received the Excellence Award instituted by the Sheikh Abubakar Foundation.

In recognition of the international Hadith recitation gatherings organised under the Malaysian government's initiative over the past three years, Kanthapuram presented the Malaysian Prime Minister with a handwritten manuscript of Sahih al-Bukhari, the renowned collection of Hadith.

After the reception, Anwar attended a dinner hosted by Kanthapuram, attended by prominent personalities from the religious, political, social, cultural, and business sectors. Around 9.30pm, he also visited the Madavoor CM Valiyaullahi shrine with Kanthapuram.

This was Anwar Ibrahim's second visit to Kerala to meet Kanthapuram. He first visited Markaz in September 2022, a few weeks before he became Malaysia's Prime Minister.

Before arriving in Kerala, Anwar had said on social media that his visit was expected to create significant momentum and progress in trade, tourism, investment, economic cooperation, education and connectivity between Malaysia and Kerala.

State Industries Minister P K Kunhalikutty, Karnataka Health Minister UT Khader, Samastha Kerala Jamiyyathul Ulama leaders, Panakkad Syed Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal, and other prominent figures from the religious, political, social, cultural and business sectors attended the meeting and reception.