The 17th Battalion (Parachute), Royal Malay Regiment (), abbreviated 17 RAMD (Para) from its local name, is a

battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions are ...

-sized

airborne Airborne or Airborn may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Airborne'' (1962 film), a 1962 American film directed by James Landis * ''Airborne'' (1993 film), a comedy–drama film * ''Airborne'' (1998 film), an action film sta ...

infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and marine i ...

unit of the

Malaysian Army The Malaysian Army ( ms, Tentera Darat Malaysia; Jawi: تنترا دارت مليسيا) is the land component of the Malaysian Armed Forces. Steeped in British Army traditions, the Malaysian Army does not carry the title ‘royal’ () as do th ...

Royal Malay Regiment The Royal Malay Regiment ( ms, Rejimen Askar Melayu DiRaja; Jawi script, Jawi: ) is the premier unit of the Malaysian Army's two infantry regiments. At its largest, the Malay Regiment comprised 27 battalions. At present, three battalions are par ...

. Since 10 October 1994, 17 RAMD has been a part of the 10th Parachute Brigade. The current commander of the 17 RAMD (Para) is

Lieutenant Colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...

Mohd Ramzan bin Che Ani.

History

Formed as an infantry unit

On 1 August 1970, the

Ministry of Defense {{unsourced, date=February 2021 A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in states ...

established the 17 RAMD as an infantry company in Kementah Camp,

Kuala Lumpur , anthem = '' Maju dan Sejahtera'' , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Malaysia#Southeast Asia#Asia , pushpin_map_caption = , coordinates = , su ...

as part of Operation ''Pembena''. The pioneer team consists of only one officer and ten other ranks. Captain H.T Sharif Abdul Gaffur was tasked with expanding the unit to operational size. Captain Sharif was able to increase the unit's strength to three officers and 57 other ranks by 9 November 1970, and the unit was transferred to Majidee Camp in

Johor Bahru Johor Bahru (), colloquially referred to as JB, is the capital city of the state of Johor, Malaysia. It is located at the southern end of Peninsular Malaysia,along the north bank of the Straits of Johor, opposite of the city-state Singapore. T ...

. The unit was upgraded to battalion size on 23 November 1970, and Lieutenant Colonel Adam Abu Bakar was appointed as the first Commander of 17 RAMD. On 23 November 1970, the 17th RAMD became operational. In November 1982, 17 RAMD were assigned to the 7th Infantry Brigade and relocated to Kukusan Camp in

Tawau Tawau (, Jawi: , ), formerly known as Tawao, is the capital of the Tawau District in Sabah, Malaysia. It is the third-largest city in Sabah, after Kota Kinabalu and Sandakan. It is located on the Semporna Peninsula in the southeast coast of t ...

to serve under the Army East Field Command. Four years later, the 17 RAMD was reassigned to Army West Field Command and transferred to the 1st Infantry Brigade. The garrison was also relocated to

Terendak Camp Terendak Camp is a Malaysian Army military base located in Sungai Udang, Central Melaka District, Melaka, Malaysia. It belonged to the Commonwealth of Nations before being handed over to the Malaysian Armed Forces in 1970. It is right next to ...

Malacca Malacca ( ms, Melaka) is a state in Malaysia located in the southern region of the Malay Peninsula, next to the Strait of Malacca. Its capital is Malacca City, dubbed the Historic City, which has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site si ...

Reconstruct for an airborne role

17 RAMD and the 9th Battalion, Royal Malay Regiment (9 RAMD) were transferred under the command of the 10th Strategic Brigade in 1990, and both battalions were trained as airborne infantry at the Special Warfare Training Centre. The unit was officially renamed the 17th Battalion (Parachute), Royal Malay Regiment in 1992. On 1 January 1994, the 17 RAMD (Para) became a fully operational airborne unit.

Reassemble as the Rapid Deployment Force

The Malaysian Army's top brass intends to combine all airborne units into a single combat force. The

8th Battalion (Parachute), Royal Ranger Regiment The 8th Battalion (Parachute), Royal Ranger Regiment (), better known as the 8 RRD or 8 RRD (Para) – abbreviation from its local name, is a battalion-sized airborne infantry from the Royal Ranger Regiment of the Malaysian Army. On 10 October 1994 ...

(8 RRD (Para)), 9 RAMD (Para), and 17 RAMD (Para) were merged into a single airborne unit in 1993 as its airborne infantry element. On 10 October 1994, following Exercise ''Halilintar'', then-prime minister Dr

Mahathir Mohamad Mahathir bin Mohamad ( ms, محاضير بن محمد, label= Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset; ; born 10 July 1925) is a Malaysian politician, author, and physician who served as the 4th and 7th Prime Minister of Malaysia. He held the office ...

officially introduced the unit as the Rapid Deployment Force, and the 10th Strategic Brigade was renamed the 10th Parachute Brigade. The 10th Parachute Brigade is becoming an independent combat force reporting directly to the Chief of the Army.

Role and responsibilities

17 RAMD (Para), 8 RRD (Para), 9 RAMD (Para), and 18 RAMD (Para) serve as airborne infantry units for the

Rapid Deployment Force A rapid deployment force is a military formation that is capable of fast deployment. Such forces typically consist of elite military units (special forces, paratroopers, marines, etc.) and are usually trained at a higher intensity than the rest ...

(RDF). The RDF's airborne infantry is tasked with being able to deploy at any time and to any location via air, land, or sea. They have five primary roles, which are as follows: # Operate conventionally, either independently or as part of a joint force, in response to threats that occur within or outside of Malaysia. # Defending and rescuing Malaysian citizens and property located abroad. # Assisting law enforcement with any threats that occur within Malaysia. # Fight the

insurgency An insurgency is a violent, armed rebellion against authority waged by small, lightly armed bands who practice guerrilla warfare from primarily rural base areas. The key descriptive feature of insurgency is its asymmetric nature: small irregu ...

. # Assisting friendly countries in the event of a natural disaster, defending their citizens, or serving as a peacekeeper.

Formations

Current formation

Terendak Camp is home to 17 RAMD (Para). The unit is made up of six paratrooper companies and one family welfare organisation.

Notable members

1 Star General CO 1: Brigadier Gen Dato' Adam b. Abu Bakar CO 3: Brigadier Gen Dato' Pahlawan Mohamed Shukor b.Hj Abdullah CO 8: Brigedier Gen Dato' Nik Mohd Za'aba bin Nik Daud CO 16: Brigadier Gen Datuk Jalaludin b. MD Yusof CO 23: Brigadier Gen Khairul Azmizal b. Ahmad Natal 2 Star General CO 2: Maj Gen Dato' Raja Ibrahim b. Shariman CO 14: Maj Gen Dato' Mazelan b. Kasap 3 Star General CO 4 : Lt Gen Dato' Abdul Ghani b.Abdullah CO 10: Lt Gen Datuk Abdul Ghaffir b.Abdul Hamid CO 12 : Lt Gen Dato' Masood b. Hi Zainal Abidin CO 15: Lt Gen Dato' Suhaimi b. Hj Mohd Zuki CO 17: Lt Gen Dato' Hasagaya b. Abdullah 4 Star General CO 5: Gen Dato' Ismail b. Hasan CO 13: Gen Tan Sri Dato' Sri Zulkiple b. Hj Kassim *

Tengku Amir Shah Tengku Amir Shah ibni Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah (born 12 December 1990) is the current Crown Prince of the Malaysian state of Selangor. He is the son and heir apparent to the current Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah and a ...

His Royal Highness Royal Highness is a style used to address or refer to some members of royal families, usually princes or princesses. Monarchs and their consorts are usually styled ''Majesty''. When used as a direct form of address, spoken or written, it takes ...

Captain Tengku Amir Shah is the

crown prince A crown prince or hereditary prince is the heir apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The female form of the title is crown princess, which may refer either to an heiress apparent or, especially in earlier times, to the wif ...

Selangor Selangor (; ), also known by its Arabic language, Arabic honorific Darul Ehsan, or "Abode of Sincerity", is one of the 13 Malaysian states. It is on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and is bordered by Perak to the north, Pahang to the east ...

. Despite the fact that the

Sultan of Selangor Sultan of Selangor (سلطان سلاڠور) is the title of the constitutional ruler of Selangor, Malaysia who is the head of state and head of the Islamic religion in Selangor. The current monarch, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah ascended the t ...

is the Captain-in-Chief of the

Royal Malaysian Navy The Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN, ms, Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia; TLDM; Jawi: ) is the naval arm of the Malaysian Armed Forces. RMN is the main agency responsible for the country's maritime surveillance and defense operations. RMN's area of o ...

, HRH decides to join the

. After graduating from the

Royal Military Academy Sandhurst The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS or RMA Sandhurst), commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is one of several military academies of the United Kingdom and is the British Army's initial officer training centre. It is located in the town of ...

on 15 April 2016, his first unit in the Malaysian Army was 17 RAMD (Para). He accomplished the Basic Rapid Deployment Force Course series in 2016 and has been with 17 RAMD since then. He is an officer in the

Assault Pioneer An Assault Pioneer is an infantry soldier who is responsible for: * The construction of tools for infantry soldiers to cross natural and man-made obstacles as well as breaching of enemy fortifications; * Supervising the construction of field defe ...

Platoon, 17 RAMD (Para).

References

{{Malaysian Army Airborne Forces Malaysian Army