The specifics of the military-political situation in Southeast Asia, which is distinguished by the diversity of the ethnic and confessional composition of the population, as well as the strong positions of the left radicals, forces many states of the region to pay considerable attention to the creation, equipping and training of special-purpose units. The most serious in terms of training and combat experience are the special forces of the island states of Southeast Asia - Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines. This is due to the fact that for many decades these states have to wage war against partisan formations operating in wooded and mountainous areas on many islands. Separatist nationalist movements, Islamic fundamentalists and partisans - communists are long-standing opponents of these states and have been waging an armed struggle against them since the middle of the twentieth century. In the last article we talked about the special forces of Indonesia, and this time we will talk about the special forces of Malaysia.
The fight against partisans and the experience of the British SAS
Malaysia acquired political sovereignty in 1957 - first as the Federation of Malaysia, which included the Malay Peninsula, and in 1963, the provinces of Sabah and Sarawak located on the island of Kalimantan became part of the Federation of Malaysia. Since the first post-war years, since the second half of the 1940s. the authorities of British Malaya were faced with an armed struggle waged by the Communist Party of Malaya.
The Malay War was one of the first post-war colonial conflicts of the British Empire, in which the British had to face a developed guerrilla movement and, accordingly, gradually develop special tactics of warfare. Subsequently, it was the experience of the Malay War that the British began to use in other colonies. The presence of a guerrilla movement in the jungles of Malacca very soon indicated the need for the authorities of British Malaya to create special units that could effectively track down and destroy the guerrilla groups.
In the late 1940s - 1950s. military operations against the Malay communist partisans were conducted by units of the troops of the countries of the British Commonwealth. In the jungle of Malacca, in addition to British soldiers, Australians, New Zealanders, Rhodesians visited. It was the Malay War that forced the British military leadership to abandon plans to dissolve the famous SAS - Special Aviation Service, which were hatched after the end of World War II. The SAS fighters were assigned tasks for a long stay (up to four months) in the Malay jungle. During this time, it was supposed not only to search for and destroy partisans, but also to establish contacts with the local population, to gain the sympathy of the "forest tribes" and to use the aborigines in the confrontation with the communist partisans. The unit operating in Malaya was called the "Malay Scouts", or 22nd CAC. It included not only recruited English soldiers, but also Rhodesians, New Zealanders, Australians and Fijians.
In addition to the SAS, the famous "Gurkha" - Nepalese riflemen who served in the British army actively fought in the jungles of Malaya. Also, the Sarawak Rangers were used against the communist partisans - a special unit whose roots go back to the middle of the 19th century - it was then that the Englishman James Brook, who became the "white raja" of Sarawak, in the north of the island of Kalimantan, created this elite unit from the local Aboriginal Dayaks. After Sarawak entered Malaysia, the Sarawak Rangers became the backbone of the Royal Ranger Regiment of the Malaysian Army. The personnel of this unit is still recruited mainly from Ibans - representatives of the largest Dayak tribe in Kalimantan inhabiting the Malaysian province of Sarawak.
When Malaysia gained political sovereignty, the country's leadership had to independently solve the problem of pacifying the rebels operating in the Malay jungle. Moreover, soon after the annexation of the Kalimantan provinces of Sabah and Sarawak to Malaysia, neighboring Indonesia began subversive activities against the country. Indonesian President Sukarno challenged Malaysia's rights to Sabah and Sarawak, considering these provinces to be the historical territory of the Indonesian state, since they were located on the island of Kalimantan, most of which became part of Indonesia. Sukarno began to act against Malaysia with the help of communist guerrilla units that collaborated with the Communist Party of Malaya.
Special Service Group - Army Special Forces
The Directorate of Special Forces was created as part of the Malaysian Ministry of Defense. In 1965, in the midst of a confrontation with Indonesia, the Malaysian command began recruiting volunteers from the ground forces and the navy to take commando training. There were 300 people wishing to get into the special forces of the military. On February 25, 1965, qualifying training began at the camp in Johor Bahru. The training course was conducted by specialists from the British Royal Marines. A strict selection screened out the vast majority of candidates - there were 15 people left who had to undergo a six-week course of basic commando training. However, out of these 15 best, only 13 people passed the training course - 4 officers and 9 sergeants and corporals. Even a list of the first set of Malaysian special forces has been preserved. These are Lieutenant Colonel Shahrul Nizam bin Ismail (retired as a general), Major Abu Hasan bin Abdullah (retired as a colonel), Lieutenants Mohammad Ramil bin Ismail (later promoted to the rank of Major General), Gaazli bin Ibrahim (also retired as General- Major) and Hussine bin Awang Senik (retired colonel), Staff Sergeant Zakaria bin Adas, Sergeants Anuar bin Talib, Ariffin bin Mohamad, Yahya bin Darus, Corporals Silva Doray and Mu Ki Fa, Corporals Johari bin Hadji Sabri Sira bin Ahmad. This is how the history of the Special Service Group - Grup Gerak Khas - the special forces of the Malaysian army began.
Relying on the help of British instructors from the Royal Marines, already in the same 1965, the composition of the Special Service Group was expanded and the young special forces conducted 6 more basic courses. On August 1, 1970, the 1st Special Service Regiment was formed in Sungai Udang - in the territory of Malacca. In January 1981, the headquarters of the Special Service Group was established at the Imphal camp in Kuala Lumpur. By this time, in addition to the headquarters, the Group, which was similar in size to the brigade, consisted of three special service regiments, as well as combat and logistics support units. The combat training of the Malaysian special forces was carried out jointly with commando units of Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States.
On August 1, 1976, the Special Military Training Center (Pusat Latihan Peperangan Khusus) was formed, in which combat training of the Special Service Group soldiers is carried out in the following areas: basic training of commandos of the army, air force and navy of Malaysia, training of personnel of special operations forces in accordance with the requirements leadership of the country, advanced training of servicemen of special operations forces, testing of special forces soldiers, provision of qualified instructors for special forces units. During training at the training center, the military personnel of the Special Service Group undergo the following stages of training.
The first five-week training course plays the greatest role in determining the individual physical and psychological state of the fighters. At this stage, the main emphasis is on strengthening physical endurance, improving the handling of weapons, explosives, acquiring skills in medicine, topography, mountaineering and rock climbing, and the tactics of special forces. Soldiers must, with full combat gear, make several marches for 4, 8 km, 8 km, 11, 2 km, 14 km and 16 km. This stage usually ends with the elimination of several cadets who do not fit in time to cover the assigned distance.
The next two-week course of study involves preparation for warfare in the jungle and includes acquiring the skills of survival in the jungle, guarding and patrolling the jungle, setting up a military camp in a wooded area, and conducting combat operations. Further, the soldiers of the special forces move on to the next stage of training, where they will have a combat march in full gear. Three days are given to cover 160 km. The cadets who managed to pass this distance at the appointed time must live for seven days in a swampy area without food and even uniforms, being dressed only in underwear. Thus, the emphasis is on learning wetland survival practices. Those who do not cope with the task are eliminated from the special forces.
Further, the cadets will have a stage of training in operations at sea. For two weeks, future special forces are taught the basics of navigating small vessels, rowing in kayaks, landing on the shore, and scuba diving. The final exam at this stage of the training is to cover a distance of 160 km in kayaks along the Malay Strait. The fifth stage of training includes the execution of tasks to establish communication with "agents" and evade a meeting with a conditional adversary. If the cadets are caught, they face torture and ill-treatment. The commandos are tasked with continuing the path to the designated checkpoint, after which the test can be considered completed.
The special service group includes three special service regiments. The 11th Special Service Regiment is sometimes also called the Counter-Terrorism Regiment. Its competence includes the fight against terrorism, including the release of hostages and the conduct of anti-terrorist operations, including the fight against revolutionary insurgents. The regiment was trained by specialists - instructors of the 22nd British SAS and American "green berets". Within the Special Service Group, the counter-terrorist regiment is considered elite. It is smaller than the other two regiments in size and includes 4 squadrons. But only those commandos who have served for at least 6 years in other regiments of the special service can get into service in anti-terror.
The 21st Commando Regiment and the 22nd Commando Regiment are also called anti-insurgency. They specialize in the methods of non-traditional warfare - guerrilla and counter-guerrilla operations, conducting special reconnaissance, carrying out sabotage actions. Here, the greatest emphasis is on preparing for action in the jungle. The 22nd Commando Regiment was formed on January 1, 1977 at the Sungai Udang camp in Malacca. On April 1, 1981, the 11th and 12th special service regiments were formed, whose task was to support the 21st and 22nd commando regiments. However, the 12th regiment was downsized.
The Malaysian Special Service Group is subordinate to the headquarters of the armed forces and the headquarters of the country's ground forces. The group is commanded by Brigadier General Dato Abdu Samad bin Hadji Yakub. The honorary chef is the Sultan of Johor. Currently, one of the serious problems of the special forces is the departure of many old fighters from the service and the associated personnel shortage. To prevent layoffs and attract new recruits, the military command in 2005made a decision to increase the salaries of military personnel depending on the length of service - at the expense of the so-called. incentive payments.
The servicemen of the Special Service Group wear military uniforms of the standard for the Malaysian ground forces, but differ from the military personnel of other units by the headdress - a green beret with the emblem of the special service. The emblem of the Malaysian Army Special Forces is a dagger in front of the face of a roaring tiger. The color background of the emblem is obliquely blue and green. The green symbolizes the unit's affiliation with the commando forces, and the blue symbolizes the historical connection of the special service with the Royal Marines of Great Britain. The tiger means ferocity and power, and the naked dagger is a symbol of the commando's fighting spirit, since it acts as an obligatory element of the equipment of any Malaysian special forces soldier. Also, members of the special service wear a blue strap, symbolizing the connection with the Royal Marines. On the left pocket, those of the special forces who have parachute training also wear the image of wings.
The combat path of the special service for half a century of its existence includes numerous episodes of participation in hostilities - both on the territory of Malaysia and abroad. From 1966 to 1990, for 24 years, the commandos took an active part in countering the communist guerrilla movement in the jungles of Malaysia. As a matter of fact, for this purpose, the units of the army special forces were originally created. In 1993, the Malaysian special forces, together with units of the Pakistani army, took part in the battle in Mogadishu (Somalia) in 1993, where one special serviceman was killed and several people were injured. In 1998, the Army Special Forces ensured the security of the 16th Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur, acting in conjunction with police special forces. Malaysian Special Forces became the only commando unit from Southeast Asia to take part in the peacekeeping operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In 2006, Special Forces soldiers, together with the 10th Airborne Brigade and Special Forces Police, participated in the pacification in East Timor. Also, Malaysian special forces participated in peacekeeping operations in Lebanon - in 2007, in Afghanistan - in order to provide assistance to the New Zealand military contingent in Bamiyan. In 2013, in the province of Sabah, army special forces took part in the search and elimination of a terrorist group.
Special Aviation Service
As in Indonesia, in Malaysia, each branch of the armed forces has its own special forces. The Malaysian Air Force includes Pasukan Khas Udara, or PASKAU - Air Force Special Aviation Service). This unit is used for anti-terrorist activities and special operations of the Royal Malaysian Air Force. The immediate tasks of the aviation special forces include search and rescue operations, adjusting aviation fire, and combating terrorism and insurgency.
The history of the aviation special forces, like the special forces of the ground forces, goes back to the period of the confrontation between the Malaysian government forces and the partisans of the Communist Party of Malaya. After the communist party fired mortars at the air base, which resulted in the destruction of the RAF transport aircraft, the Air Force command issued a directive to create a new special unit to ensure the security of the air bases. On April 1, 1980, a new unit was created, and British instructors from the SAS began training. By March 1, 1987, 11 squadrons of the Malaysian aviation special forces were created. It was originally called Pasukan Pertahanan Darat dan Udara (HANDAU) - Air and Ground Defense Forces, and on June 1, 1993 it received its modern name PASKAU.
In fact, PASKAU exists as a regiment of the Royal Malaysian Air Force. It consists of three main types of squadrons. The first are anti-terrorist squadrons. They specialize in the fight against terrorism, the release of hostages and the destruction of terrorists, in air operations to free the hostages. The composition of such a squadron includes groups of six fighters each - a gunner, a sniper, a communications expert, an explosives technician, and a medic. Second, air combat search and rescue squadrons are used to carry out rescue operations behind enemy lines. Their task is to find and rescue downed Royal Air Force aircraft crews and their passengers as quickly as possible. Finally, the third type of squadron - for the protection of air bases - performs tasks for the defense of air bases, as well as the defense of radar stations and air defense bases. Finally, their tasks include adjusting aviation fire.
The training of the Malaysian aviation special forces is carried out at a high level. For twelve weeks, the commandos go through test tasks. The tests include 160 km marches. non-stop, mountain climbing, boating, jungle survival, sniper shooting, hand-to-hand combat. The main emphasis in the training of aviation special forces is placed on training in actions to release hostages and prevent hijacking of civil and military aircraft. After successfully completing training and passing tests, officers, sergeants and rank-and-file units receive the right to wear a blue beret and commando dagger.
Throughout its history, PASKAU has taken part in search and rescue operations many times. In 2013, air special forces units, together with other military and police formations, participated in an operation against the Sulu terrorists. Forty servicemen of the unit participated in the peacekeeping operation in Afghanistan, and the Malaysian air special forces took part in the peacekeeping operation in Lebanon. The Special Aviation Service is subordinate to the headquarters of the Royal Malaysian Air Force. The commander of the special aviation regiment is Colonel Haji Nazri bin Daskhah, and the honorary chief is General Datoh Rodzali bin Daud.
Marine Special Forces - on guard for Malay oil
In 1975, the command of the Malaysian Navy also felt the need to create their own special forces. It was decided to recruit volunteers from among the officers and sailors of the Navy for the purpose of their further training in special commando programs. Thus began the history of the Royal Malaysian Navy's Special Forces - Pasukan Khas Laut (PASKAL). This unit was tasked with conducting small naval operations in rivers, seas, delta, on the coast or in swampy areas. In general, the focus of this special unit also had much in common with the army and aviation special forces - among the main tasks were counter-guerrilla warfare, the fight against terrorism, the protection of protected persons, and the release of hostages. Initially, PASKAL was tasked with protecting the naval bases of Malaysia.
In 1977, the first batch of thirty officers, commanded by Captain Sutarji bin Kasmin (now a retired admiral), was sent to Kota Pahlavan, a naval base in Surabaya, Indonesia. By this time, relations between Malaysia and Indonesia had long since normalized and the countries had become important strategic partners in defense and security issues. In Indonesia, the Malaysian naval special forces began training under the guidance of instructors from KOPASKA, a similar special unit of the Indonesian Navy. Later, special forces officers were also sent to Portsmouth - for training at the Royal Marines of Great Britain, and in California - for training at the special forces of the US Navy. In Coronado, at the base of the US Navy, special forces were trained under the leadership of Lieutenant Commander (Captain 2nd Rank) Ahmad Ramli Cardi.
In April 1980, Malaysia announced that its exclusive economic zone would extend up to 200 nautical miles from the coast. Accordingly, the Malaysian Navy was tasked with ensuring the inviolability of the country's territorial waters. Accordingly, from October 1, 1982, PASKAL began to be used within the exclusive economic zone of Malaysia. The special forces were tasked with defending more than thirty oil rigs in the territorial waters of Malaysia. Their safety is the exclusive competence of PASKAL and the regiment regularly conducts exercises to practice actions in the event of attacks on oil rigs or attempts to steal oil.
A candidate for service in a PASKAL unit must meet the requirements for a naval special forces soldier. He must not be over 30 years old. For three months, recruits undergo a standard training course and tests. After completing them, the recruits who have successfully passed the first stage of training are sent to a special military training center in Sungai Udang, where they undergo airborne training, as well as special courses in specializations - medicine, explosives, communications, electrical engineering. The commandos undergo a medical examination every three months. PASKAL enrollment tests include the following standards: running 7.8 km in 24 minutes, swimming 1.5 km for no more than 25 minutes, swimming 6.4 km in the open sea with full gear - 120 each minutes, freestyle swimming for 1.5 km in 31 minutes, keeping on the water with hands and feet tied, diving 7 m deep without a special apparatus. Soldiers of the naval special forces are regularly sent for training and advanced training at the bases of the SAS of Great Britain, the special forces of the US Navy, and Australian divers. The fighters receive mountaineering training in France, sniper training in Australia.
The training of special forces soldiers of the Malaysian Navy includes the study of the specifics of warfare in the jungle, including sabotage and guerrilla methods, and the search for insurgents. Survival in the jungle after airborne landing and the creation of footholds in wooded areas is also being studied. Emphasis is placed on training in operations for the defense of oil platforms. Methods of waging war in urban conditions, mining and demining, work with explosives, a course of military medical training are being studied. Much attention is paid to physical training, including the study of martial arts. The special forces unit's hand-to-hand combat training program is based on the traditional Malay martial art “silat” and Korean martial arts, primarily “taekwondo”. Each soldier of the special forces must also have training in a foreign language - to collect information and communicate with the soldiers of the units of friendly states.
The general command of the special forces is carried out by the headquarters of the Royal Malaysian Navy. The direct commander of the unit is Vice Admiral Dato Saifuddin bin Kamaruddin. The head of the unit is Admiral Professor Dr. Haji Mohd Sutarji bin Kasmin. Currently, PASKAL is a naval special forces regiment, the exact number and structure of which are classified. However, experts estimate the size of the unit at approximately 1,000 troops, which are divided into two units - the first unit based at the Lumut base in Perak state, and the second unit based at the Sri Seporna base in Sabah state. Also, the PASKAL squad is based at Teluk Sepanggar - a naval base in Sabah.
The regiment includes several squadrons, each of which includes at least four companies. The smallest unit - "military boat" - includes seven fighters. Each PASKAL company consists of four platoons, organized like the American Green Berets. Platoon "Alpha" is a universal group of special operations used to combat terrorism, rescue operations. Platoon Bravo includes a scuba diving team and a special air operations group, whose tasks include infiltrating enemy territory to collect intelligence data. Platoon Charlie is a support team. Platoon Delta is an amphibious sniper team.
In each division of the regiment there are specialists of various profiles, selected to perform tasks in a specific region. As for the PASKAL weapons, they even surpass the army and aviation special forces in terms of cost and modernity. This is explained by the fact that Malaysian oil companies play a significant role in financing the naval special forces. The thugs of the Malaysian oil business do not spare money to buy weapons and pay for the training of commandos protecting the oil rigs. Another source of income is sponsorship from shipping companies. Thanks to private funding, the Malaysian Navy's special forces are the best equipped among other special forces in the country - both in terms of small arms, and in terms of communications and surveillance, diving, and vehicles.
Currently, PASKAL units play one of the most important roles in ensuring the safety of shipping in the Indian Ocean. Malaysian naval special forces regularly take part in operations against Somali pirates. So, on December 18, 2008, PASKAL fighters took part in the liberation of a Chinese ship in the Gulf of Aden. On January 1, 2009, PASKAL took part in confronting Somali pirates who attacked an Indian tanker carrying oil in the Gulf of Aden. In January 2011, PASKAL thwarted an attempt by Somali pirates to hijack a tanker loaded with chemical products. In addition to operations to maintain security in the Indian Ocean, special forces of the Malaysian Navy took part in the peacekeeping operation in Afghanistan. In 2013, the unit's fighters took part in hostilities against the South Philippine rebels.
Guarding law and order
Finally, Malaysian law enforcement agencies have their own special forces. First of all, it is Pasukan Gerakan Khas (PGK) - Special Operations Command of the Federal Police of Malaysia. The history of the police special forces also goes back to the era of confrontation between the communist partisans and the government. In 1969, with the help of the British 22nd SAS, a special unit VAT 69 was created - a small detachment that was supposed to fight the partisans of the Malaya Communist Party. For service in the regiment of 1,600 police officers and sergeants, 60 people were selected, who began training in the commando course of the British SAS. Out of 60 initially selected candidates, only thirty police officers managed to pass all tests and training and form the core of VAT 69.
The unit began its first operations in 1970, after the completion of the combat training of its fighters. For a long time, the detachment acted against the People's Liberation Army of Malaya, the paramilitary wing of the Communist Party. Also, the police special forces acted against the communist-sympathetic groups of "forest dwellers" - representatives of the Senoi people who lived in the jungles of Malacca. In 1977, three new squadrons of police special forces were created, trained by instructors from the SAS New Zealand. By 1980, VAT 69 was fully staffed with both fighters and its own support department.
Unit Tindakan Khas (UTK) was established on January 1, 1975. It took part in the operation against the Japanese Red Army, whose militants on August 5, 1975, took about 50 hostages - employees of the American consulate and the Swedish chargé d'affaires. This unit was also trained in the British CAC methodology. Only twenty out of more than one hundred candidates are selected for service with UTK. October 20, 1997The Royal Malaysia Police have been reorganized. VAT 69 and UTK were merged into Pasukan Gerakan Khas (PGK), subordinate directly to the country's prime minister and inspector general of police. The police special forces are tasked with conducting anti-terrorist operations together with special forces of the armed forces, combating crime, maintaining law and order (in Malaysia and on the territory of foreign states - as part of special missions), search and rescue operations, ensuring the safety of representatives of the Malaysian leadership and other high-ranking officials persons.
The distinctive signs of the Malaysian special forces police are sand and burgundy berets and the emblem - crooked daggers on a black background. The black color on the emblem of the police special forces symbolizes the secrecy of operations, red - bravery, yellow - loyalty to the king of Malaysia and the country.
Police special forces are deployed at the headquarters of the Royal Malaysian Police at Bukit Aman in Kuala Lumpur. The direct command of the unit is exercised by the Director of the Department of Homeland and Public Security, who reports to the unit commander with the rank of senior assistant commissioner and the rank of deputy director of the department. After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 in the United States, the Malaysian police special forces began to focus on anti-terrorist operations. Small patrol groups of police special forces were created, each of which has 6-10 operational officers. The patrol group is led by a police inspector and includes snipers, sappers, liaison specialists and field medics.
In addition to this special unit, the Royal Malaysian Police includes Unit Gempur Marin (UNGERIN) - Marine Assault Group. It was created in 2007 to carry out anti-terrorist operations at sea and to combat piracy. The unit is being trained in the United States, and on the territory of Malaysia is based in Kampung Aceh in the state of Perak and is used, most often, to maintain law and order on the northern coast of Kalimantan - in Sabah and Sarawak.
In addition to the Royal Malaysian Police, a number of Malaysian special services and law enforcement agencies have their own special forces. The Malaysian Prison Department has its own special forces. This is Trup Tindakan Cepat (TTC) - a small special unit tasked with freeing hostages taken by prisoners in prisons and eliminating prison riots. The best and most trained employees under the age of 35, who are able to cope with physical and psychological stress, are selected to serve in this unit. In 2014, its own division, Grup Taktikal Khas (GTK), was created under the Malaysian Department of Immigration. Its tasks include the fight against illegal migration. The Malaysian Maritime Law Enforcement Agency has its own special unit - Pasukan Tindakan Khas dan Penyelamat Maritim - Special Forces and Rescue Team. This unit specializes in search and rescue operations, combating piracy and terrorism at sea. Also, the task of the detachment is the delivery of valuable cargo and documents from the wrecked Malaysian ships. The profile of this special unit implies close cooperation with the special forces of the Malaysian Navy - both in solving combat missions and in the process of training personnel.
