Abdul Manan bin Abas: Honourable bearer of The Military Cross.

 Tues. 23.2.2023.

The citation says:

"During a period of 6 days, the platoon commanded by this young Malay Officer entirely eliminated the Sempalit branch of the Communist Terrorist organisation. 2 terrorists were captured. A District Committee Member was killed by a Section Commander and Lieutenant Manan while on patrol, and the remaining 2 surrendered.

A week later, Lieutenant Manan led his platoon with a surrendered terrorist in an endeavour to capture 2 terrorists, one of whom was particularly wanted alive by the Police. Lieutenant Manan approached the bushes and called them to surrender, but they ran away. Lieutenant Manan chased one of them for 250 yards, and caught up with him, forcing him to surrender. The terrorist was armed with a knife and a grenade. Both this action, and the one in which the Sempalit Terrorist organisation was eliminated, were really fine examples of fighting spirit and determination."

The recommendation was by Lieut. Col. F.F. Laugher, the Commanding Officer of the 6th. Battalion of the Malay Regiment, endorsed by the General Officer Commanding, Malaya, Lieut. General G. K. Bourne, and approved by the Commander-in-Chief Far East Land Forces in Singapore. 

Kuala Selangor-born Lieutenant Abdul Manan bin Abas, Army number 2402, of the 6th. Battalion of the Malay Regiment, aged 31, received the highly coveted and rare Military Cross in 1954. 

This year Major (R) Abdul Manan will be 100. God Bless him.

After the interview in his house in Zoo View, Ulu Kelang, yesterday, I said by now the Malaysian Armed Forces library ought to already have a book on Major Abdul Manan. If not, this should be written now. The 2 hours spent listening to this very lucid Ol' Warrior didn't do justice to the exploits of the man. The three of us on this mission of collecting valuable interviews from a number of FMC alumni would certainly  put this gem of a piece right there in a prominent section of the proposed book. But it would not do justice to Major Abdul Manan. A book solely about him must be published.

The years have taken their toll on the old soldier, that's obvious, of course. But his memory is excellent, and the words were gushing out of him with hardly any prompting. With what he has achieved in his military career, it would be a big loss if someone doesn't tap the history of the Malaysian army he has stored in his memory. The armed exploits of the "emergency" days alone merit recording for lessons to be learnt, not for the Armed Forces College only, but for the general population as well.

Manan went to Sandhurst, too, for heaven's sake. That's no small achievement. And he returned home, not just with his military diploma, but also an Irish wife.  We met the wife and 2 English-looking sons, too.  Now that calls for a full and different story.

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