Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to embark on a visit to Malaysia and Singapore. Apart from the strategic significance, Malaysia is important for the Indian government because of the large two million strong Indian community, with more than 70 per cent of the group being Tamilians.
With Chettinad food, Sarvana Bhawan, sarees from Chennai and Tamil movies, Malaysia is truly a home away from home for any Tamilian.
Malaysia has a large and influential Tamil population, with many like Datuk Doraisingam Pillai settled here for decades. Doraisingam started off by helping his father who was a property broker. He began his business venture with a south Indian restaurant in 1981 and today he is the owner of a 300-million dollar business empire.
His Lotus group of companies claims to holds 90 per cent of the market share in distribution of Tamil movies.
"After Tamil Nadu, Malaysia is the biggest market for Tamil movies. Rajinikanth is most popular, then Ajit Surya and Sivakartikeyan," said Doraisingam.
Tamil superstars regularly come to Kuala Lumpur to promote their films. Southern influence can be seen on the food too. Name any dish and it is available at cheap rates.
According to C Mohan, a third generation Tamil in Malaysia and owner of Betel Leaf restaurant, their cuisine and tradition have become a part of Malaysian culture.
"Biryani and our Chettinad food are the most popular dishes. We keep it very authentic, don't dilute the taste. It is popular among local Malaysians and Chinese as well. We keep our food the way it is," said Mohan.
It's fascinating to see how Tamilian families, of which some who came here a century ago, have preserved every bit of their culture. There are at least 500 Tamil schools in Malaysia and many temples as well.
The community has strong political influence as well, with three ministers and 14 MPs in the Malaysian parliament.
From films, hotels and real estate, Tamilians are an integral part of almost every sector in Malaysia, and that is why it is important for the Indian government to reach out to the group with the hope that they will help channelise investments into India.
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