JOHOR BAHRU, Dec 30 (Bernama) — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim received a warm welcome from about 3,000 Johoreans during his visit to the Kampung Melayu Majidee mosque today where he was involved in officiating the building’s groundbreaking ceremony 27 years ago.

He officiated at the ceremony in his capacity as Deputy Prime Minister in 1995.

Anwar, who was on a working visit to the state for the first time after his appointment as the 10th Prime Minister, performed Friday prayers at the mosque along with Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi and Johor Bahru Member of Parliament and Local Government Development Deputy Minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir.

Before performing prayers at the mosque, he spent about half an hour having lunch with the local folks and leaders at Restoran Murtabak Kampung Melayu Azo 96.

The mosque was attended by an extraordinary congregation, many of whom wanted to see the country’s top leader up close.

There was a bit of a commotion after the prayers when the crowd surged towards the Tambun Member of Parliament to take photos and videos and some of them also chanted the word ‘Reformasi’.

The mosque’s chief Imam and secretary Mohamad Izuddin Hassan said Anwar was delighted by the warm welcome.

“We had a chat and the prime minister was also happy to have sampled the famous ‘murtabak’,” he told reporters after the prayers.

Earlier, the Sultan of Johor Sultan Ibrahim Almarhum Sultan Iskandar at Istana Bukit Serene here granted Anwar an audience, which was the second meeting after he was sworn in as Prime Minister.

Also present was the Regent of Johor, Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency