Malaysian Prime minister, Anwar Ibrahim on Tuesday congratulated Chandrasekar Joseph Vijay on becoming the new Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, while highlighting the longstanding cultural and historical ties between Malaysia and the southern Indian state.
Vijay’s victory came after a closely watched assembly election in which his party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, campaigned on anti-corruption promises, youth mobilisation and political change. The election marked the actor’s formal transition from cinema superstar to full-time politician, with his campaign drawing strong support from young and first-time voters.
In a post on X, Ibrahim reflected on Vijay’s popularity as an actor, saying fans had for years watched him defeat corrupt politicians and villains on screen within “three hours, usually after a short interval.” He added that the people of Tamil Nadu had now entrusted Vijay with “a responsibility far greater than any role performed on screen.”
Congratulating his “friend” on the electoral victory, Ibrahim referred to Vijay’s political slogan, “Oru Viral Puratchi” or “one-finger revolution,” and said it was now “on the cusp of creating history.”
The Malaysian Prime Minister also stressed the deep people-to-people connections shared by Malaysia and Tamil Nadu across generations, adding that he looked forward to working closely with Vijay in the coming years.
The 51-year-old actor-turned-politician was sworn in as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister on Sunday.
