New delhi: The proposed meeting between Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay was cancelled due to scheduling conflicts, as announced by Minister of Human Resources Datuk Seri R. Ramanan. The meeting could not be arranged as the schedules of both leaders did not align during the relevant period.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Anwar, who also serves as Finance Minister, will extend his working visit to Keralam, a state on the Malabar Coast of southern India. Following this, he will head to the Maldives from September 14 to 15 before returning to Malaysia in time for Hari Malaysia.

Ramanan clarified to Malaysian media covering Anwar's visit to the 18th BRIC Leaders' Summit that the meeting's cancellation was solely due to scheduling issues and not because of any particular party. He emphasized that the situation should not be interpreted beyond the scheduling circumstances, addressing speculation around the proposed meeting.

Ramanan, part of the Prime Minister's delegation, expressed hope that the matter would be viewed in its proper context, highlighting that scheduling considerations are a standard aspect of high-level engagements.