After tribute to Manmohan Singh, Malaysia PM meets Rahul Gandhi on Delhi visit

Rahul Gandhi met Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim over breakfast in New Delhi, with Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also present. The interaction came during Ibrahim's BRICS visit and amid renewed attention to his admiration for Manmohan Singh.Rahul Gandhi (L), Anwar Ibrahim (M) and Priyanka Gandhi (R) (Credits: X/Congress)Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Sunday met Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim over breakfast in New Delhi, with the two leaders discussing India-Malaysia ties. Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was also present at the meeting. (Credits: X/AICC) Ibrahim is in India as Malaysia’s representative at the 2026 BRICS Summit in New Delhi. Malaysia is a BRICS partner country and an important partner for India within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).The Congress released pictures of Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra from their breakfast meeting with Ibrahim. (Credits: X/Congress) (Credits: PTI) The interaction came a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks with the Malaysian leader on cooperation in trade, semiconductors, infrastructure and defence on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit. ANWAR'S ADMIRATION FOR MANMOHAN SINGHIbrahim’s meeting with Rahul Gandhi comes in connection with his longstanding admiration for former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Following Singh’s death in December 2024, Ibrahim had described him as a “honoured and cherished friend” and praised his contribution to India’s economic transformation.In the tribute posted on X in December 2024, Ibrahim recalled Singh’s role in shaping India’s economic reforms and described him as the architect of the country’s emergence as a major global economy. (Credits: X/Anwar Ibrahim) Ibrahim, who served as Malaysia’s finance minister during the 1990s, had closely followed Singh’s reforms.Ibrahim also shared a personal anecdote about Singh, recalling how the former prime minister had offered to help pay for the education of his children when the Malaysian leader was jailed during a period of political turmoil.According to Ibrahim’s account, Singh made the offer despite the risk of antagonising the Malaysian government at the time. “True to his character, he did it anyway,” Ibrahim had said. Ibrahim said he politely declined the offer but remembered the gesture as an example of Singh’s empathy and integrity.Ibrahim had also recalled Singh’s commitment to fighting corruption and said the two had collaborated on addressing a significant corruption case during their respective tenures.Describing Singh as a steadfast statesman despite being an “awkward politician”, Ibrahim had said his legacy would continue to inspire generations.- EndsWith inputs from Shivani Sharma and PTIPublished By: Ritaban MisraPublished On: Sep 13, 2026 13:28 IST