Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim Meets Keralam Cleric Kanthapuram, Receives Award

14-Sep-2026

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Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim met Grand Mufti of India Kanthapuram AP Abu Bakr Musliyar in Keralam during his visit to India following the BRICS Summit. Hosted at Markaz Knowledge City in Kozhikode, the Malaysian Prime Minister received an Excellence Award and engaged in discussions addressing education, peace, social harmony, values, and the need for scholars to adapt to modern realities such as artificial intelligence. The meeting drew attention following controversial remarks previously made by the cleric regarding women being confined to their homes. 

Ahead of the interaction, Anwar Ibrahim stated that while he respected the cleric as a scholar, he did not agree with those views, highlighting the role of women students and the female workforce in Malaysia. The gathering was also attended by the leadership of the Muslim League amidst political reactions surrounding the cleric's remarks.