MAJOR (Rtd) Manan Abas lives in Hulu Klang, Ampang, with his wife Ellen Mary Ryan@Ainun Abdullah.
I went with a few friends to see what we could learn from him about receiving the Military Cross (MC), a decoration agreed upon by the late Queen Elizabeth and awarded on Her Majesty’s behalf by Sir Donald MacGillivray for his actions during the Malayan Emergency.
Manan is going to be 99 years old, born on Nov 1, 1924.
I had expected to see a frail man. But he was ready to receive us in his sitting room.
He was fit, except for his weak knees, but his voice was strong.
He was born in Teluk Penyamun in Selangor, a few miles from Asam Jawa, and after attending a Malay school he went to the Anglo-Chinese School at Bukit Rotan.
He improved his English by learning from the staff of Kampong Kuantan Estate and Mr Fisher the manager until the Japanese came.
He worked for the Japanese, after learning to be a surveyor. He helped to plan an airport at Port Swettenham.
The Japanese officers would beat the Malayan staff, but he was spared, as the section head looked at him as a special person who could do more work.
He even trained some Malayan staff to be policemen. However, after witnessing how badly even Japanese soldiers could be beaten, he attempted to escape.
He could not do that until rumours flew that the British were coming back.
When they did, he was advised by Mubin Sheppard, the government officer, to join the army.
He served in Port Dickson in the garrison as a private. He knew English, he could lead and he played a lot of football.
He was promoted to corporal and then to sergeant and went on jungle patrols against the communist terrorists.
Then to his surprise, he was shortlisted to attend the renowned Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst in England.
Eventually, he and his friend Shukur Chik were selected.
They were soon on a plane with several stops before arriving in Britain, a long way from home.
He said it was very cold in winter and wanted to give up. But his friend Shukor had asked him to stay.
They were treated the same way as others in the academy.
Manan set his mind to complete the course and came back as a Second-Lieutenant to join the 3rd Battalion Malay Regiment and later the 6th Battalion Malay Regiment with its base near Mentakab.
It was at the height of the Emergency, a perilous time when his friend Shukor died in an ambush.
Manan too, risked his life when he was out on patrol in the jungle and coming back from one assignment, he nearly lost his job.
The officers were mainly British in those days and his commanding officer was Lt Col J. J. Laugher, a veteran of the Second World War.
He had sent Manan to the jungle of Sempalit to go after terrorists in their camp. He took his platoon there but found the camp was empty.
He could not do a situation report by radio because the set did not work.
When he returned and reported, Col Laugher took away his command.
He was to face a court martial for cowardice, for not bringing back a single enemy.
Manan was upset and when Laugher again accused him of cowardice, he lost his temper and shouted: “You can do what you like, sir!”
The case was brought up to the level of Capt Tunku Othman Jewa, the investigating officer, and then to Brigadier F. H. Brooke, who told the Colonel: “Manan is not a coward! Give him back his command.”
So Manan was back in action, but he was still angry. It did not take long for him to receive another order.
It was to find a CT camp in Sungei Ruan, further on the main range.
He called his platoon sergeant Abdul Rahman: “Listen carefully. This time either we bring some terrorists back, or you bring my body back.”
His platoon followed a trail that took them to a spot late in the day. It had been a long trek.
He told Rahman to prepare for camp and look for water.
Rahman and a soldier went down the valley but did not come back after a long time.
Manan and some soldiers went to look for them and found his men had captured two enemies, a man and a woman.
Rahman had reported: “We were near the bank when we heard people approaching and we hid behind a tree. We surprised them and tied them. Their camp must be near here.”
Manan received instructions on the radio to send them to Mentakab camp.
“I will send only the woman. I will want the man to lead me to his camp.”
It was a long walk. When they approached a hill the CTs were ready. Gunfire ensued. Manan used a machine gun. But his platoon was outnumbered.
He had to use his wits and in his stentorian voice he shouted: “Company A on my right, Company B on my left, attack when I give the signal!”
He went on: “Fortunately, there was a British Army patrol some way away and when they heard the shots, they too started firing. A plane happened to fly low as if real support was coming in.”
The enemies fled. But one was killed and another two captured.
“I returned to report to Col Laugher. He said: ‘Two more went to surrender at the nearest police station.’”
“Soon he had another mission for me. He said an important communist terrorist was reported in the jungle area. ‘I want you to bring him back alive.’ ”
“I led my platoon and after a few days, we came upon a hut. I saw two figures inside. But they saw us, jumped out and ran. Both were armed. I chased after one, who luckily for me, did not use his knife or grenade. I heard a shot behind me. After I had caught the bandit, I walked him back to the hut and I was told one of my soldiers had shot the other bandit. He was trying to escape. Now he was dead. It turned out he was the man the Colonel wanted alive. Naturally, I was worried.
“But this time the rumour was different. Soon it came to my ears that I was recommended to get an award.
“It turned out that the award was to be the Military Cross, and it went up to Gen G. K. Bourne who recommended it further. Laugher was very proud of my award, which he had also earned during his service in the Second World War.”
The MC was created in 1914 and granted in recognition of “an act or acts of exemplary gallantry during active operations against the enemy”.
“I received my award on Aug 11, 1954, from Sir Donald MacGillivray.
“After independence, I went on with my service, with promotion and being second in command of some battalions in the Royal Malay Regiment. After ten years as a major, I decided to pack it in at the age of 45. That was the end of my army days.”
He has enjoyed a long retirement. Two of his three sons Norman and Nordin went on to study at the Royal Military College in Sungai Besi.
But he had lost Nordin to cancer some years back. Another son Allan lives with him.
I had asked Manan how he met his wife.
“That is a long story. I was in London on a visit from Sandhurst, and one evening I met two sisters from Margate who were there on holiday. One of them was not impressed with me, but the other was. Ellen Mary and I found the evening went very fast.”
He wanted to see her again and he “disarmed” her with a present, a radio he had just got for himself.
He got her to change her mind about a job in Argentina and instead, she headed in the other direction, marrying him in Kelantan in March 1953.
They went again to England from time to time when he attended courses at Camberley Staff College and other training centres.
But they decided to live in Malaysia, on a quiet road lined by tall forest trees just outside of Kuala Lumpur.
Before we left, Ellen came back from a routine medical check-up and all was fine.
She was a gentle lady. I could sense that she had kept up with Manan and all his foibles over the years. She had put his priorities over hers.
That to me had helped to give him that energy and the spunky attitude.
She smiled as she watched her husband talk. “We are married 70 years now.”
One of my friends asked him what was the secret to his long life. Ellen held his hand as he explained.
“I have thought about it. I have my family. I live simply. I eat simple food, I sleep early. I don’t hate anybody.”
When we were back in traffic on the highway, I thought of the Major and his life, and the interview. It was too short.
How can you cover the way he managed to get out of the small village, educated himself, survived the Japanese occupation, accepted by Sandhurst, what he went through, emerged from the Emergency with a MC, married the love he wanted and both are enjoying their golden age together? What lessons can we learn? His entire story could fill a book.
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