Kanthapuram Aboobacker Musliar becomes first Indian to get highest civilian award of Malaysia
Malaysia bestowed its highest civilian award, the Hijra Award, upon prominent Sunni leader Kanthapuram Aboobacker Musliar, making him the first Indian to receive this prestigious honor. The award was presented by Malaysian King Al Sultan Abdullah Ahmad Shah during a ceremony held at the World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday.
The Hijra Award, instituted by Malaysia in the name of Prophet Mohammed, is dedicated to recognizing distinguished Islamic scholars from around the world and has been awarded on the first day of the Islamic New Year since 2008. It is considered one of the most esteemed prizes in the Islamic world.
The event was graced by several high-ranking Malaysian officials, including Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Minister for Religious Affairs Mohammed Nahim Bin Mukhtar. Mr. Kanthapuram, who was present at the function in a wheelchair, was lauded on stage to receive the prestigious award.
The Malaysian government initiated the Hijra Award to honor international Islamic scholars for their significant contributions to world peace and harmony.
The decision to confer the Hijra Award upon Mr. Kanthapuram was based on his notable efforts in promoting messages of peace and fostering interfaith relations worldwide, as recognized by Malaysia's Ministry of Islamic Affairs.
Expressing his gratitude after receiving the award, Mr. Kanthapuram conveyed that the esteemed recognition by Malaysia would embolden him to expand his activities to broader horizons. He arrived in Malaysia on Monday after accepting an invitation from Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
During his visit, the Malaysian Prime Minister and Mr. Kanthapuram engaged in discussions on further enhancing and strengthening cultural ties between Malaysia and India.
Joining Mr. Kanthapuram during the ceremony were Abdul Hakeem Azhari, the managing director of Markaz Knowledge City; Abdussalam, the Knowledge City chief executive officer; and Kuttur Abdurahman Haji, the chairman of Jamiul Futooh maintenance committee.
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Centre spent Rs 76.13 lakh on print media ads for RSS centenary, reveals RTI
New Delhi: The Union Ministry of Culture allegedly spent Rs 76.13 lakh on print advertisements marking the 100-year celebrations of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), according to a Right to Information (RTI) reply.
The information was sought by RTI activist Ajay Basudev Bose, who filed an application seeking details on expenditure incurred by the ministry for advertisements commemorating the RSS centenary.
Bose shared a picture of the reply from the ministry on his official ‘X’ handle.
“It is informed that an amount of Rs 76,13,129 has been spent on advertisement given in various print media by the Ministry of Culture on the occasion of the completion of 100 years of RSS,” the government’s reply stated.
RTI reply shows Min of Culture Govt of India spent a Whopping Rs 76L,13K,129 on Advertisement in Print Media on occasion of 100 yrs of #RSS
— AJAY Basudev Bose (@AjayBos93388306) April 16, 2026
When Everyone knows RSS is Not Registered & Does not Pay any Tax is it justified to spend Tax Payers Money on such Private event??@RSSorg… pic.twitter.com/dW4IUtdNCg
Bose questioned the expenditure in the post X, “when Everyone knows RSS is Not Registered & Does not Pay any Tax is it justified to spend Tax Payers Money on such Private event??”
Reacting to the development, Karnataka’s IT-BT and Panchayat Raj Minister Priyank Kharge also criticised the spending.
In a post on X, he asked why public money was being used for what he described as a “private ideological project” and questioned the government’s decision to fund advertisements related to the organisation’s centenary.
According to reports, the RSS, founded in 1925, describes itself as a volunteer-based organisation and has stated that it functions as a body of individuals rather than a registered entity.
