Mano Maniam – more than just Uncle Chan, he had a dream for Malaysia

Fans of Kopitiam, the TV series around the turn of the century, may recall the amiable Uncle Chan bantering with his friends at a local coffeeshop.

The popular sitcom introduced Mano Maniam to the masses beyond audiences in Malaysian theatre halls, where he was already an established figure.  

But there was more to Mano than the well-documented path he took as stage actor and director. Less well known was his activism. Mano was also a member of the social reform group Aliran, whose members today are mourning his loss.  

Aliran executive committee member Lye Tuck-Po, an anthropologist, says: “I’m very sad to hear of Mano’s death. He was a good friend of mine, so clever, witty…”

Tuck-Po studied at the Anglo-Chinese Boys School in 1984 as a Form 6 girl – the same school where Mano, an Ipoh boy, had previously attended.

“I first ‘came close’ to him when he came to the school as a favour for Chin Yoong Kim, who was putting on a production of Broadway melodies,” she recalls. “I was just a kid; Mano was a ‘huge’ star (almost 40) then.

“I always liked this aspect of him. He seemed to know everybody, and he kept in touch with them to the extent of turning up for a school performance.”

Another committee member, Rom Nain, a media and communications professor, recollects attending a play during the early part of Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s iron-fisted 22-year rule from 1981.

Mano put up a commanding performance that left Rom thoroughly impressed. “He (Mano) was chilling and brilliant as Big Brother in Kee Thuan Chye’s 1984 Here and Now. I was so lucky to catch that in UM [University of Malaya], with Salleh Ben Joned in the main role.”

Indeed, Mano was “a legend in the performing arts sector”, says Aliran treasurer Henry Loh, who also attended the play. “What a loss for the nation.”

But Mano was much more than a theatre star, Tuck Po adds. “He was in management (his day job), a past president of EPSM (Environmental Protection Society of Malaysia), Cetdem chairman and so much more.”

In one of his last public engagements, Mano attended an Aliran webinar on education last November as part of our live on-site audience in Petaling Jaya.

It was there that Aliran committee member Sukeshini Nair, a former principal and educator, met the legendary Mano for the first (and last) time. “My husband, who is an old boy of ACS Ipoh, said he (Mano) used to teach there in the sixties and had been responsible for the many plays the school had staged then.”

Sukeshini recalls the conversation with Mano after the forum: “We were talking and he was telling us that among numerous other countries in the world, Malaysia technically has it all. We have the natural resources, the beauty of our landscapes, the climate, the rich diversity of races, the religions and cultures and an absence of wars. It is indeed a sad state of affairs when we, in spite of it all, are unable to thrive as we should.”

Another Aliran committee member, Mary Magdaline Pereira, remembers having a long chat with Mano a couple of months ago. “He wanted to give away some of his stuff and I shared with him an article on the Swedish art of ‘death cleaning’.

“He sounded well and was looking forward to our next forum in PJ. I suggested that he be a speaker as well.” Alas, it was not to be.

As Aliran mourns our unassuming member, we pay tribute to a man who never separated his passion for the arts from his convictions, his performances from his activism. Aliran member UK Menon sums up Mano’s enduring legacy. “He was a man of this country, who, without presumption, lived the life and the ideals of what makes us. Others only acted the role without conviction.”

The stage may be quiet tonight, the spotlights dimmed, but Mano’s dream for Malaysia to realise its full potential lives on in this land.

The views expressed in Aliran's media statements and the NGO statements we have endorsed reflect Aliran's official stand. Views and opinions expressed in other pieces published here do not necessarily reflect Aliran's official position.

AGENDA RAKYAT - Lima perkara utama

1. Tegakkan maruah serta kualiti kehidupan rakyat
2. Galakkan pembangunan saksama, lestari serta tangani krisis alam sekitar
3. Raikan kerencaman dan keterangkuman
4. Selamatkan demokrasi dan angkatkan keluhuran undang-undang
5. Lawan rasuah dan kronisme

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