Anwar Ibrahim Confirms Meeting with India’s Grand Mufti Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad During Keralam Visit Following 18th BRICS Leaders’ Summit

KERALAM, September 12, 2026 — High-level diplomatic engagements between Muslim-majority nations and India’s Islamic scholarly institutions have gained increasing prominence in recent years, as governments across Southeast Asia seek to deepen bilateral ties that extend beyond trade and economics into the realms of education, religious affairs, and cultural connectivity. Against this backdrop, Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has confirmed a scheduled meeting with India’s Grand Mufti Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad during his upcoming visit to Keralam — an engagement widely seen as a significant step in strengthening Malaysia-India relations at the level of intellectual and religious dialogue.

Anwar Ibrahim Officially Confirms Keralam Engagement with Grand Mufti Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim publicly confirmed the planned meeting via a Facebook post on September 12, 2026, responding directly to a welcoming message from Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad addressed to Anwar and the accompanying Malaysian delegation. The confirmation comes as Anwar’s regional itinerary extends beyond his formal participation in the 18th BRICS Leaders’ Summit, hosted in New Delhi by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Anwar, who also serves as Malaysia’s Finance Minister, arrived in New Delhi on Friday to attend the multilateral summit before scheduling a separate visit to Keralam as part of his broader India engagement.

“Thank you for your warm wishes, Sheikh. I look forward to seeing you tomorrow, Insya-Allah,” Anwar stated in his public Facebook response to the Grand Mufti — a post that drew immediate attention from observers tracking Malaysia-India bilateral developments.

Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad, widely recognised as one of India’s most senior Islamic scholars and the Grand Mufti of India, extended a formal welcome to the Malaysian Prime Minister and expressed particular appreciation for the inclusion of Jamia Markaz in Anwar’s official itinerary. Jamia Markaz is regarded as one of India’s foremost Islamic educational institutions, with a longstanding reputation in religious scholarship, community development, and higher learning.

Anwar’s Keralam Visit Encompasses Religious Education, Community Development, and Bilateral Cultural Dialogue

The Keralam leg of Prime Minister Anwar’s India visit places substantive focus on areas beyond conventional statecraft. According to public statements made by Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad, the agenda is expected to include an exchange of views on community development, Islamic education, and religious affairs — themes that reflect a shared institutional vision between Malaysia and India’s Muslim scholarly community.

Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad stated that Anwar’s decision to include Jamia Markaz in his schedule “reflects a shared vision for intellectual and societal progress.” The Grand Mufti further expressed hope that the engagement would yield concrete outcomes across multiple sectors.

“May this historic visit and bilateral dialogue open vibrant new pathways in higher education, social empowerment, and cultural connectivity between Malaysia and India, particularly fostering stronger ties with Keralam,” Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad said in his official statement welcoming the Malaysian delegation.

The inclusion of Jamia Markaz — an institution with deep roots in Islamic jurisprudence, education, and community service — signals that the Keralam visit carries weight as a platform for faith-based diplomacy alongside Malaysia’s broader regional engagement strategy.

Anwar’s Keralam Visit Targets Strengthened Malaysia-India Ties in Islamic Education and Cultural Connectivity

A segment of the diplomatic landscape has long recognised a gap between formal state-level engagements and the deeper cultural and religious dimensions of Malaysia-India relations, particularly given the significant Muslim communities present in both countries and the historic links between the Malay Archipelago and the Indian subcontinent. Anwar’s Keralam visit is structured to address precisely this dimension of the bilateral relationship.

According to public statements surrounding the visit, the engagement is directed at fostering stronger institutional links between Malaysia and the Muslim scholarly community of Keralam — a state historically known for its robust Islamic educational network and its longstanding cultural ties with Malaysia and the broader Malay world. The dialogue is intended to benefit stakeholders in Islamic higher education, community welfare organisations, and cultural exchange institutions on both sides.

Whether from the perspective of Malaysian academic institutions seeking collaborative frameworks or Keralam-based organisations looking to strengthen regional partnerships, both sides are positioned to draw benefit from the dialogue that Prime Minister Anwar’s visit is expected to initiate.

Anwar’s India Visit Spans Multiple High-Level Engagements Across New Delhi and Keralam, Building a Record of Active Diplomatic Outreach

Public records of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s international engagements confirm a consistent pattern of multilateral and bilateral diplomacy since assuming office. The current India visit represents one of the most substantively layered foreign trips in recent months, combining participation in the 18th BRICS Leaders’ Summit — a major multilateral platform — with a targeted bilateral visit to Keralam focused on religious and educational diplomacy.

Prior to the Keralam engagement, Anwar held bilateral discussions with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with reports indicating that conversations covered the expansion of Malaysia-India ties in the semiconductor sector, among other areas. This pairing of economic and faith-based diplomacy illustrates the multi-dimensional character of the current visit.

Following the conclusion of his Keralam schedule, Prime Minister Anwar is confirmed to depart for the Maldives on September 14, 2026, extending his regional diplomatic tour to a third nation within the same itinerary. The back-to-back engagements across India and the Maldives reflect an active outreach posture aligned with Malaysia’s foreign policy priorities in the Indo-Pacific region.

Frequently Asked Questions About Anwar Ibrahim’s Meeting with India’s Grand Mufti in Keralam

Why is Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim visiting Keralam? Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is visiting Keralam to meet India’s Grand Mufti Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad and to include Jamia Markaz — one of India’s premier Islamic educational institutions — in his official itinerary. The visit follows his participation in the 18th BRICS Leaders’ Summit in New Delhi.

Who is Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad? Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad is India’s Grand Mufti and one of the country’s most senior Islamic scholars. He is also associated with Jamia Markaz, a leading Islamic institution in Keralam, and extended a formal welcome to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and the Malaysian delegation ahead of the Keralam visit.

What is Jamia Markaz and why is it significant? Jamia Markaz is regarded as one of India’s foremost Islamic educational institutions, based in Keralam. It has a prominent reputation in Islamic scholarship, religious affairs, and community development. Its inclusion in Anwar’s itinerary was specifically highlighted by Grand Mufti Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad as a reflection of shared values in intellectual and societal progress.

What topics are expected to be discussed during Anwar’s meeting with the Grand Mufti? According to public statements from Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad, the discussions are expected to cover community development, Islamic education, religious affairs, higher education pathways, social empowerment, and cultural connectivity between Malaysia and India — with a particular focus on strengthening ties with Keralam.

What was Anwar Ibrahim’s response to the Grand Mufti’s welcome message? Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim responded publicly via Facebook, stating: “Thank you for your warm wishes, Sheikh. I look forward to seeing you tomorrow, Insya-Allah.” The response confirmed the meeting and was posted on September 12, 2026.

What other engagements did Anwar Ibrahim undertake during his India visit? In addition to the Keralam visit, Prime Minister Anwar attended the 18th BRICS Leaders’ Summit hosted by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. He also held bilateral talks with Modi covering the expansion of Malaysia-India cooperation in the semiconductor sector, among other areas.

Where is Anwar Ibrahim travelling after Keralam? Following the completion of his Keralam visit, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is scheduled to depart for the Maldives on September 14, 2026, as the next stop on his regional diplomatic tour.

Conclusion: Anwar’s Keralam Visit Marks a Milestone in Malaysia-India Religious and Educational Diplomacy

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s confirmed meeting with India’s Grand Mufti Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad in Keralam represents a substantive expansion of Malaysia-India bilateral engagement into the domains of Islamic education, religious dialogue, and cultural connectivity. Set against the backdrop of the 18th BRICS Leaders’ Summit and preceding a scheduled visit to the Maldives, the Keralam stop underscores Malaysia’s commitment to a holistic diplomatic posture that integrates faith-based and scholarly dimensions alongside economic and strategic priorities.

The involvement of Jamia Markaz — a nationally recognised Islamic institution — in the official itinerary further signals the depth of engagement that both parties are pursuing, with Grand Mufti Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad framing the visit as a potential catalyst for “vibrant new pathways in higher education, social empowerment, and cultural connectivity between Malaysia and India.”

Source: Bernama. Published September 12, 2026.