New Delhi [India], January 25 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during the 130th episode of the 'Mann ki Baat' program on Sunday, praised the Indian community in Malaysia for their efforts in preserving Indian languages and culture.

He highlighted the presence of over 500 Tamil schools in Malaysia, where Tamil is taught alongside other Indian languages such as Telugu and Punjabi.

He said, 'Our Indian community in Malaysia is doing commendable work... There are more than 500 Tamil schools in Malaysia. In these schools, along with the teaching of the Tamil language, other subjects are also taught in Tamil. In addition, there is a lot of focus here on other Indian languages, including Telugu and Punjabi.'

PM Modi also appreciated the vibrant performances of Odissi dance and Baul music in Malaysia, reflecting the strong cultural bond between India and Malaysia

He said the Malaysia India Heritage Society organised the 'Lal Paad Saree' iconic walk last month. The Prime Minister said, 'This saree has a special connection to the culture of Bengal.

There is a considerable goodwill for India in Malaysia at people-topeople level, which hosts approximately 2.75 million PIOs, which is the second largest PIO community in the world after the US and the third largest Indian diaspora in the world (2.9 million).

The official spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, Randhir Jaiswal, also commended the work of the 'Malaysia India Heritage Society' in deepening historical and cultural ties between India and Malaysia.

In a post on X, he said, 'Nurturing age-old cultural ties between India and Malaysia. In the first episode of 2026 #MannKiBaat today, PM @narendramodi applauded the commendable work done by 'Malaysia India Heritage Society' in deepening the historical and cultural ties between India and Malaysia.'

'PM Modi talked about 500 Tamil schools in Malaysia, which are teaching Tamil language and various other subjects. Indian community in Malaysia is also nurturing various other Indian languages, including Punjabi, Telugu, among others. PM Modi also highlighted the iconic 'Red-bordered Saree Walk' which found a place in Malaysian Book of Records. The Walk provided a platform for showcasing cultural extravaganza which connects people of both countries. He also mentioned the vibrancy of Odissi dance and Baul music performances in Malaysia,' he added.

There has been growing engagement in all aspects of the bilateral relationship since the elevation of India-Malaysia relations.

Recently, on the defence front, India and Malaysia co-chaired the Asian Defence Ministers Meeting-Plus Expert Working Group Meeting on Counter Terrorism on January 14.

During this meeting, the Malaysian Delegation head, Dato' Muhamma Ammir Bin Haron, said that Malaysia stands ready to work with India to ensure the region remains secure.

The ADMM-Plus serves as a platform for practical cooperation among the participating countries' defence establishments. It currently focuses on seven areas of practical cooperation: maritime security, counter-terrorism, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, peacekeeping operations, military medicine, humanitarian mine action, and cyber security. The EWGs have been established to facilitate cooperation in these seven areas, as per a statement. (ANI)