Kuala Lumpur, June 10 (IANS) Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Wednesday extended heartfelt greetings to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on becoming the longest-serving elected Prime Minister of India, calling the achievement a “testament to years of dedicated public service”.

PM Modi on Wednesday became India’s longest-serving Prime Minister, marking 12 years at the helm of the Central government.

In a post on X, Malaysian PM Ibrahim said, “Heartiest congratulations to PM Modi on this historic milestone of becoming India’s longest-serving elected Prime Minister. This achievement stands as a testament to his years of dedicated public service and leadership in advancing India’s development, prosperity and standing on the global stage.”

Stressing the strong bilateral relationship, the Malaysian PM said, “Malaysia values its close and longstanding friendship with India, and I look forward to continuing our cooperation in strengthening bilateral ties and expanding opportunities for our peoples.”

“I wish PM Modi continued success and the people of India continued peace, progress and prosperity,” he added.

PM Modi crossed former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s record with 4,399 days in office as an elected Prime Minister.

Nehru’s tenure from 1952 onwards is considered for this comparison, as he headed an interim government between 1947 and 1952 before the country’s first general elections were held.

While former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi served for more than 14 years in office, her tenure was not continuous, making Modi the longest continuously serving elected Prime Minister in the country’s history. He has served from his first swearing-in ceremony in 2014 to securing successive mandates in 2019 and a historic third consecutive term in 2024.

The PM Modi-led government’s era has also been marked by a series of high-profile infrastructure and nation-building projects, including the new Parliament building, Central Vista redevelopment, Kartavya Path, Vande Bharat trains, the Statue of Unity, INS Vikrant, the Kashmir rail link, Noida International Airport, Namo Bharat RRTS and the Ganga Expressway.

–IANS

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