He provided scholarships for my children: Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim pays respect to the late Dr. Manmohan Singh

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim pays an emotional homage to former Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh on Friday (December 17).

Singh died on Thursday (Dec 26) at the age of 91 in India’s capital, Delhi, while undergoing treatment at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences.

Ibrahim went to X to express his sadness at the death of his “honoured and cherished friend.” He added in his article, “There will undoubtedly be obituaries, essays, and books written about this great man, celebrating him as the architect of India’s economic reforms.” Dr. Manmohan Singh, as Prime Minister, was instrumental in India’s rise to become one of the world’s economic powerhouses.

He then shared his memories with Singh.

Ibrahim said he had the advantage of observing Singh’s early initiatives while both were finance ministers in the 1990s.

“We shared a fervent commitment to the war against corruption — even collaborating on unravelling a major case,” writes Ibrahim.

He went on to say that Singh was sometimes “awkward” as a politician, but “undeniably upright, steadfast and resolute as a statesman, leaves behind a legacy that will inspire generations to come.”

Ibrahim shared a fascinating personal experience with Singh, revealing something that few people were aware of. He stated that during his years of jail in 1999, Singh showed kindness when he did not have to.

Ibrahim stated that Singh granted scholarships to his children, notably his son. Ibrahim stated that while he refused Singh’s offer, “such a gesture surely revealed his (Singh’s) great compassion and generosity, symptomatic, as the Bard would have it, of a man so full of “the milk of human kindness.”

Ibrahim said, “In those dark days, as I navigated the labyrinth of imprisonment, he stood by my side as a true friend.” Such gestures of gentle magnanimity marked him, and they will live in my heart forever.”

He concluded his homage to Singh by saying, “Goodbye, my Mitra, bhai, Manmohan.”