Kuala Lumpur, Feb 8 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Indian-origin leaders, including Ministers and Senators, in Malaysia on Sunday and lauded their accomplishments in public life.
"Had a wonderful interaction with PIO leaders, including distinguished Ministers and Senators. Their deep emotional connect to India was clearly visible. Their accomplishments in public life are a matter of immense pride for everyone," PM Modi posted on X.
Earlier in the day, PM Modi met Azad Hind Fauj, also known as the Indian National Army (INA), veteran Jeyaraj Raja Rao in Kuala Lumpur, highlighting the historical contribution of the force and its legacy among the Indian diaspora in Southeast Asia.
While sharing a picture with Jeyaraj Raja Rao on X, PM Modi paid tribute to the legacy of the INA and its founder, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.
In a post on X, PM Modi stated, "It was very special to meet INA veteran Shri Jeyaraj Raja Rao. His life is marked by immense courage and sacrifice. Listening to his experiences was very inspiring. We remain forever indebted to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, the brave women and men of the INA, whose valour helped shape India’s destiny.
PM Modi also held a meeting with his Malaysian counterpart Anwar Ibrahim, at the latter's official residence, Seri Perdana.
The two leaders reviewed development cooperation in various sectors like infrastructure, energy and biotechnology and agreed to strengthen cooperation in security, defence technologies, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and semiconductors.
"Had an excellent meeting with PM Anwar Ibrahim at Seri Perdana earlier today. India and Malaysia are maritime neighbours who have always enjoyed a close friendship. We reviewed developmental cooperation in sectors like trade, infrastructure, energy, IT, biotechnology and more. We also agreed to strengthen cooperation in the field of security, defence, AI, digital technologies and semiconductors," PM Modi posted on X.
"People-to-people linkages are at the core of India-Malaysia friendship. The Social Security Agreement, a gratis e-visa for tourism and the coming of UPI to Malaysia will bring our people even closer. We are also working to increase university exchanges and create skill development opportunities for our youth," he added.
Earlier on Saturday, PM Modi addressed members of the Indian diaspora in Malaysia, where he acknowledged the historic sacrifices made by people of Indian origin in the region during India’s struggle for independence.
“To make India a free country, thousands of your ancestors made great sacrifices. Many of them had never seen India. But they were among the first to join Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s Indian National Army,” he had said.
Referring to efforts to preserve Netaji’s legacy in Malaysia, the Prime Minister added, “In his honour, we renamed the Indian Cultural Centre in Malaysia after Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. I also take this moment to salute the efforts of the Netaji Service Centre and Netaji Welfare Foundation in Malaysia.”
--IANS
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