Prestine Davekhaw didn’t set out to be a disruptor—but that’s exactly what she’s become.
As the founder of MalaysianPAYGAP, she’s brought salary transparency to the forefront, building a platform grounded in empathy, data, and real stories from the workforce. Her approach to work is thoughtful, her rituals intentional, and her impact undeniable.
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🌻 How do you set your vibe for the day?
On mindful days, I start my morning with incense burning and light bossa nova music in the background - incense always reminds myself of what I’m working and living for. Simplest earthy joy. On less mindful days, I set on the hustler vibes with a podcast while driving to work. Podcasts make traffic feel productive, not wasted.
🛋️ How do you relax?
Letting my phone die. Escaping the city for the weekend. Taking solo hikes or walks at random hours, free from the hassle of planning around others. Big one: disconnecting from screens and media, including music at night.
💼 How would you describe your work to someone outside of your field?
I bring real-life experiences and insights to light. My work is about making information more accessible, relatable, and impactful, helping people see the bigger picture and connect with the world around them in a more meaningful way.
🌧️ What’s been the most unexpected emotional reaction or realisation you’ve had while running MalaysianPAYGAP?
It’s disheartening when people react with distrust or negativity to the stories we share, dismissing high salaries as fake simply because they’re beyond their exposure - despite our efforts to verify through payslips and LinkedIn connections. I had cried many times at rude and negative comments.
On the flip side, I’m proud of the real impact we’ve made. Some have chosen career paths based on our insights, secured promotions, or negotiated higher salaries to close their pay gaps. These stories warm my belly to keep going.
☂️ What do you think salary transparency teaches us about trust and empathy—not just in workplaces, but in society as a whole?
In society as a whole, I 100% believe that transparency fosters empathy by revealing the realities of different industries, career paths, and struggles. It forces us to acknowledge the systemic and personal factors at play. Deep down, MPG is a compassionate mission for me to carry.
🌟 How has running this platform changed the way you view your own career or your role in advocating for fairness?
Honestly, reading everyone’s stories has inspired me to pursue my own potential. For the past 10 years I hesitated to chase my dream of documentary photography, held back by foolish fear.
But after seeing so many people on MPG fight for their value in the corporate world, I realized it’s time for me to do the same. I want to be just as strategic, intentional, and bold in my own path like them!
(Shameless ad plug: pls check out @disappearingcultures)
🌈 What do you hope MalaysianPAYGAP will mean to people 10 or 20 years from now? What legacy do you want it to leave behind?
That we’ve influenced companies at a cultural level, driven by the demands of the workforce where salary transparency would be practiced.
That MalaysianPAYGAP has reshaped how people perceive their salaries - no longer passive, exploitative, or uncomfortable, but something they can actively engage with, rationally and radically.
That we’re best remembered for holding up a space for important stories about work, and inspired humility and compassion among people.
🤝 Do you enjoy networking?
I do, but not at those big networking events (more than 10 ppl is big). The noise and chaotic energy drain me. I prefer intimate gatherings where conversations can be meaningful, thoughtful, and deep. Most importantly, in a quiet environment where one doesn’t need to raise voices and repeat sentences.
Prestine with Angel Investor Chen Chow Yeoh, Personal Branding Strategist Ling Yah of STIMY, BilaBila Mart Co-Founder Hui Jing Lee, Collektr Founder & CEO Adlin Yusman, Broadcast Journalist (formerly on BFM) Freda Liu, BT Group Corporate Strategy Director Julian Tan, and food writer Loh Yi Jun of Jun & Tonic.
🌐 Best encounter at a networking event?
I once met someone who shared his story of sailing from one country to another after retirement. Our encounter ended there - no business contact, no follow up after. In fact, I don’t even know his name or what he does. But the story was fun, and he reminded me of a hundred ways to live. What’s my story gonna be?
💖 What's your favourite thing about Mole?
Always…slightly odd. Just a little odd, the sweetest spot of odd. Takes a fearless team to deliver that.
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🎧 What are you listening to now?
My true inner voice, the one that knows the way, not the doubtful one.
🍧 Favourite snack or dessert?
On mindful days, papaya with passion fruit. The best ever. On not so mindful days, Lucky sticks in pink, strawberry flavor.
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Through MalaysianPAYGAP (MPG), Prestine has done something few are brave enough to do: hold a mirror up to our working lives. Her platform, rooted in salary transparency and grounded in empathy, has made space for real, anonymous salary stories to be shared without shame—offering solidarity in a system that often breeds silence. But what makes MPG powerful isn’t just the data—it’s the way Prestine tells the story around it.
There’s a quiet boldness to how she operates. She’s the kind of person who lets her phone die on purpose just to reset. She finds calm in bossa nova and incense, but also energy in solo walks and unplugged weekends. She’s not interested in performance; she’s interested in clarity—of intention, of purpose, of what it means to live fully while working meaningfully.
What started as a side project has grown into a movement. People have used MPG to ask for raises, shift industries, and reclaim their worth. And in return, it’s challenged Prestine to do the same—finally pursuing her long-held dream of becoming a documentary photographer through her new initiative, Disappearing Cultures.
She’s proof that transparency isn’t just about numbers. It’s about daring to be honest in public. About showing up with conviction but also softness. And about making space—so others might see their own value reflected back.
Connect with Prestine if you’re building ethical workplaces, advocating for transparency, or simply trying to figure out your own next chapter. She’s not just changing how we talk about salaries—she’s showing us how to live with courage, clarity, and care.
• Prestine's LinkedIn
• Prestine's IG
• MalaysianPAYGAP
• Disappearing Cultures
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