Originating from South Sulawesi, Manai briefly became a journalist and teacher before joining the Indonesian National Party (PNI).

[2] During the Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies, Sophiaan became a journalist for the Pewarta Selebes newspaper,[1] while also serving in the city council of Makassar.

[2] After the proclamation of Indonesian independence, Sophiaan founded and ran the short-lived nationalist newspaper Soeara Indonesia in Makassar, before he fled to Java.

The motion passed a vote on 16 October, triggering an immediate political crisis as the minister of defense Hamengkubuwono IX threatened to resign.

[8] Sophiaan was also PNI's head of agitprop, and he was appointed to become the chief editor of the party's newspaper Suluh Indonesia to replace Sayuti Melik in December 1953.

[3] He wrote two memoirs during the late New Order era: Apa Yang Masih Teringat (1991) which criticized the Indonesian Army's actions during the revolution and aftermath while defending Sukarno's political closeness to the Indonesian Communist Party,[3][12] and Kehormatan Bagi Yang Berhak ("Honour for Him who Deserves") in 1994 which argued that Sukarno was uninvolved in the 30 September movement and accused the CIA of taking a part in it.