A Family Legacy and Professional Journey of my father Jegathesan

Family Background

Jegathesan's father, the late K.V. Sathurama Iyer, moved to Malaya in 1925 from the Salem district (now Dharmapuri, part of Salem). During his travels, he acquired a book in Gemas, signing it at 7 Main Road, Gemas. By the late 1930s, he settled in Strathmashie Estate, Bagan Datoh.

Jegathesan was born in Strathmashie Estate, Bagan Datoh, in October 1939. He fondly recalls the abundance of coconut trees surrounding their quarters. His father served as a Tamil and Telugu teacher in that area. The family relocated to Ipoh shortly after World War II.

He received his education at ACS Ipoh until 1956, then attended the Technical Institute in Kuala Lumpur from 1957 to 1959 on a Central Electricity Board (CEB) Scholarship, becoming part of the first batch to study at a Technical Institute in Malaya. He worked for CEB/Lembaga Letrik Negara (LLN)/Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) in various roles until his retirement in October 1994, serving in locations like Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Kubu Bharu, and Kluang, and traveling extensively across the Peninsula, from the Thailand border to Johor Bahru, and from Port Klang to Kota Baru.

If anyone from Strathmashie Estate remembers our family, please reach out to us at info@yashfoundation.info.

Jegathesan's father, Sathurama Iyer served as a temporary priest at the Chettiar Murugan temple, stepping in for priests on vacation in India.

In 1967, Tan Sri Raja Zainal, former General Manager of LLN visited Kuala Kubu Bharu during his retirement tour while my father was the Officer-in-Charge.

My mother, Kamalavally, was born in Taiping in 1940. Her father, Paramachy, worked as a linesman in the Taiping Electricity Department (prior to CEB), while her mother, Murugammah, was born in Taiping at the British Military Hospital, providing food for military personnel.

My Father Jegathesan's Professional Journey

My father Jegathesan began his career with the Central Electricity Board (CEB) as a Junior Technical Assistant Cadet in January 1960 after completing a three-year Electrical Engineering course at the first Technical Institute in Kuala Lumpur, Malaya, from 1957 to 1959, sponsored by the CEB.

Early Training and Experience

His training included various departments within CEB, including a six-month period at the Taiping Diesel Power Station. In his third year, he was assigned to the Consumers Department in Kuala Lumpur, gaining valuable insights into consumer services. At the end of 1962, he passed an exam and was promoted to JTA Grade II (Probationer), taking on roles as an installation tester and working in meter installation.

In September 1965, the CEB was renamed the National Electricity Board (NEB/LLN). Later that year, he was promoted to JTA Grade I and appointed as Officer-in-Charge in Kuala Kubu Baru.

Career Progression

By December 1967, he was redesignated as a Technician Timescale and transferred to the Planning and Construction Department in the Substation Division in Kuala Lumpur, focusing on constructing 11kV and 33kV substations.

Achievements

He contributed to the development of several substations, including Alor Star 33/11kV, Kangar (Perlis) 33/11kV, and Kuala Perlis 33/11kV substations.

In December 1969, he moved to the Transmission Maintenance Department in Kluang, Johor, where CEB maintained 66kV substations from the Tanjong Kling Power Station Switchyard to the Sultan Ismail Power Station Switchyard, extending to the Gemas 66kV Substation.

Advancements and Major Projects

By December 1973, he was promoted to Technician Special Grade and returned to the Planning and Construction Department, which evolved into the Transmission System Projects (in Bahasa Malaysia - Projek Sistem Penghantaran or PSP), serving as an Assistant Foreman in substations. At this point, the department advanced to constructing substations up to 132kV, with his first project being the 66/11kV Kuala Pilah substation.

Jegathesan subsequently oversaw the establishment of the Kuantan 132/11kV temporary substation, followed by its permanent counterpart. In 1977, he was promoted to Technician Super Scale and became the Foreman for substations, overseeing significant projects like the Kampung Awah 132/11kV substation, the Batang Berjuntai 132/33kV substation, and the first and only 132kV Air Blast Circuit Breaker switching station (Merlin Gerin India) in Kampung Gajah, Perak, in 1979.

He also contributed to upgrading the Bentong 132/11kV and constructing the Fraser’s Hill 33/11kV substation alongside the Sempam Hydroelectric 11/33kV substation, followed by the Raub 132/11kV substation and the Penang 132/33/11kV substation, which featured the first GEC Sulphur Hexafluoride Insulated (SF6) gas circuit breaker in 1980. Following that, he participated in the Perlis Cement 132/11kV substation and the Kota Star 132/33/11kV substation in Alor Star.

Leadership and Innovations

Jegathesan was later appointed to oversee the construction of several substations, including the Kota Star 275/132kV, Kuala Perlis 132/11kV, Chuping 275/132 switching station, and Langkawi 132/33/11 substations, all executed concurrently by various contractors.

In 1985, the first Gas Insulated substations at Maybank and Dang Wangi were awarded to a Japanese firm, and Jegathesan was one of three selected to attend a two-week course at their factory in Maebashi, Japan.

In early 1988, he requested a transfer to the Central Transmission Department, which was granted with some reluctance. For the next six years, he concentrated on maintenance work for all 275/132/33/11kV substations in the Central region. On September 1, 1990, Lembaga Letrik Negara (LLN) formerly known as Central Electricity Board (CEB) was corporatized as Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB).

Jegathesan officially retired on October 21, 1994.

Reflections on Jegathesan's Early Life

During Jegathesan's younger years, between the ages of 12 and 16, his father operated a street stall selling tea, coffee, idli, thosai, vadai, and an array of Indian sweets like laddu, jangri, and mysorepak. At that time, idli and thosai were only five cents, sweets ranged from ten to twenty cents, and a cup of coffee or tea cost just ten cents. Before establishing the stall, he would carry a large tray of sweets and vadai around the neighborhood during tea time to sell to our neighbors.

There were also occasions when his father made lime and mango pickles, which he delivered to a sundry shop in Ipoh. Life was challenging in the 1950s according to my father, Jegathesan.

Works by Jegathesan Published in Malaysia

"Memories of Gunong Tahan" was authored by my father, K. S. Jegathesan, and published in Power magazine. It was reflecting the memories of their journey to Gunong Tahan in Malaysia with his peers.

Mount Tahan (Malay: Gunung Tahan) is the tallest peak in Peninsular Malaysia, rising to an elevation of 2,187 m (7,175 ft) above sea level. It is located on the border between the states of Pahang and Kelantan, with the summit situated on the Pahang side.

My father, K. S. Jegathesan, published the article "Back from the Dead" in Power magazine in Malaysia.

On July 12, 1959, the Sunday Free Press covered the story of the missing youths, among them my father, who was lost in the jungle for 42 hours. The report featured exclusive photographs.