Kerala Muslim Jamaat president Kanthapuram A.P. Aboobacker Musliar praised Malappuram district for its communal harmony and care for others. Speaking at a reception in Areekode on January 7 during his Kerala Yatra, he said, "The development and welfare activities carried out in Malappuram with people’s participation were models for the entire world." The event marked the seventh day of the yatra, which began on January 1 from Kasargod and ends on January 16 in Thiruvananthapuram. Kanthapuram criticized attempts to portray Malappuram as a place of communal bias, stating, "Anyone who has visited Malappuram even once will understand the reality: the warmth and spirit of coexistence of its people." A large crowd attended the reception, which included a ‘centenary guard’ parade. Palestine Ambassador Abdullah Abu Shawesh inaugurated the function. KMJ secretary Ponmala Abdul Khadir Musliar presided over the event. Leaders present included Aryadan Shoukath, MLA, CPI(M) Polit Bureau member A. Vijayaraghavan, IUML leader and District Panchayat president P.A. Jabbar Haji, and Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church priest Fr. Thomas Kurian Thazhayil. Yatra vice-captains Syed Ibrahim Khaleel Bukhari Thangal and Perodu Abdurahman Saqafi addressed media in Malappuram, highlighting challenges faced by the district. Mr. Thangal said, "The demand for the bifurcation of a district should not be seen through a religious lens. This is not an issue unique to Malappuram." He added, "Given the population growth across the State over the past five decades, several districts need to be reorganised and bifurcated." They also urged the government to upgrade the Government Medical College Hospital at Manjeri and improve infrastructure at Thunchath Ezhuthachan Malayalam University and the Aligarh Muslim University Centre in Perinthalmanna. They called for an end to regional educational disparities and better solutions for wildlife issues in eastern Malappuram.