The 24-year-old refugee activist said she was passionate about serving the young.

“I wish to fight for many issues, including for equal opportunities for refugee kids. Currently we have about 40,000 refugee kids and most of them do not have access to education. I am trying to get them sent to government schools.”

She said she had decided to join the party after reading about Hannah Yeoh last year before flying to London to receive the Queen’s Young Leaders award.

“That’s when I reached out and arranged for a meeting with Hannah to gain a better understanding of what being involved in politics entails. So after a year of thinking, I have chosen to join DAP,” she said at a press conference to officiate Yeoh’s new service centre for Segambut.

Yeoh, formerly speaker of the Selangor state legislative assembly, won the Segambut parliamentary seat in the May 9 general election.

“I strongly believe in all the values the party stands for – a party that runs on the principles of human rights, equality, and social and economic justice,” Quah said.

“I hope to be able to play a role in looking into policies and legislation for the underprivileged and downtrodden while elevating the voices of Malaysian youth.

“Having seen so much injustice over the years, I hope to be able to play a role in being a voice for the voiceless.”

Quah received the award last year for her advocacy and aid work for refugees in Malaysia through her NGO, Refuge for The Refugees (RFTR).

Today, RFTR supports 35 schools and cares for more than 2,000 refugee children.

Quah said it was high time for youths to step out of complacency and stand up for what was right instead of taking a backseat in social issues affecting the country.

“In DAP, I hope to be able to work alongside DAP parliamentarians and share my experience working on the ground and see efforts made to improve the situation. This is a first step for me.”

At the same function, 12-year-old pupil Ervin Devadasan donated his savings of eight months to Tabung Harapan Malaysia. He had been saving the money to buy a drum set.

“I have been following the news after the recent 14th general election, and am aware of the donations. So, I want to do my part,” he said.

Tabung Harapan was launched by the finance ministry on May 30. It was set up as a trust fund to enable the ministry to manage contributions and donations in a systematic and transparent manner.