The 21st Special Service Group (
Abbr.: 21 SSG, ) is a
command
Command may refer to:
Computing
* Command (computing), a statement in a computer language
* COMMAND.COM, the default operating system shell and command-line interpreter for DOS
* Command key, a modifier key on Apple Macintosh computer keyboards
* ...
for
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 ...
special forces
Special forces and special operations forces (SOF) are military units trained to conduct special operations. NATO has defined special operations as "military activities conducted by specially designated, organized, selected, trained and equip ...
, the ''
Gerak Khas''. The 21 SSG and
10th Parachute Brigade are
elite
In political and sociological theory, the elite (french: élite, from la, eligere, to select or to sort out) are a small group of powerful people who hold a disproportionate amount of wealth, privilege, political power, or skill in a group. D ...
fighting formations of the Malaysian Army. Both units are independent units under the Malaysian Army and report directly to the
Chief of Army. The headquarters of the 21 SSG are at
Sri Iskandar Camp in
Mersing
Mersing (Terengganu Malay: ''Merecing'' or ''Ngesing'') is a town, mukim and the capital of Mersing District, Johor, Malaysia.
As of 2010, the town has an estimated population of 70,894.
Mersing town, is particularly significant for a number ...
,
Johor
Johor (; ), also spelled as Johore, is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia in the south of the Malay Peninsula. Johor has land borders with the Malaysian states of Pahang to the north and Malacca and Negeri Sembilan ...
.
Major General
Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...
Nubli Hashim is the current commander of the 21 SSG, succeeding Major General
Datuk
Datuk (or its variant Dato or Datu) is a Malay title commonly used in Brunei, Indonesia, and Malaysia, as well as a traditional title by Minangkabau people in West Sumatra, Indonesia.
The title of the wife of Datuk is Datin.
Origin
The oldest ...
Jamaluddin Jambi on 6 September 2021.
History
The 21st Special Service Group, previously known as ''Rejimen Pertama Gerak Khas Malaysia'' or the 1st Malaysian Special Service Regiment, was established on 1 August 1970, at
Sungai Udang Camp in
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 ...
. This unit was the direct successor to the Malaysian Army's
special operations
Special operations (S.O.) are military activities conducted, according to NATO, by "specially designated, organized, selected, trained, and equipped forces using unconventional techniques and modes of employment". Special operations may include ...
task force, the
Malaysian Special Service Unit, as well as the spiritual successor to Malaysia's first modern special forces unit, the
Malayan Special Forces.
Background
Following the end of the
Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation
The Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation or Borneo confrontation (also known by its Indonesian / Malay name, ''Konfrontasi'') was an armed conflict from 1963 to 1966 that stemmed from Indonesia's opposition to the creation of the Federation of ...
in 1966, the army command considered disbanding the Malaysian Special Service Unit (MSSU). The MSSU, which was based at the time in
Sebatang Karah Camp,
Negeri Sembilan
Negeri Sembilan (, Negeri Sembilan Malay: ''Nogoghi Sombilan'', ''Nismilan'') is a state in Malaysia which lies on the western coast of Peninsular Malaysia. It borders Selangor on the north, Pahang in the east, and Malacca and Johor to the s ...
, was a task force whose members were all commando-trained but belonged to their own regiment or corps, and some were sailors from 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 ...
. In 1969, the
13 May incident occurred, and the MSSU was dispatched to
Kuala Lumpur
, anthem = '' Maju dan Sejahtera''
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, pushpin_map = Malaysia#Southeast Asia#Asia
, pushpin_map_caption =
, coordinates =
, su ...
to defend the weapon depot located within
Mindef Camp (). The MSSU is also joining forces with the
Royal Malaysia Police
The Royal Malaysia Police (often abbreviated RMP) ( ms, Polis Diraja Malaysia (PDRM)), is a (primarily) uniformed national and federal police force in Malaysia. The force is a centralised organisation. Its headquarters are located at Bukit Aman ...
's
Special Branch
Special Branch is a label customarily used to identify units responsible for matters of national security and Intelligence (information gathering), intelligence in Policing in the United Kingdom, British, Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth, ...
to apprehend leaders of
gangster
A gangster is a criminal who is a member of a gang. Most gangs are considered to be part of organized crime. Gangsters are also called mobsters, a term derived from ''mob'' and the suffix '' -ster''. Gangs provide a level of organization and ...
s and
triads who contributed to the racial tensions behind the scenes during the incident. The incident was short-lived due to the quick response of both units. As a result, the brass decided not to disband the MSSU.
1st Malaysian Special Service Regiment
Malaysian Army established the 1st Malaysian Special Service Regiment (1 MSSR) in August 1970 to replace the MSSU. As a task force, the MSSU members are still accountable to their original units. To address this issue, by 1973, the MSSU members who wish to join the special forces unit must resign from their original units and volunteer to join the 1 MSSR. Later, in the mid-1970s, the 2nd Malaysian Special Service Regiment (2 MSSR) was formed to cope with the rapidly expanding Malaysian Army special forces.
The
Special Warfare Training Centre (SWTC) was founded in 1975 to provide the ''Gerak Khas'' with commando and special operations training. As the senior unit, 1 MSSR members were chosen as SWTC instructors.
Malaysian Special Service Command
The Malaysian Army separated the command of special forces from the 1 MSSR on 4 April 1980, by establishing the Malaysian Special Service Command () at
Imphal Camp in Kuala Lumpur, while the 1 MSSR and 2 MSSR continued to serve as combat units. The Malaysian Army renamed the Malaysian Special Forces Command to Malaysian Special Service Group (MSSG) on 1 April 1981, at the same time that 1 MSSR was renamed to 21st Para Commando Regiment and 2 MSSR was renamed to 22nd Para Commando Regiment. Two new
counter-revolutionary
A counter-revolutionary or an anti-revolutionary is anyone who opposes or resists a revolution, particularly one who acts after a revolution in order to try to overturn it or reverse its course, in full or in part. The adjective "counter-revoluti ...
warfare units were formed at the same time, the 11th Special Service Regiment (11 SSR) and the 12th Special Service Regiment (12 SSR), to provide specialised support to the Para Commando regiments. Many other support units were established in December 1981 to provide additional combat support to the combat units under MSSG. In 1983, the 12 SSR were disbanded, and the 11 SSR were no longer specially assigned to the 21st Para Commando.
21st Special Service Group
The MSSG was renamed the 21st Special Service Group in 1985 because the Malaysian Army wanted to standardise the names of the Malaysian Army's units and formalise the unit as the Malaysian Army's 21st brigade. Units under the command of the 21 SSG were also renamed. The 21st Para Commando Regiment became the 21st Commando Regiment and the 22nd Para Commando Regiment became the 22nd Commando Regiment. The 21st Engineering Squadron of the 21 SSG (now known as the
10th Squadron (Parachute), Royal Engineer Regiment
The 10th Squadron (Parachute), Royal Army Engineers Regiment (Abbreviation, Abbr.: 10 SQN RAER (Para); — ''10 Skn RAJD (Para)'') is a battalion-sized Airborne forces, airborne sapper from the Malaysian Army's Rejimen Askar Jurutera DiRaja, Roya ...
) was decommissioned from the 21 SSG in 1986 and transferred to the Malaysian Army's
3rd Infantry Division. The
Special Warfare Training Centre was placed under the command of the
Malaysian Army Training and Doctrine Command
The Malaysian Army Training and Doctrine Command (MyTRADOC, ms, Pemerintahan Latihan dan Doktrin Tentera Darat, Jawi alphabet, Jawi: ڤمرينتهن لاتيهن دان دوکترين تنترا دارت), known as PL&DTD and PLDTD, is a milita ...
.
Formations
1970–1980
* 1st Malaysian Special Service Regiment
* 2nd Malaysian Special Service Regiment
1980–1981
*Malaysian Special Service Command
**1st Malaysian Special Service Regiment
**2nd Malaysian Special Service Regiment
**
Special Warfare Training Centre
1981–1983
*Malaysian Special Service Group
**21st Para Commando Regiment
***11th Special Service Regiment
**22nd Para Commando Regiment
***12th Special Service Regiment
**21st Signals Squadron
**
21st Engineering Squadron
**Garrison Command
**21st Composite Company
**21st Ordnance Company
**21st Military Police Company
**21st Workshop Company
**Armed Forces Payroll Affairs Company
**Special Warfare Training Centre
1983–1985
*Malaysian Special Service Group
**11th Counter-revolutionary Warfare Regiment
**21st Para Commando Regiment
**22nd Para Commando Regiment
**21st Signals Squadron
**Garrison Command
**21st Composite Company
**21st Ordnance Company
**21st Military Police Company
**21st Workshop Company
**Armed Forces Payroll Affairs Company
**Special Warfare Training Centre
1985–2010s
*21st Special Service Group
**11th Special Service Regiment
**21st Commando Regiment
**22nd Commando Regiment
**Signals Squadron, Royal Signals
**Garrison Command
**Composite Company, Royal Service Corps
**21st Company, Royal Ordnance Corps
**21st Company, Royal Military Police Corps
**21st Squadron (Workshop), Royal Service Corps
**Armed Forces Payroll Affairs Company, Royal Service Corps
Current formations
*
Uniforms and insignia
Green beret
Members of ''
Gerak Khas'' inherited the
green beret
The green beret was the official headdress of the British Commandos of the Second World War. It is still worn by members of the Royal Marines after passing the Commando Course, and personnel from other units of the Royal Navy, Army and RAF wh ...
and
Fairbairn–Sykes fighting knife
The Fairbairn–Sykes fighting knife is a double-edged fighting knife resembling a dagger or poignard with a foil grip. It was developed by William Ewart Fairbairn and Eric Anthony Sykes in Shanghai based on ideas that the two men had while serv ...
as a
commando
Royal Marines from 40 Commando on patrol in the Sangin">40_Commando.html" ;"title="Royal Marines from 40 Commando">Royal Marines from 40 Commando on patrol in the Sangin area of Afghanistan are pictured
A commando is a combatant, or operativ ...
qualification symbol from the
Royal Marines Commando
The Corps of Royal Marines (RM), also known as the Royal Marines Commandos, are the UK's special operations capable commando force, amphibious light infantry and also one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy. The Corps of Royal Marine ...
. This is because the first batch received
commando training
file:Royal_Marines_in_Sangin_MOD_45151554.jpg, Royal Marines from 40 Commando on patrol in the Sangin area of Afghanistan are pictured
A commando is a combatant, or operative of an elite light infantry or special operations force, specially tr ...
at the
British Army Jungle Warfare Training School
The British Army Jungle Warfare Training School (Jungle Warfare Division - JWD) is the British Army's training establishment located at Medicina Lines, Seria, in the sultanate of Brunei Darussalam.
The courses run by JWD which train soldiers an ...
from the
40 Commando Royal Marines
40 Commando RM is a battalion-sized formation of the British Royal Marines and subordinate unit within 3 Commando Brigade, the principal Commando formation, under the Operational Command of Commander in Chief Fleet. Their barracks are at Norton M ...
. Unlike the
British Armed Forces
The British Armed Forces, also known as His Majesty's Armed Forces, are the military forces responsible for the defence of the United Kingdom, its Overseas Territories and the Crown Dependencies. They also promote the UK's wider interests, s ...
or the
U.S. Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...
, which only allow soldiers, sailors or marines who have completed the Basic Commando Course or the
United States Army Special Forces selection and training
The Special Forces Qualification Course (SFQC) or, informally, the Q Course is the initial formal training program for entry into the United States Army Special Forces. Phase I of the Q Course is Special Forces Assessment and Selection (SFAS). G ...
to wear the green beret, all members of the 21 SSG wear the green beret whether they have completed the Basic Commando Course or not. Members who have completed the Basic Commando Course may wear their unit's beret backing (Malaysian renditions of the
U.S. military beret flash) to distinguish themselves from non-commando trained members.
Shoulder sleeve insignia
Number 5 uniform (Combat uniform)
The insignia, also known as a tactical formation patch (), is worn on the
combat uniform
A combat uniform, also called field uniform, battledress or military fatigues, is a casual wear, casual type of uniform used by military, police, firefighter, fire and other public uniformed services for everyday fieldwork and combat duty purpo ...
and is olive and black in colour. The patch features a roaring tiger's head and a commando dagger in the centre.
Number 2 uniform (Bush jacket)
The 21 SSG personnel wore their command insignia on their number 2 uniform's left shoulder sleeve. The 21 SSG shoulder sleeve insignia is similar to the beret backing but has a black outline. The current insignia is based on the insignia of the Malaysian Special Service Unit, which depicts a roaring tiger's head with a commando dagger in the centre. The background is a combination of jungle green and Caribbean blue. The colour jungle green represents commando specialties while also being the colour of Islam, while Caribbean blue represents the founder, 40 Commando Royal Marines.
Stable belt
Members of the 21SSG wear their number 3 uniform (work dress) with a green and light blue
stable belt.
Commanders
Since the establishment of the Malaysian Special Service Regiment in 1970, there have been 20 people who have held the position of Commander of
''Gerak Khas'', also known as ''Panglima Gerak Khas'' in Malay. The list here is based on the highest rank they achieved before retiring from the service, not the date they held the position.
*
Borhan Ahmad Borhan ( fa, برهان, link=no) may refer to:
* Borhan, Hormozgan
* Borhan, West Azerbaijan
{{geodis ...
– Retired as a General. Before retiring, he served as the 12th
Chief of Defense Forces.
*
Zaini Mohamad Said, – Retired as a Lieutenant General. Before retiring, he was the Commander of Army Field Command.
*
Awie Suboh – Retired as a Lieutenant General. He was the Commander of the
1st Infantry Division before retiring.
* Hasan Ali – Retired as a Lieutenant General. Before retiring, he was the Commander of the 21st SSG.
* Ramli Ismail – Retired as a Major General. Before retiring, he was the Commander of the
Malaysian Army Training and Doctrine Command
The Malaysian Army Training and Doctrine Command (MyTRADOC, ms, Pemerintahan Latihan dan Doktrin Tentera Darat, Jawi alphabet, Jawi: ڤمرينتهن لاتيهن دان دوکترين تنترا دارت), known as PL&DTD and PLDTD, is a milita ...
. Died on 13 November 2011.
* Mohd Ghazali Ibrahim – Retired as a Major General. Before retiring, he was the Commander of the Malaysian Army Training and Doctrine Command.
* Mohd Rodi Zakaria – Retired as a Major General. Before retiring, he was the Commander of the Malaysian Army Training and Doctrine Command.
* Abdul Samad Yaacob – Retired as a Major General. Before retiring, he was the Assistant Chief-of-Staff of Malaysian Army Planning and Development.
* Zolkopli Hashim – Retired as a Major General. Before retiring, he was the Commander of the 21st SSG.
* Mohd Fadzil Tajuddin – Retired as a Major General. Before retiring, he was the Commander of the 31st Border Brigade.
* Jamaludin Jambi – Retired as a Major General. Before retiring, he was the Commander of the 21st SSG.
* Hasbullah Mohd Yusof – While still in service, he was killed in a helicopter crash on 8 December 1989. He was the Commander of the 3rd Infantry Brigade at the time and held the rank of Brigadier General.
* Daud Ariffin – Retired as a Brigadier General. Before retiring, he was the Commander of the 21st SSG.
* Muhammad Yassin Yahya – Retired as a Brigadier General. Before retiring, he was the Commander of the 5th Infantry Brigade.
* Harun Hitam – Retired as a Brigadier General. Before retiring, he was the Commander of the 21st SSG.
* Mohd Daniel @ Damien Abdullah – Retired as a Brigadier General. Before retiring, he was the Commander of the 9th Infantry Brigade.
* Effendi Abdul Karim – Retired as a Brigadier General. Before retiring, he was the Commander of the 21st SSG.
*
Mazlan Md Sahlan – Retired as a Brigadier General. Prior to his retirement, he served as the Director of Special Operations at
Joint Forces Command
The United Kingdom's Strategic Command (StratCom), previously known as Joint Forces Command (JFC), manages allocated joint capabilities from the three armed services.
History
Background
In August 2010 the then Defence Secretary, Liam Fox, a ...
. Prior to that, he was the commander of
National Special Operations Force, a tier 1 special operations unit.
* Khairul Anuar Yaakob – Retired as a Brigadier General. Before retiring, he was the Chief-of-Operation (
S3) of the 21st SSG.
* Nubli Hashim – the 21st SSG's current commander.
Notes
References
{{Malaysian Army
Malaysian Army
Formations of the Malaysian Army