Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim paid emotional tribute to former Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh on Friday (Dec 27).
Singh passed away at the age of 92 on Thursday (Dec 26) in India's capital Delhi while he was admitted at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).
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Ibrahim took to X and expressed grief at the passing away of his "honoured and cherished friend." He wrote in his post, "Obituaries, essays and books a 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 further shared memories with Singh.
The weight of grief bears down on me at the news of the passing of my honoured and cherished friend: Dr Manmohan Singh.
— Anwar Ibrahim (@anwaribrahim) December 27, 2024
Obituaries, essays and books a plenty there will surely be about this great man, celebrating him as the architect of India’s economic reforms. As Prime… pic.twitter.com/44bA3s7vst
Ibrahim said he had the privilege of witnessing the early years of Singh's policies while both were serving as finance ministers in the 1990s.
"We shared a fervent commitment to the war against corruption — even collaborating on unravelling a major case," Ibrahim wrote.
He further said that Singh was slightly "awkward" as a politician, but "undeniably upright, steadfast and resolute as a statesman, as he leaves behind a legacy that will inspire generations to come."
Ibrahim shared an interesting personal story with Singh as he revealed something that not many people were aware of. He said during his years of incarceration in 1999, Singh extended a kindness that he didn’t have to.”
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Ibrahim said Singh offered Ibrahim’s children scholarships, particularly to his son. Ibrahim said though he declined Singh’s offer, “such a gesture undoubtedly showed his (Singh's) extraordinary humanity and generosity, demonstrative, as the Bard would have it, of a man so full of “the milk of human kindness”.
Ibrahim further wrote, “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.”
He ended his tribute to Singh saying, “Goodbye, my Mitra, my bhai, Manmohan.”
(With inputs from agencies)