Indeed we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will returnQur'an 2:156
Born to Malé City native, Late ‘Jaadhoo’ Ibrahim Manik and AA. Thoddoo native, Late Khadheeja, Adam Naseer Ibrahim more commonly known as ‘Sentu’ Adam Manik succumbed to complications of Covid-19 in the early hours of 27 January 2022, staggering the business world and sweeping a wave of grief over the family and public, to whom the late business tycoon extended immeasurable aid and assistance throughout his 73 years of life.
Adam Manik passed away while receiving treatment for Covid-19 on ventilator support, at the Hulhumalé Medical Facility (HMF). Doctors at the facility pronounced him dead at around 1:54am on Thursday.
RaajjeMV had a chance to sit down with the bereaved family for an interview, where Adam Manik’s heirs shed light on the immeasurable achievements of the late businessman.
Gone too soon
Adam Manik was suffering from an ailment even before contracting coronavirus after suffering from a fall. A week after he was released from the hospital after being treated for injuries from the fall, he is to have travelled to Guraidhoo island in Thaa atoll with his spouse and by the time he returned, he had exhibited symptoms of the virus.
A day after suffering from high fever, Adam Manik was wheeled to HMF.
His son, Ahmed Ishan, who attended a CT scan with him a day before his death, revealed that he “did not look well” even though the doctors reported that he was on the road to recovery. Ishan further affirmed that they received regular updates on their father's condition, while he was at the facility.
When I saw him, I knew he wasn’t doing well at all. However, doctors kept telling us that he was recovering. He was put on ventilator support later. All of his children, except one, were able to attend when he was laid to rest”Ishan
The family reported that their father was rushed to the covid facility in the capital’s suburbs on January 23, approximately four days before his untimely passing.
The family cited doctors having reported back to them that Adam Manik was recovering "day by day".
Fathmath Musheera, Adam Manik’s eldest, remains staggered and unable to fathom their loss, as their father was taken from them just as bonds with his children had begun solidifying.
I find it very difficult to comprehend. We had just begun bonding, we had very little time with him. It felt like a fleeting moment, and he is gone.”Musheera
Pioneering tug services
Adam Manik pursued his education in engineering from Singapore, at the ripe age of 19 and is among the first engineers to grace the Maldivian soil.
Since then, he had been providing invaluable services to the public and the nation, for years.
He first served as a Head Engineer at the Universal Maldives, after returning from Singapore.
Years later, Adam Manik found himself drawn to the craft of boat building, with which he diverted his full attention towards it.
His passion drove him to make history by constructing the first-ever tugboat in the country’s long history, for which he was conferred a National Award of Recognition for Productivity and Innovation in 1994, during the 30-year tenure of Former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.
Whenever I saw a boat or a 'Dhoni', I had the urge to build one myself. My eyes then caught a tugboat, with which my passion flared and I couldn’t hold myself back. I constructed a tugboat myself; it was the first tugboat constructed in the history of the Maldives. I was ecstatic. It was a major accomplishment for me”Adam Manik in a video interview recorded in 2019.
First-ever water supplying business in Maldives
Adam Manik’s business reached newer heights in early 2,000’s, with the launching of his water supplying business.
Adam Manik, who was also engaged in work to build slipways, inaugurated a company titled “Tug Services Private Limited” under which his services of supplying water to residential islands, were shifted.
Under these efforts, the businessman established a water jetty near the T-Jetty region in the capital, Malé City, where he supplied vessels that docked in the region. Not long after, he expanded the service to Hulhumalé, the capital's suburban extension.
Celebrated for his incredible spirit of leadership and generosity, Adam Manik is also someone who supplied water onboard his many boats, to residential islands hit by water scarcity during north-east monsoon of every year.
Not all heroes wear capes
During the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, Adam Manik showed exemplary kindness by providing free water to the citizens in need. Further, he provided free water to the troubled citizens of the capital city during the 2015 water crisis in the capital region.
Four faucets were installed for the use of the public, on Adam Manik’s water supplying boat ‘Adam Sixty’.
In addition to this, he was celebrated to have been a generous contributor in sectors including sports, having been conferred certificates of appreciation for his generous contributions for sports activities and other events, for his superior performance.
He was also the recipient of a certificate of recognition for his charitable services to the police stationed in Thulusdhoo island of Kaafu atoll, back in 2015.
The same year, Adam Manik’s “Tug Services Private Limited” emerged the biggest company dubbed a small enterprise, that paid the biggest amount in taxes to the Maldives Inland Revenue Authority (MIRA).
With this, the company was conferred the “Ranlaari Award” by MIRA.
The business tycoon was also a vastly celebrated contributor towards the efforts of the Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF).
This led to him being awarded a prestigious plaque by MNDF, during the tenure of Former President Abdulla Yameen.
The tables turned for the company in 2018, when all of the services being provided were transferred under the authority of Scent Investments, established the same year. The company was registered under his children.
2020 marked the 53rd year the father of 11 had been providing services to the nation. The proud Maldivian contributed abundantly to the public as an individual and in countless sectors, most of which did not make it to the headlines.
"If kindness had a face, it would be his"
Adam Manik’s children believe the public perceives him as a charitable, generous man who has worked resiliently to earn an honest living and has never been indebted to anyone or fallen into the grasp of loans. The businessman, who always had his arms open wide for anyone who needed help, faced many hurdles and betrayals from business associates during his life.
Ishan believes that his father’s biggest achievement remains his success story in being the first-ever water supplier in the country.
The business has expanded over the years. We currently supply water to all residential islands and currently, the work is ongoing in islands of Shaviyani atoll and Noonu atoll, as well as a resort in Baa atoll, as we speak. This service is actually very important in Maldives, we initiated something no one thought of doing. No one else is doing it. Now his children have taken over his vast businesses, and plans to continue their father’s legacy. It was a lot of money, a lot of struggles. One might not completely understand.”Ishan
With Adam Manik’s success story came lots of hurdles and people that challenged him, according to his sons.
Currently we’re the only ones who have a legal permit and to my knowledge, there are no others. We plan to proceed to take our father’s business forward and possibly to newer heights. We do not wish for it to crumble and fail. We will proceed, all of us together.”Ishan
Adam Manik’s children take pride in the fact that he is an amazing engineer who knows his way around engines.
A passionate Ishan stated that there is “no one like him in the Maldives, no one who can disassemble and reassemble an engine as efficiently as he can”.
He was a pioneer, held the entire 'Universal' together, was the glue of the company and maintained everything with his capable hands, said his sons.
Mohamed Lishan, who is now among the three sons who have the ‘Sentu’ line resting on their capable shoulders, stated that while most companies were laying off workers and deducting their pay, Scent Investments was one that never fell short in paying their workers their due.
Even during Covid-19, while most companies were laying off workers and deducting their pay, we never had that issue. We paid our workers regularly and even gave them their Ramadan allowances and other allowances a month prior. We didn’t cut anyone off.”Lishan
Highlighting that it was not always rainbows and sunshine, Adam Manik’s heirs stressed that the company was in ruins during 2020, before they took over. As such, the company was on wafer-thin ice even when Lishan entered the picture in 2018.
When inquired if Adam Manik had any unfulfilled dreams before his untimely death, with a voice resounding with passion and love for her father, Musheera asserted that Adam Manik had planned to establish a water factory. The dream remains unfulfilled for the late businessman, who was a keen lover of sports.
Described as a passionate fan of football, Adam Manik is to have showered football and other sports teams with financial support, during his time.
It has been more than 10 years since Sent Sports was incepted. Our father used to spend abundantly for the team as well as teams in Thulusdhoo island. Despite never having been a part of the players, dad was on the frontlines of planning and organizing events as well as Eid shows. He used to employ people for the teams and accommodate them at our residence. He was such a fun-loving man who was very outgoing and social. He threw a feast every Friday and invited everybody. He loved socializing and interacting with people. He was a gem.”Musheera
When he wasn’t immersed in contributing to the betterment of the people through his businesses, Adam Manik loved to go on fishing trips. He also had a keen eye for photography and enjoyed snapping away pictures of senior citizens, he was also keen on landscape photography. Adam Manik used to post the photographs he takes, on the wall behind his ‘Undhoali’ at home, where his family loves to engage in conversation regarding his photography every Friday.
Adam Manik’s proud children revealed that even if a lot of people didn’t know, there was so much he did for everyone around him, without reason and without hesitation. He was never known to be boastful and remained humble to his last days.
Adam Manik also operated a guesthouse in Thulusdhoo, which is currently being managed by his son Ismail Musheer.
The legacy of Adam Manik will flourish under the silhouette of his children. He is survived by five daughters; Fathimath Musheera, Aishath Rishana, Mariyam Rishmy, Aminath Shaza Adam and Iba Adam Ibrahim as well as six sons; Ismail Musheer, Ahmed Ishan, Ali Shiran, Mohamed Lishan, Hussain Hisan and Ifham Adam Ibrahim and not to forget, a jovial bunch of 16 grandchildren.
