Page 12 - FOS/Newsletter/Science@UM365March2021

INDUSTRY FEATURE

How did the journey begin.......

Born into a middle class family in Lahad Datu, Sabah, with lots of
financial struggles, I had always wanted to obtain an undergraduate
degree and settle for a stable job. After securing a Bachelor’s (Marine
Science) degree offer from University Pertanian Malaysia-Terengganu
(UPM-T, currently known as UMT), I embarked on a new journey that
introduced me to the sea and its endless opportunities. The sea
prepared me to tap into yet another unexplored niche of Malaysia’s rich

natural resources. At the end of my degree, my hunger for knowledge in
the field of Oceanography grew deeper, that made me determined to
further my studies to a M.Sc. degree in UMT in the field of Remote
Sensing and GIS. Soon after graduating, I got a permanent job as a
Research Officer at the National Hydraulic Research Center of Malaysia
(NAHRIM) in 2007. The experience I gained in NAHRIM marked the onset
of my career path in marine survey, data collection and coastal KARTHIGEYAN VEERASAMY
engineering. It also allowed me to build a network with key players in the
maritime industry. FOUNDER & DIRECTOR

By this point, I was already prepared to quit the comfort zone and get into the adventurous yet risky
business arena. I decided to quit my government job and take a leap into starting my oceanography
services and consultancy company with bare minimum and without a corporate space. I started getting
small projects and depended mainly on rental equipment for marine survey and data collection. After a
year of struggle, I finally managed to operate a full-fledged Oceanography and Consultancy company with
my personal savings and financial support from family. This marked the beginning of Aqvaspace Sdn. Bhd.
in the year 2011 with a corporate space at the Atmosphere, Seri Kembangan. We had a rapidly growing
client base due to the quality of our service and I began investing in buying more equipments for the
company.

"There is no achievement

without risk. If I had not taken Join us if you are an aspiring Geologist/Surveyor
Use this special code below when applying:

the decision to start my own Science@UM365 [followed by your UM student number]

company, I would have not

been able to unleash my full

potential"

Science@UM365 PAGE 10