Overview
- Anwar Ibrahim traveled to the Markaz Central Campus in Kozhikode to meet Kanthapuram A. P. Aboobacker Musaliyar, a visit that took place on Sunday, September 13, 2026 after the BRICS summit in New Delhi.
- At the meeting the two men discussed global peace, education, social development and possibilities for peace initiatives involving countries in conflict.
- Anwar publicly said he does not accept all of Kanthapuram’s views and said he would tell the cleric directly that Malaysia guarantees equal rights for women.
- Kanthapuram presented Anwar with the first Excellence Award from the Sheikh Abubacker Foundation, underscoring the existing institutional ties between the cleric and the Malaysian government.
- The visit has revived cooperation on education and diaspora links but has also provoked local political criticism in Kerala over Kanthapuram’s recent statements about women and brought tightened security and traffic controls during the prime minister’s stop.