India’s new cultural centre in Kuala Lumpur aims to deepen ties with Malaysia and Southeast Asia through ethical teachings and diaspora engagement
KUALA LUMPUR: India’s plan to establish a Thiruvalluvar Centre in Malaysia is viewed as a strategic soft power initiative to bolster long-term engagement in Southeast Asia.
Analyst Dr Yanitha Meena Louis (pic) from ISIS Malaysia called the move “welcome and frankly long overdue”. She noted the Thirukkural, a classic Tamil text on ethics, is already central to Tamil language education in Malaysian schools.
“This presents a strong appeal to the two-million-strong Tamil-speaking Malaysian Indian population,” Yanitha told Bernama. She said India is leveraging indigenous connections to enhance ties in a more thoughtful manner.
The initiative’s appeal may extend beyond the Indian community as the Thirukkural is a didactic, not religious, text. It comprises three books on virtue, polity and love, offering ethical teachings.
Yanitha said discourse on the Kural contributes to non-Western ideas of statecraft. The text has been translated into Bahasa Melayu and is frequently quoted by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
While carrying symbolic value for audiences in Tamil Nadu, the centre’s long-term worth lies in institutional cooperation. Yanitha stressed it will enjoy bipartisan support as a product of bilateral frameworks.
“The centre will have a more institutional structure and outlive political rhetoric,” she explained. It will function as an enabler to sensitise audiences to India’s growth story.
For sustained relevance, the centre must engage academia and recognise contemporary scholarship on the Thirukkural. Yanitha said this signals its role as a product of bilateral strategic imperatives.
Bernama journalist S. Kisho Kumari said the hub signals India’s desire for a visible, long-term regional presence beyond politics or trade. Major powers like the US and China have long used cultural links to sustain influence.
“This centre helps India be part of that everyday conversation in the region,” Kisho Kumari stated. She noted the Malaysian Indian community can serve as a natural bridge for cultural and educational ties.
The initiative must be implemented openly within Malaysia’s multicultural setting. It carries domestic and foreign policy weight given Thiruvalluvar’s symbolic importance in South India.
Kisho Kumari said Malaysia is a practical location due to historical links and a large diaspora. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the centre’s establishment during his recent official visit.
