KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 27 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has described former Indian prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh, who died on Thursday night, as a “cherished friend” and a pivotal figure in India’s modern history.

In extending his condolences to the bereaved family, Anwar said: “The weight of grief bears down on me at the news of the passing of my honoured and cherished friend, Dr Manmohan Singh.”

Manmohan Singh, celebrated as the architect of India’s economic reforms during his tenure as finance minister and later as prime minister, played a key role in transforming India into a global economic powerhouse.

“Obituaries, essays and books aplenty there will surely be about this great man, celebrating him as the architect of India’s economic reforms. As Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh was the midwife of India’s emergence as one of the world’s economic giants,” Anwar said in a statement on his Facebook page.

Anwar reflected on his personal connection with Manmohan Singh, recalling their tenures as finance minister during the 1990s.

“I had the rare privilege of witnessing the early years of these transformative policies first-hand while we both served as finance ministers during the 1990s. We shared a fervent commitment to the war against corruption — even collaborating on unravelling a major case,” he said.

The prime minister praised Manmohan Singh for his uprightness and steadfastness, qualities that earned him respect as a statesman.

“The praise that will follow in the days ahead will be truly well-deserved. Dr Manmohan Singh, slightly awkward as a politician but undeniably upright, steadfast and resolute as a statesman, leaves behind a legacy that will inspire generations to come,” Anwar added.

In a deeply personal revelation, Anwar shared an anecdote highlighting Dr Manmohan Singh’s generosity and humanity during a challenging period of his life.

“Not many people know this, and it is time that I share it with Malaysians: during the years of my incarceration, he extended a kindness that he didn’t have to — one that was neither politically expedient nor, as one can imagine, appreciated by the Malaysian government at that time. Yet, true to his character, he did it anyway.

“He offered scholarships for my children, particularly my son, Ihsan. Although I had declined the gracious offer, such a gesture undoubtedly showed his extraordinary humanity and generosity, demonstrative, as the Bard would have it, of a man so full of ‘the milk of human kindness,’” Anwar said.

Anwar further described Manmohan Singh as a true friend who stood by him in his darkest days.

“In those dark days, as I navigated the labyrinth of imprisonment, he stood by me as a true friend. Such acts of quiet magnanimity defined him, and they will remain etched in my heart forever,” he said.

“Goodbye, my mitra, my bhai, Manmohan,” Anwar said.

Manmohan Singh died at the age of 92 at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi. He served as India’s 13th prime minister from 2004 to 2014. — Bernama