Kuala Lumpur [Malaysia], December 27 : Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Friday condoled the demise of former Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, who passed away at the age of 92.
Ibrahim described Singh as a cherished friend and a towering figure in Indian economic reform.
Anwar reflected on the life of Singh, recalling his leadership during India's transformative economic era.
"The weight of grief bears down on me at the news of the passing of my honoured and cherished friend: Dr Manmohan Singh. Obituaries, essays, and books plenty there will surely be about this great man, celebrating him as the architect of India's economic reforms. As Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh was the midwife of India's emergence as one of the world's economic giants," he said in a post on X.
Anwar recalled his time working alongside the former PM in the 1990s, when both served as finance ministers for their respective nations, and noted their shared commitment to tackling corruption and their collaboration on an important case.
"I had the rare privilege of witnessing the early years of these transformative policies first-hand while we both served as finance ministers during the 1990s. We shared a fervent commitment to the war against corruptioneven collaborating on unravelling a major case. The praise that will follow in the days ahead will be truly well-deserved. Dr Manmohan Singh, slightly awkward as a politician but undeniably upright, steadfast and resolute as a statesman, leaves behind a legacy that will inspire generations to come," he added.
The Malaysian PM also shared a personal story of Singh's kindness during his imprisonment and revealed that Manmohan Singh had offered scholarships for his children, particularly his son Ihsan, despite the political challenges of the time.
"To me, he will be all that and much more. Not many people know this, and it is time that I share it with Malaysians: during the years of my incarceration, he extended a kindness that he didn't have to one that was neither politically expedient nor, as one can imagine, appreciated by the Malaysian government at that time. Yet, true to his character, he did it anyway. He offered scholarships for my children, particularly my son, Ihsan. Although I had declined the gracious offer, such a gesture undoubtedly showed his extraordinary humanity and generosity, demonstrative, as the Bard would have it, of a man so full of "the milk of human kindness". In those dark days, as I navigated the labyrinth of imprisonment, he stood by me as a true friend. Such acts of quiet magnanimity defined him, and they will remain etched in my heart forever," the Malaysian PM stated. "Goodbye, my mitra, my bhai, Manmohan," he added.
Manmohan Singh passed away at AIIMS, Delhi, on Thursday night at the age of 92 due to age-related medical conditions. He had suffered a sudden loss of consciousness at home and was subsequently rushed to AIIMS.
Born on September 26, 1932, Manmohan Singh was not only an economist but also served as the Governor of the Reserve Bank of India from 1982 to 1985. He was the 13th Prime Minister of India, serving from 2004 to 2014.
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