KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, May 12: Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Tuesday congratulated actor-turned-politician C. Joseph Vijay after he was elected Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu following the sweeping electoral success of his party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), in the 2026 Assembly elections.
In a post on X, Ibrahim extended his wishes to Vijay and highlighted the longstanding cultural and historical ties between Malaysia and Tamil Nadu.
Referring to the song “Oru Viral Puratchi” from Vijay’s film Sarkar, the Malaysian Prime Minister described the phrase — meaning “one-finger revolution” — as symbolic of democratic change through voting and said the movement was now “on the cusp of creating history.”
“I warmly congratulate my friend Vijay on being elected Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. For many years, his adoring fans watched him defeat corrupt politicians and assorted villains within three hours, usually after a short interval. The people of Tamil Nadu have now entrusted Vijay with a responsibility far greater than any role performed on screen,” Ibrahim wrote.
“Oru Viral Puratchi — the ‘one-finger revolution’ — is now on the cusp of creating history,” he added.
Ibrahim also underlined the deep-rooted relationship between Malaysia and Tamil Nadu and expressed optimism about future cooperation.
“Malaysia and Tamil Nadu share deep historical, cultural and people-to-people ties across generations. I look forward to working closely with Chief Minister Vijay in the years ahead,” the Malaysian Prime Minister stated.
Malaysia is home to nearly 185,000 Non-Resident Indians, including skilled and unskilled workers, while the Indian expatriate population in the country is estimated at approximately 25,000.
The broader population of Persons of Indian Origin in Malaysia stands at around 2.75 million, accounting for nearly 6.8 percent of the country’s population and making it the world’s third-largest Indian diaspora community.
Nearly 90 percent of the Indian-origin community in Malaysia speaks Tamil, while other languages spoken include Telugu, Malayalam, Punjabi, Bengali, Gujarati, and Marathi.
Vijay took oath as the 13th Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu on Sunday following his party’s breakthrough electoral performance in its debut election.
The oath was administered by Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar in the presence of Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Vijay’s family members, actress Trisha Krishnan, and other dignitaries.
The 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly election marked a historic shift in the state’s political landscape, with TVK winning 108 of the 234 seats in its first electoral contest. It was also the first time in Tamil Nadu’s political history that both major Dravidian parties were voted out of power simultaneously.
Although TVK fell short of an outright majority, the party later secured support from the Congress, CPI-M, CPI, VCK, and IUML, all of which had previously been allies of the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance.
Vijay formally launched TVK in 2024 after years of speculation regarding his political entry. Prior to entering active politics, he was involved in social initiatives and frequently addressed issues such as corruption, drug abuse, and governance through his films. (ANI)
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