Diaspora event awaits PM in Malaysia
NEW DELHI: A total of 89 Indian organisations have come together to host a diaspora event for Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Malaysia which will be attended by 14,000 people on the afternoon of November 22.
Modi will be in Malaysia to attend the India-ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) and East Asia summits from November 21 to 23.
Two million persons of Indian origin (PIOs) account for 8% of the total population of Malaysia and there are 1,30,000 Indians working in the South-East Asian country.
Officials said the diaspora event is the highlight of the Prime Minister’s visit to Malaysia since persons of Indian origin have considerable influence in the country, holding key positions in various fields.
“There will be a cultural show before Prime Minister Modi’s address to the diaspora. It will be a grand tribute to the Malaysian-Indian cultural landscape. Many renowned Malaysian artistes, who are proponents of Indian dance and music, will feature in the show,” Dato’ Nabhesh Khanna, general secretary of Overseas Friends of BJP (Malaysia), told HT.
The registration for attending the event, to be held at the MINES Exhibition & Convention Centre in Kuala Lumpur, has begun.
Malaysia has the largest Indian diaspora after the US. A majority of this population is Tamil speaking, followed by a significant number of people who speak Telugu, Malayalam and Punjabi.
Forging the cultural connect, greater cooperation in the field of traditional medicine and Ayurveda will figure in PM Modi’s talks with Malaysian leaders.
From Malaysia, Modi will travel to Singapore where another diaspora event is lined up for him.
There will be a cultural show before PM Modi’s address to the diaspora. It will be a tribute to the Malaysian-Indian cultural landscape. Renowned Malaysian artistes, who are proponents of Indian dance and music, will feature in the show. DATO’ NABHESH KHANNA, gen secy, Overseas Friends of BJP (Malaysia)