Revered Malaysian author and academic K.S. Maniam dies at 78

The late K.S. Maniam reading his work at the launch of 'Ronggeng-Ronggeng: Malaysian Short Stories' at Merdekarya, Petaling Jaya in December 2019. Photo: Handout

Award-winning local author and academic K.S. Maniam, known for his novels The Return and In A Far Country, died of cancer of the bile duct this afternoon (Feb 19) at the Universiti Malaya Medical Centre in KL. He was 78.

Maniam (born Subramaniam Krishnan) was revered in the local literary scene, and widely remembered as a thought-provoking writer who shaped the course of Malaysian literature. While many of his works touched on the plight of the Malaysian Indian community and marginalisation; his themes, characters and stories were also praised for their universal appeal.