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Mr. M.J. Perera, the first Ceylonese Director General of the then Radio Ceylon, Founder Chairman of the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation and the country's First Competent Authority passed away yesterday after a brief illness.

A former Civil Servant M.J. Perera was born on 14th December 1914 at Udumulla, Padukka as Mapatunage Jamis Perera. Having had his preliminary education at the Government Bilingual School at Padukka, he joined Nalanda College Colombo in 1926. Having passed the London Matriculation Examination he entered the University of Ceylon in 1933 at the age of 18. In 1938 he was successful at the London University Examination.

His brilliant career as a renowned Civil Servant commenced with his first appointment to the Galle Kachcheri as an apprentice civil servant in 1939. From then onwards M.J. Perera served in the Ceylon Administrative Service for well over 48 years in the Public sector, State Corporations and Departments and as head of 20 institutions.

From the position of Asst. Government Agent he rose to be Chairman of Corporations and Permanent Secretary of Ministries gracing a wide range of top positions not accessible to many others. He was the Director of the Agricultural Department, Director, Irrigation Department, Commissioner of Lands, Assistant Secretary Ministry of Agriculture, first Sri Lankan Director General of Radio Ceylon, Commissioner of Swabhasha, first Director of the Government Information Department, first Sri Lankan Competent Authority, Director Cultural Affairs, Permanent Secretary Ministry of Education, Vice Chancellor of the University of Peradeniya, Chairman River Valleys Development Board, Founder Chairman, Fertiliser Manufacturing Corporation, Chairman Library Services Board and Founder Chairman of the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation. After his retirement from the Chairmanship of the SLRC, he served on the Board of the Kelaniya and Pali-Buddhist Universities.

While in government service M.J. Perera was viewed to possess a competence, almost universal and an authority unquestionable. 

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