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Prabakaran Parameswaran

Prabakaran Parameswaran

Party
PKR · People's Justice Party
Coalition
PH
Constituency
Batu
State
W.P. Kuala Lumpur
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Why this matters to you

As the MP for Batu — a constituency that includes Sentul and has the highest concentration of Projek Perumahan Rakyat (PPR) public housing in Kuala Lumpur — Prabakaran's policy focus on cost of living, public housing, and youth employment directly bears on daily life for tens of thousands of low-income urban residents (Source: en.wikipedia.org). In his role as MITRA Special Committee chairman, he oversees a RM100 million government allocation that funds student scholarships, dialysis patient assistance, and small-business grants for Indian-community B40 households across Malaysia (Source: malaymail.com). His active questioning of government ministries in the Dewan Rakyat on public health matters — such as the National Suicide and Fatal Injury Registry — demonstrates his use of the parliamentary process to press for policy outcomes that affect public welfare (Source: codeblue.galencentre.org).

Summary

Prabakaran Parameswaran (born 8 February 1996) is the PKR MP for Batu, W.P. Kuala Lumpur, first elected in GE14 in 2018 as the youngest person ever to win a parliamentary seat in Malaysia. He has held the seat through two consecutive general elections and serves concurrently as Chairman of the MITRA Special Committee under the Prime Minister's Office, overseeing socioeconomic programmes for the Malaysian Indian community. His political focus spans youth rights, urban cost of living, and public infrastructure for his constituency.

Biography

Prabakaran a/l Parameswaran (born 8 February 1996) is a Malaysian politician and lawyer who has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Batu, W.P. Kuala Lumpur, since May 2018 [1]. He is a member of Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), a component party of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition. He first contested and won the Batu seat in GE14 as an independent candidate, after incumbent PKR MP Tian Chua was disqualified from contesting by the Election Commission [2]. Just four days after his GE14 victory, he formally joined PKR [3]. At 22 years and 90 days old at the time of his election, he became the youngest person ever elected as a Member of Parliament in Malaysian history, breaking a 41-year record previously held by former Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak [4]. He was born and raised in the Batu constituency itself [1]. Within PKR, he has served as Youth Chief of PKR Federal Territories from February 2020 to August 2022, and as Division Chief of PKR Batu since July 2022 [1]. He was re-elected in GE15 in November 2022, retaining the Batu seat with 45,716 votes in a 10-cornered contest [4]. In February 2024, he was appointed Chairman of the Special Committee of the Malaysian Indian Community Transformation Unit (MITRA) under the Prime Minister's Office [4]. He is trained as a lawyer and was a second-year law student at the time of his first election win [5].

Known for

Prabakaran is primarily known for being the youngest person ever elected to the Malaysian Parliament, winning the Batu seat at age 22 in GE14 as an independent candidate backed by PKR [4]. He has consistently championed issues affecting youth, including lowering the voting age, reducing the cost of living for young families, and expanding education and employment opportunities [2]. Since February 2024, he has also been the Parliamentary face of MITRA, the government unit tasked with uplifting the socioeconomic status of the Indian community in Malaysia [4].

Political positions

Prabakaran has consistently advocated for youth rights and political participation, including championing the reduction of the voting age from 21 to 18, improved vocational and tertiary education, and increased internship opportunities for young Malaysians [2]. He has also pushed for improved public infrastructure, disability-friendly urban environments, and affordable cost of living for young families [1]. In his capacity as MITRA chairman, he has directed funds towards student financial aid at public and private higher education institutions, assistance for dialysis patients, aid for students in private kindergartens, professional certifications, and micro-enterprise support for Indian-community B40 entrepreneurs [5]. He has pledged to back pro-people policies and anti-corruption measures at the national level [5]. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he stated his constituency service priorities included welfare assistance, redevelopment, infrastructure improvements, and addressing traffic issues [5].

References

  1. [1]en.wikipedia.org
  2. [2]freemalaysiatoday.com
  3. [3]malaysiakini.com
  4. [4]thestar.com.my
  5. [5]malaymail.com

Education

  1. 2016–2018Was a second-year law student at the time of his GE14 election victory in May 2018; planned to continue studies on a part-time basis after winning the Batu seat.⛓

Before politics

  1. Early lifeBorn and raised in the Batu constituency, Kuala Lumpur. Developed an interest in politics from primary school after being encouraged by his father to follow parliamentary debates and read newspapers.⛓

Political career

  1. 9 May 2018Won the Batu parliamentary seat in GE14 as an independent candidate with 38,125 votes and a majority of 24,438 votes, after PKR incumbent Tian Chua was disqualified from contesting. Became the youngest MP in Malaysian history at age 22 years and 90 days.⛓
  2. 13 May 2018Formally joined PKR at a victory celebration event in Sentul, Kuala Lumpur, four days after winning the Batu seat as an independent.⛓
  3. 20 February 2020Appointed Youth Chief of PKR Federal Territory (Chief of Armada Muda Keadilan, Federal Territory).⛓
  4. August 2022Concluded his term as Youth Chief of PKR Federal Territories, a role he had held since February 2020.⛓
  5. July 2022Elected as Division Chief of PKR Batu, defeating former PKR vice-president Tian Chua for the position.⛓
  6. 19 November 2022Re-elected as MP for Batu in GE15 with 45,716 votes (40.2% share) in a 10-cornered contest, defeating candidates from PN, BN, and eight other challengers including former MP Tian Chua who lost his deposit.⛓
  7. 7 February 2024Appointed Chairman of the Special Committee of the Malaysian Indian Community Transformation Unit (MITRA) under the Prime Minister's Office, replacing Datuk R. Ramanan who was elevated to Deputy Minister.⛓

Election history

  • 2022Batu (P115)Won40.2%⛓
  • 2018Batu (P115)Won49.9%⛓

Stance evolution

Public statements grouped chronologically. The party tag shows which party the politician was contesting under at that point.

  1. 2024PKR
    • The prime minister hopes this appointment will ensure that Mitra continues to fulfil its mandate and responsibilities in uplifting the dignity and socioeconomic status of the Indian community.

      Statement from the Prime Minister's Office announcing Prabakaran's appointment as MITRA Special Committee chairman, as reported by Free Malaysia Today. · Source

  2. 2022PKR
    • I predict they will vote based on party, because the bigger picture is about the nation, not about Batu only.

      Said to Malay Mail during the GE15 campaign period when discussing the 10-cornered fight in Batu. · Source

  3. 2018PKR
    • My family has been living in the Batu constituency since my birth, and they have been PKR supporters from the start.

      Said to Free Malaysia Today when offering to represent PKR in GE14 after incumbent Tian Chua was disqualified from contesting. · Source

Perspectives on key issues

  • GovernmentThe Prime Minister's Office stated that Prabakaran's appointment as MITRA chairman was to ensure the unit continues to fulfil its mandate in uplifting the socioeconomic status of the Indian community, following the elevation of his predecessor to a Deputy Minister role.⛓
  • OppositionMIC (a BN component party) lodged a police report in November 2022 disputing Prabakaran's claim at a campaign talk that he had been offered RM10 million to defect, with Federal Territories MIC chairman Datuk S Rajah denying any such offer was made and calling it 'slander'.⛓
  • ExpertCodeBlue reported that Prabakaran raised the issue of Malaysia's National Suicide and Fatal Injury Registry in a Dewan Rakyat written question in July 2022, prompting a ministerial reply that RM4 million had been allocated under the 12th Malaysia Plan to develop the registry.⛓
  • VerifiedFactsPrabakaran is confirmed as MP for Batu (P115) in the 15th Parliament under the Pakatan Harapan banner, as listed on the official Parliament of Malaysia member roster.⛓

Sources

Every URL the AI used to draft this profile, for editor and reader verification.

Reviewed by editorHigh confidence