Suresh G, as he was fondly referred to by his close friends and colleagues, was born on 12 September 1969 in London whilst his parents, G Pararajasingam and Devika Ranee Ponniah, were there pursing law and post-graduate nursing degrees respectively. At age three he came home with his parents and younger brother Mahendra. Suresh has two other siblings, namely Darmendra and Ananda.
Suresh was enrolled at the Batu Road Primary School where he became the school vice-captain and earned a place in Victoria Institution to continue his studies. Whilst there, he was a member of the Prefects’ Board, the school band and the tae-kwando club. After SPM, he attended Prime College for ‘A’ levels and upon successful completion he decided to take up law as a career.
It was about this time that his family faced some very trying times but with his single-mindedness of purpose and dogged determination he commenced the LL.B External Degree Programme at ATC whilst teaching English part-time at a language institute in Kepong.
Each year he came out tops at ATC and had the distinction of being the top student in the country for the Intermediate and Part I Finals. He was awarded a full scholarship from the college for his Part I and Part II Finals.
In 1992, he was awarded the MLJ Book Prize Certificate. In 1993 he completed the LL.B degree course with a Second Class Honours (Upper Division) from the University of London. In 1994 Suresh G enrolled for the CLP course and whilst studying for this examination he held down a full-time position and two part-time positions as a teacher of law, including jurisprudence, in which he excelled. He completed the CLP examination and was awarded the prize for Civil Procedure. In June 1995 he commenced pupillage with Mr V Vijakumar and upon completion was admitted as an Advocate and Solicitor of the High Court of Malaya on 5 April 1996. Suresh G then commenced practice with Raja Darryl and Loh where he remained until his untimely and tragic demise on 8 March 1997. Suresh G has been described by his lecturers as an “individual”, “original” and a “thinker” whilst his friends recall him as a “caring and gentle” person who never had a bad word to say of anyone.
One of his course mates has said of him that though he was often not in class but constantly on top, he never hesitated to share whatever he knew and was always humble and felt that he had a lot to learn.
The fact that at his funeral there was a high turnout of his peers is in itself an indication of the high regard and esteem in which he was held.
But, all said and done, Suresh G’s legacy must surely be his never say die attitude whatever the odds and an acute desire to excel on his own merits.
To clothe the fiery thought
in simple words, succeeds,
For still the craft of genius is,
to mask a King in weeds
-Emerson