Malachai is a proud Australian man with strong Indigenous roots, linking him to both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. He grew up in the remote Indigenous community of Weipa, located 12 hours north of Cairns in the bush. In 2021 and 2022, Malachai was the Youth Member for Mulgrave in the Queensland Youth Parliament, also a part of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Portfolio. In 2021 he was also elected the Deputy Youth Premier of Queensland. 

Malachai has sat on the local Napranum Aboriginal Shire Council, where he worked closely with politicians to create change in his community & region. Finally, he is the Director of Yumi Cultural Experiences, an all-Indigenous company that teaches Indigenous education and dance at primary schools in Queensland. In 2022 Malachai attended PAYA’s Inaugural Youth Leadership Summit in Noumea, New Caledonia, as a youth delegate representing his Indigenous community and university.

He is a prominent advocate for Indigenous peoples, Australian farmers and Australia's relationship with its bordering nations. Malachai is also one of PAYA’s Regional Coordinators for Australia and New Zealand.