Preakas Sampunathan

Summary

Preakas Sampunathan (born 7 April 1982) is a Malaysian lawyer and DAP politician serving as the Selangor State Assemblyman for Kota Kemuning since his inaugural electoral win in August 2023. A Northumbria University law graduate, he practised law before entering politics and continues to do so alongside his legislative role. In the state assembly, he has focused on flood mitigation, urban infrastructure, education access, and environmental enforcement within his constituency.

Biography

Preakas Sampunathan (born 7 April 1982) is a Malaysian politician and lawyer serving as the Member of the Selangor State Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Kota Kemuning since August 2023 [1]. He is a member of the Democratic Action Party (DAP), a component party of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition [1]. Preakas grew up as the eldest of six children; his father was a lorry driver and his mother a rubber tapper [1]. He read law at Northumbria University in the United Kingdom [1]. Before entering electoral politics, he practised as a lawyer, beginning his legal career at the law firm of Damansara MP Gobind Singh Deo, where he served as junior counsel and later became a partner at his own law firm [2]. He has been a DAP member for more than a decade, participating in election campaigns and constituency work prior to contesting himself [3]. In the 2023 Selangor state election held on 12 August 2023, Preakas won the Kota Kemuning seat (N50) under the PH banner, defeating Perikatan Nasional's Jimmy Chew Jyh Gang in a three-cornered contest with 21,381 votes to 9,440 [4]. Since his election, he has focused on constituency-level issues including flood mitigation, illegal dumping, traffic congestion, and access to public schools.

Known for

Preakas Sampunathan is known as a lawyer-turned-state assemblyman who won the Kota Kemuning seat on his first electoral attempt in the 2023 Selangor state election. He has focused on urban infrastructure issues — particularly flash flood mitigation, traffic congestion, and school facilities — in a constituency spanning areas under both Shah Alam City Council (MBSA) and Subang Jaya City Council (MBSJ). He continues to practise law alongside his legislative duties, representing clients in civil matters [3].

Political positions

Preakas has consistently raised urban infrastructure deficits in the Selangor State Assembly. He called on state and federal governments to expedite flood mitigation projects in Kota Kemuning following a major flash flood in January 2024, and demanded a detailed report from MBSA and the Irrigation and Drainage Department within 24 hours [3]. During the 2023 state assembly debate, he proposed adopting the 'sponge city' concept — using water-absorbent road materials to reduce flood risk — citing examples from China, New Zealand, and Canada [3]. On education, he raised the shortage of public schools in Kota Kemuning during his 2023 campaign [4] and, in 2026, questioned the transparency of the matriculation programme's admission system after a student with 11As was offered only a polytechnic place [5]. He tabled questions in the state assembly on the whitelisting exercise of public housing units [3]. On environmental enforcement, he urged residents to report illegal dumping and requested MBSA and MBSJ to pursue legal action against offenders [3]. He also co-proposed that the Selangor government gazette certain Indian settlements as traditional villages to enable access to rural infrastructure allocations [3].

Education

1. Late 1990s–early 2000sAttended Northumbria University in the United Kingdom, where he studied law.⛓

Before politics

1. Early careerBegan his legal career at the law firm of Damansara MP Gobind Singh Deo, serving as junior counsel on various cases before eventually becoming a partner at his own law firm.⛓

Political career

1. Pre-2023Became a DAP member and participated in election campaigns and constituency work for more than a decade prior to contesting himself.⛓
2. July 2023Named by DAP as one of six new faces among the party's 15 Selangor state election candidates; assigned to contest the N50 Kota Kemuning seat.⛓
3. 12 August 2023Won the Kota Kemuning (N50) seat in the 2023 Selangor state election under Pakatan Harapan, defeating Perikatan Nasional's Jimmy Chew Jyh Gang with 21,381 votes to 9,440 in a three-cornered contest.⛓
4. August 2023Sworn in as Member of the Selangor State Legislative Assembly for Kota Kemuning.⛓
5. November 2023During the Selangor State Assembly debate session, proposed that Selangor adopt the 'sponge city' concept to tackle flood issues, citing implementations in China, New Zealand, and Canada.⛓
6. January 2024Called on state and federal authorities to expedite flood mitigation projects in Kota Kemuning following a major flash flood, and demanded a 24-hour report from MBSA and the Irrigation and Drainage Department.⛓
7. December 2024Publicly urged Kota Kemuning residents to report illegal dumping, and requested MBSA and MBSJ to take legal action against offenders, citing rampant illegal waste disposal in Bukit Kemuning.⛓
8. July 2025Organised the SPM 2024 Excellence Awards ceremony recognising 159 top-performing students from 23 schools in Kota Kemuning, distributing RM38,400 in monetary rewards.⛓
9. July 2025Co-proposed, alongside assemblymen Rajiv Rishyakaran (Bukit Gasing) and Gunaraj George (Sentosa), that several Indian settlements in Selangor be gazetted as traditional villages to enable access to Rural and Regional Development Ministry infrastructure allocations.⛓
10. August 2025Responded to a viral social media post about broken toilets at SMK Taman Sri Muda with no water for five to six months, confirming repair works by the Parent-Teacher Association were underway.⛓
11. April 2026Received a policy brief from NGOs and Putra Heights residents calling for a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Putra Heights gas pipeline blast, and for an urgent review of city plans and pipeline safety standards.⛓
12. May 2026Raised concerns about the transparency of the matriculation programme's admission system after a student with 11As in SPM was offered a polytechnic place, calling on the Higher Education Ministry to explain.⛓

Election history

• 2023Kota Kemuning (N50), SelangorWon⛓

Perspectives on key issues

• VerifiedFactsPreakas won the Kota Kemuning N50 seat in the 12 August 2023 Selangor state election with 21,381 votes against Perikatan Nasional's 9,440 votes, in a three-cornered contest. He has served as the state assemblyman since August 2023.⛓
• GovernmentThe Higher Education Ministry stated in May 2026 that Preakas 'seemed to have misunderstood the structure of the education system' when he called on the ministry to explain a student placement outcome, clarifying that the matriculation programme falls entirely under the Education Ministry's jurisdiction, and that his remarks were 'misleading'.⛓
• PublicResidents of Kota Kemuning engaged Preakas following a viral social media post about non-functional toilets at SMK Taman Sri Muda with no water for five to six months; he responded by confirming repair works were underway after checking with the school.⛓
• AffectedNGOs and Putra Heights residents handed a policy brief to Preakas in April 2026 calling for a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Putra Heights gas pipeline blast and an urgent review of city plans and pipeline maps for safety compliance.⛓