An Electrical Engineer's Story

“See! See! This is a torchlight, it can light up the room!”
6.30 a.m in the morning, someone switch off the classroom lights and everyone look at the light from an amazing small lightbulb with attached AA batteries, wire and scellophane tape. The little kid was holding the “torchlight” with some pride; he did something people can’t.

That was me when I was ten. I live in a Felda kampong, located about 10km away from school. I have to wake up in the early morning to catch up the only school bus. The morning was always cold and the road that I walked to the “bus-stop”(it is just a bench made by wood at road site) was dark. And, that inspired me to invent the “torchlight”.

“What is your ambition?” A frequently ask question since I was in primary school - standard one.

I always answer inventor instead of engineer because of the deep influence of Thomas Edison Story in our primary education system. Until I was in my secondary school, I realized there isn’t any job title “inventor” out there when I was going to choose my university program. So, I chose Electrical Engineering as I thought I am going to invent a robot one day.

Many will think I am going to be an Electronic Engineer because I want to create a robot. However, thing change throughout my study in University, I start to love Electrical Engineering after I was exposed to subjects like Electric Motors and Generators. I like the feeling when I see the electric is generated through rotating coils. I felt so much fun when I accidentally exploded the IGBT (insulated bipolar transistor) motor drive. It was so dangerous but so much fun!

Eventually, I did not choose to create robots. Even after my graduation, my mom would sometime ask me to repair the TV. I would answer “so sorry, mom, I can’t.” And she wondered, what I learnt in my Electrical Engineering Course in the university.
Today, I am an Electrical Engineer in an Engineering Consultancy in Building Construction. I design the electrical distribution system, lighting system as well as other electrical services and infrastructure.

Now, I light- up houses, so that families stay happily, comfortly and enjoy using the various electrical appliances; I light up the factories so that machines can run the production line; I light up the roads so that people can drive home safely when the sky is dark.

Everything just like my childhood, the only different just I lighted up things by design instead of “torchlight”. And, when there is light, there is a hope.
I love to be an Engineer. I am proud of it.

Engr. Lee Cheng Pay
Electrical Engineer
AD Consult Sdn. Bhd.