Life of the Party
What does a ‘young boy’ know about politics, anyway? Kathlyn D’souza finds that the youngest parliament member P. Prabakaran Parameswaran does know plenty, and intends to exact change
It was a busy day for P. Prabakaran. In between meetings and other programmes, he managed to squeeze in an hour for Malaysia Tatler’s shoot, and did not look the slightest bit ruffled or disorientated—whereas we can imagine his elder peers sporting a frown after rushing to and fro from morning till night. But this unassuming one walked in, then with a mellow and relaxed tone, greeted the team. Confident, eloquent and charismatic, you can’t help but hang on to his every word when he speaks. All this energy from a young man just shy of being 22 years of age. Chalk it up to his youth, perhaps—a probable reason as to how he has so much gusto each day. Speaking of, the words ‘youth’ and ‘young’ have been circulating pre- and post-election. While many like the idea of younger, fresher faces going into politics, many still do not take to the idea that well. Comments ranged from, “We need the young who will voice out what the current voters want,” to “He’s just a boy—what makes everyone think he will make a difference?” As it turns out, a difference has been made. As July the 16th saw him being sworn in as the youngest member of Parliament in history. Following this, he quickly established his first priority. “My first duty is to reduce the voting age from 21 to 18. With the support of the other MPS, of course,” he politely added. For Prabakaran, the bigger picture isn’t joining politics for the sake of it, but to support new ideas. All in the name of developing and enhancing youth programmes. Needless to say, his youth, a topic of interest to all, was heavily discussed. I am certain he has exhausted the use of the phrase, ‘Age is just a number.’ Sure enough, he reiterated: “When people approach me for help, they don’t ask my age. Age shouldn’t be an indication as to whether you should or should not help someone, and it definitely should not be a barrier when one is thinking of getting into politics. That’s a popular notion among the elders and the politicians across all political parties—and that’s what I’m here for, to change that,” he argued. Today, Prabakaran hopes that more parents will encourage their children to participate in politics, to make a difference and to change the future for the better. “For now I don’t see many parents encouraging their children to be involved in politics,” he bemoaned. During his first foray into politics, Prabakaran admitted being fearful. After all, he had no experience and neither did those backing him. His own parents and grandparents had an inkling of politics, but nothing too in-depth. Nevertheless, they supported his decision to dive in— something for which he is immensely grateful. Prabakaran’s father was quite pleased when his son announced his initial interest in politics, acknowledging that few in this time and at his age were keen. To get yourself nominated is not a small thing. One has to have something extra special, and as it turns out, his son had it in spades.
Topping that list of differences is Prabakaran’s urge to be involved. He admits that many youth out there are considered ‘bystanders’. They are not in the system, and they are not aware of what is happening around them. “When I was participating in the PRU14 campaigns as an independent candidate, some of them even asked me what an ‘independent’ was. They were not aware that being an independent did not prohibit you from running in the elections. This too, needs to change,” he remarked. The ambitious, self-professed ‘true Sentul boy’ recalls the best years of his life at his primary school, SK Sri Dhandayuthapani. One of the highlights for him was winning a badminton tournament, a feat which still puts a smile on his face, at the recollection. But it was his years at high school that prompted him to discover his own leadership qualities. “Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Maxwell is the foundation for who I am today. It was there that I started off by becoming the captain of the school hockey club.” Now that school years have gone past, greater things await him—both personally and professionally. How will he bring the country forward? His plans are not only to lead the youths in the nation or to ensure they remain in the right path, but to sort out the many issues within his constitution. A heavy burden to bear, even for such a promising personality. Fortunately, he is not alone. “By becoming the MP of my constitution, I am not the only one doing the work. There is a huge team behind me,” he assured. “The Parti Keadilan Rakyat is there, as is my mentor, Chua Tian Chang.” And if anything goes above or beyond Prabakaran’s abilities, he is unashamed to seek out solid advice from his mentors and his people. Apart from resolving current affairs, Prabakaran is also a student at Brickfields Asia College. Smart division of time is
“We should not be differentiated by colours, race and classes. We should always stick together and be united. Be loyal to us, and we will be loyal to you”
definitely on the list of his best attributes, but he takes life in stride. “Before I got into politics, I only did three things: study, spend time with my family and social work,” he said. “My family has always been involved in social work, which entails buying coffin boxes for the poor who have lost their loved ones, feeding the underprivileged and taking part in mobile clinics. My friends and I also used to participate in clean-ups, would alert DBKL to our community’s problems, and carry out administrative paperwork for the uneducated, who have no knowledge on matters such as preparing and submitting résumés,” he revealed. These days, Prabakaran carries out his duty to the people in the political office instead. “I am fully dedicated to public service, family time and not forgetting my studies,” he smiled. Despite having grown up from a boy to a leader of the people, Prabakaran is still his same self—a Malaysian driven by the vision of a greater Malaysia. His dream goes as such: “A country where there is no such thing as race, colour or status, and where everyone is treated equally. This is my first ‘harapan.’” When asked to send a message to the younger generation who hope to follow in his footsteps, he advised, “Go ahead. Politics is about serving the public. Only do it if you have a pure heart. Besides that, read lots of books and newspapers. In fact, always pay attention to the news. Be active on social media about political issues, create new ideas and voice out your ideas to Parliament. If I can do it, so can you.”