Anwar: Meeting with Tamil Nadu CM Vijay still on the cards

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said plans for a bilateral meeting with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay remain on the cards, and that it could take place either in Putrajaya or Chennai.

In an exclusive interview with Thanthi TV, he also dismissed speculation that Chennai had failed to reciprocate a proposed Malaysia visit.

Anwar, who is currently in India, was initially scheduled to make a working visit to Chennai after attending the 18th Brics Leaders Summit in New Delhi, before heading to Kerala and then the Maldives.

However, the Chennai leg was dropped at the 11th hour.

“It is not true (that Chennai did not reciprocate). From the beginning, the chief minister’s office said they were trying to adjust his schedule as he had prior commitments, and I only had a very small window between New Delhi, Kerala, and the Maldives.

“Even then, he tried to accommodate, and he had a major investment mission and other programmes planned. So, finally I said to him, I will continue to Kerala and the Maldives, and that I couldn’t proceed with the Tamil Nadu visit,” explained Anwar.

Hence, both sides had tried to align their calendars amid prior commitments, and the goodwill between them remained strong, he said.

New voice of reason

In the wide-ranging interview, Anwar also offered a candid appraisal of Vijay, praising his early momentum and appeal among young voters while urging him to take a long-view approach to power, anchored in values, patience, and practical wisdom.

Anwar, who was among the first foreign leaders to congratulate the former actor, had described him as a “new voice of reason, of principles, and of good governance”.

“When I spoke to him (Vijay), I always told him that the challenge when you are in power is to sustain the wisdom to navigate, because in the real world, the battles will be different from what you aim to do,” he said.

Anwar said he was also deeply touched by Vijay’s approach, particularly his zeal for reform, cleaning up the system, and addressing poverty and corruption.

The prime minister said he also told the Tamil Nadu leader that it was not an easy mission, as sustaining good governance requires navigating complex pressures without losing sight of core principles.

Anwar also revealed that he shared his book with Vijay (above) after a substantive conversation, noting the Tamil Nadu leader’s openness to learning.

“He listens,” Anwar said, calling it a promising trait in a climate where quick applause often overshadows reflection.

In the interview, Anwar also underscored the civilisational weight of Tamil Nadu, from the Tirukkural’s moral clarity to cinema’s power to educate, arguing that Vijay’s cultural influence carries diplomatic potential.

For Malaysia, where the majority of ethnic Indians are Tamils, Vijay’s popularity represents more than celebrity - it is an opportunity to deepen people-to-people ties, he added.

- Bernama

'Please save me': Tearful plea from alleged tortured worker in M'sia to CM Vijay

After Anwar congratulates 'friend' Vijay, PSM tells new CM not to repeat same mistake

Drowned by single vote in 'Vijay wave', ex-Tamil Nadu minister turns to court

Vijay becomes Tamil Nadu's new chief minister