Anwar receives inaugural Sheikh Abu Bakar Foundation Excellence Award

KERALAM, INDIA - Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim received the inaugural Sheikh Abu Bakar Foundation Excellence Award, acknowledging his decades-long dedication to public service and a wide range of contributions. The prestigious accolade was bestowed upon Anwar by Grand Mufti of India, Sheikh Abubakr Ahmad, during an event at Markazu Saquafathi Sunniya, or Jamia Markaz, one of India's premier Islamic institutions.

The award ceremony honored Anwar for his work in education, Islamic scholarship, institutional development, international dialogue, and human well-being. The award comes as part of Anwar's visit to India, aimed at strengthening Malaysia-India bilateral relations and exploring new areas of cooperation. The citation read during the ceremony highlighted Anwar's perseverance, institutional vision, and sustained commitment to dialogue, equitable development, education, and human dignity throughout his public life. His efforts in preserving and disseminating the Islamic scholarly tradition were also commended.

Earlier, Anwar met with Sheikh Abubakr following the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi. Sheikh Abubakr, serving as the 10th Grand Mufti of India, had previously been honored in Malaysia with prestigious Hijri awards for his scholarly contributions and humanitarian work. The Jamia Markaz has also established academic cooperation with several leading universities in Malaysia.