The 69 Commando (,
Jawi: ٦٩ كومندو); also known as Very Able Troopers 69 (
abbreviation
An abbreviation (from Latin ''brevis'', meaning ''short'') is a shortened form of a word or phrase, by any method. It may consist of a group of letters or words taken from the full version of the word or phrase; for example, the word ''abbrevia ...
: VAT 69) is an elite multi-tasking
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 ...
unit of 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 ...
. The VAT 69 is based at
Ulu Kinta
Ulu Kinta was a federal constituency in Perak, Malaysia, that was represented in the Dewan Rakyat
The Dewan Rakyat (English: 'House of Representatives'; ) is the lower house of the bicameral Parliament, the federal legislature of Malaysia. Th ...
,
Perak
Perak () is a state of Malaysia on the west coast of the Malay Peninsula. Perak has land borders with the Malaysian states of Kedah to the north, Penang to the northwest, Kelantan and Pahang to the east, and Selangor to the south. Thailand's ...
and together with
Special Actions Unit
The Special Actions Unit ('','' Jawi: اونيت تيندق خاص), commonly known as and abbreviated to UTK is a tactical unit of the Royal Malaysia Police (RMP). The unit is headquartered at the RMP buildings in Bukit Aman, Kuala Lumpur. T ...
( ms, Unit Tindakhas; UTK), they are part of
''Pasukan Gerakan Khas'' (abbreviated ''PGK'', ). The mission of 69 Commando is to conduct high-risk tasks such as
counter-terrorism, hostage rescue, intelligence gathering and
counter-insurgency
Counterinsurgency (COIN) is "the totality of actions aimed at defeating irregular forces". The Oxford English Dictionary defines counterinsurgency as any "military or political action taken against the activities of guerrillas or revolutionar ...
within the borders of Malaysia.
Prior to 1989, the 69 Commando was primarily tasked with the war against communist terrorists in the Malaysian jungle. Today, 69 Commando has much wider counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency role, but it still maintains considerable expertise in
jungle warfare; many of their operators are drawn from the
Senoi Praaq
) The Silent Killer( ms, Pembunuh Senyap)
, patron =
, motto ="We never killed anyone who didn't deserve to die"( ms, "Kami tidak pernah membunuh sesiapa yang tidak berhak untuk mati")"Cepat, Cekap, Ihsan"(''"Speed, Efficiency, Courtesy"'')
, ...
, an elite tracking unit which is now part of RMP's
General Operations Force
The General Operations Force ( ms, Pasukan Gerakan Am; PGA, ''Jawi'': ڤاسوكن ڬرقن عام) is the light infantry arm of the Royal Malaysia Police. The General Operations Force was established in 1948 during the Malayan Emergency by th ...
.
History
VAT 69, also known as ''Task Force, Charlie Force'' and ''Special Project Team'', was founded in 1969 (hence the number 69) and is modelled on the British 22nd
Special Air Service
The Special Air Service (SAS) is a special forces unit of the British Army. It was founded as a regiment in 1941 by David Stirling and in 1950, it was reconstituted as a corps. The unit specialises in a number of roles including counter-terro ...
Regiment, as a small combat unit to counter the tactics and techniques of communist terrorists. The idea for an elite counter-terrorist paramilitary police unit was originally proposed the
Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security, The Honorable Allahyarham (late)
Tun Dr Ismail
Tun Dr. Ismail bin Abdul Rahman ( ms, إسماعيل بن عبدالرحمن, label= Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset; 4 November 1915 – 2 August 1973) was a Malaysian politician who served as the second Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia from ...
to fight the communist insurgency.
[A. Navaratnam, pp.9-10]
In October 1969, 1,600 officers and men from the
Police Field Force
A field force in British and Indian Army military parlance is a combined arms land force operating under actual or assumed combat circumstances, usually for the length of a specific military campaign. It is used by other nations, but can have a dif ...
() applied for VAT 69 training of which 60 passed the basic commando training tests. A group of instructors from SAS were sent to Fort Kemar, Perak to supervise the training of the first 69 Commando recruits. Only 30 police officers managed to pass and they formed the first nucleus troop of 69 Commando Battalion.
The official name for VAT 69 at that time was Pasukan Polis Hutan 69; PPH 69 (Police Field Force ''69'') and they were part of Police Field Force (now
General Operations Force
The General Operations Force ( ms, Pasukan Gerakan Am; PGA, ''Jawi'': ڤاسوكن ڬرقن عام) is the light infantry arm of the Royal Malaysia Police. The General Operations Force was established in 1948 during the Malayan Emergency by th ...
).
In the 1970s, VAT 69 started its initial operations and was successfully deployed against the
Malayan National Liberation Army (MNLA) during
the Second Malayan Emergency. VAT 69 was responsible for neutralizing a significant number of MNLA guerrillas and seizing large amounts of weapons and equipment. VAT 69 cooperated closely with the
Senoi Praaq Regiment, an exclusively
Orang Asli
Orang Asli (''lit''. "first people", "native people", "original people", "aborigines people" or "aboriginal people" in Malay) are a heterogeneous indigenous population forming a national minority in Malaysia. They are the oldest inhabitants of ...
police light infantry unit, in operations against pro-Communist ASAL groups, which were composed of Orang Asli sympathisers of the Malayan Communists.
In 1977, three new squadrons were raised and trained by the
New Zealand Special Air Service
The 1st New Zealand Special Air Service Regiment, abbreviated as 1 NZSAS Regt, was formed on 7 July 1955 and is the Special forces unit of the New Zealand Army, closely modelled on the British Special Air Service (SAS). It traces its origins to ...
and a special course was conducted to train their own instructors. This expansion program was completed in 1980 and VAT 69 had fully equipped units with its own logistics department.
In 1978, 65 officers and operators from VAT 69 were sent to
Hua Hin,
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
to be trained by instructors from the Parachuting Training Centre of
Border Patrol Police
The Border Patrol Police ( th, ตำรวจตระเวนชายแดน); (BPP) is a Thai paramilitary police under the jurisdiction of the Royal Thai Police, responsible for border security and counterinsurgency.
History
The Thai Bo ...
,
Royal Thai Police. The course lasted for a month and the trainee learned to jump via static line insertion.
Merger in Pasukan Gerakan Khas
On 20 October 1997, under then
Prime Minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...
Mahathir Muhammad
Mahathir bin Mohamad ( ms, محاضير بن محمد, label=Jawi alphabet, 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 h ...
and then
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Rahim Noor.; 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 ...
re-organised VAT 69 and UTK under one unified special operations command known as
Pasukan Gerakan Khas (PGK; ''Police SOCOM''). Although amalgamated into one directorate, they are essentially still two separate entities operating in two distinct operational environments.
Functions
VAT 69 roles are believed to include:
*
Intelligence
Intelligence has been defined in many ways: the capacity for abstraction, logic, understanding, self-awareness, learning, emotional knowledge, reasoning, planning, creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving. More generally, it can b ...
collection in deep reconnaissance missions and warfare.
* Special operations to support the RMP
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, ...
in combating subversive organisations or terrorist activities.
*
Counter-terrorism operations inside
Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
n territory in conjunction with armed forces.
* Law enforcement operations in dealing with armed criminals inside Malaysian territory.
* Counter-terrorism operations outside Malaysian territory; including
Operation Astute
Operation Astute was an Australian-led military deployment to East Timor to quell unrest and return stability in the 2006 East Timor crisis. It was headed by Brigadier Bill Sowry, and commenced on 25 May 2006 under the command of Brigadier Michael ...
in
Timor Leste.
*
Search and rescue
Search and rescue (SAR) is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger. The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, typically determined by the type of terrain the search ...
operations inside or outside Malaysian territory, such as aid operations in the aftermath of the 2004 tsunami in
Acheh
Aceh ( ), officially the Aceh Province ( ace, Nanggroë Acèh; id, Provinsi Aceh) is the westernmost province of Indonesia. It is located on the northernmost of Sumatra island, with Banda Aceh being its capital and largest city. Granted a s ...
, Indonesia.
* Support in term of technique and training to the other RMP elite units; namely
STAFOC, STING and STAGG
Identity
Sand coloured berets
![60th Merdeka Day Picture 69 Commando of PGK](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/88/60th_Merdeka_Day_Picture_69_Commando_of_PGK.jpg)
The
sand coloured beret was bestowed by 22nd Special Air Service when the original VAT 69 troop was founded and trained by SAS instructors. The sand-coloured beret then given back to the VAT 69 after the beret was officially accepted as an official headdress of VAT 69 on 18 December 2004 by the then Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sri
Mohd Bakri Omar
Tan Sri Mohd Bakri bin Omar (10 September 1948 – 10 November 2014) was an Inspector General of Police who serving from 5 November 2003 to 11 September 2007.
Born in Manjung, Perak, Bakri began his service as an Assistant Superintendent Cadet ...
.
On 14 November 2006, for the first time in the history of Royal Malaysian Police, the maroon and sand-coloured berets of PGK were honoured as Royal Berets by
Yang Dipertuan Agong Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Syed Putera Jamalullail, the then
King of Malaysia
The Yang di-Pertuan Agong (, Jawi: ), also known as the Supreme Head of the Federation, the Paramount Ruler or simply as the Agong, and unofficially as the King of Malaysia, is the constitutional monarch and head of state of Malaysia. The of ...
.
Parachute wings
These wings, worn on the left arm of the uniform, identify the wearer as a qualified
parachutist
Parachuting, including also skydiving, is a method of transiting from a high point in the atmosphere to the surface of Earth with the aid of gravity, involving the control of speed during the descent using a parachute or parachutes.
For ...
,
airborne unit
Airborne forces, airborne troops, or airborne infantry are ground combat units carried by aircraft and airdropped into battle zones, typically by parachute drop or air assault. Parachute-qualified infantry and support personnel serving in ai ...
and
air assault
Air assault is the movement of ground-based military forces by vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft—such as the helicopter—to seize and hold key terrain which has not been fully secured, and to directly engage enemy forces behind e ...
operations operator. The parachute wings are mostly worn by operators from Pasukan Gerakan Khas and are awarded on completion of the Basic Tactical Parachuting Course ().
VAT 69 Commando emblem and insignia
;Motto
:Warisan Darah Perwira (''Inheritance of The Blood of Warriors'')
;Black
:Black symbolises the highly secretive nature of VAT 69 operations.
;Red
:Red symbolises bravery.
;Yellow
:Yellow symbolises "Loyalty to King and Country" ( ms, Taat Setia kepada Raja dan Negara).
;
Javelin
A javelin is a light spear designed primarily to be thrown, historically as a ranged weapon, but today predominantly for sport. The javelin is almost always thrown by hand, unlike the sling, bow, and crossbow, which launch projectiles with th ...
:Lembing, another traditional weapon used by Malay warriors.
;Two pieces of the curved
Kerambit dagger.
:Arranged to form the number 69, signifying stealth and efficiency.
Organisation
![60th Merdeka Day Picture 2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/75/60th_Merdeka_Day_Picture_2.jpg)
There are four infantry squadrons in VAT 69 Commando with its own logistics unit, totaling around 1,900 members. Squadrons are split into patrol teams consisting of six to ten operatives led by a Police
Inspector
Inspector, also police inspector or inspector of police, is a police rank. The rank or position varies in seniority depending on the organization that uses it.
Australia
In Australian police forces, the rank of inspector is generally the ne ...
(Insp) or
Superintendent of Police (SUPT). Within each patrol, individual members may specialise in sniping, explosive ordnance disposal, demolitions, communications and as field medics.
Previously separate entities, both the VAT 69 and the UTK were amalgamated into the PGK Command on 20 October 1997, when it was launched by the 5th Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sri Rahim Noor. However, VAT 69 and the UTK are still operational as separate units. The UTK is now officially known as ''Pasukan Gerakan Khas Detachment A'' and VAT 69 has been deputised to ''Pasukan Gerakan Khas Detachment B.''
Based at the Royal Malaysia Police Headquarters in Bukit Aman,
Kuala Lumpur
, anthem = '' Maju dan Sejahtera''
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, pushpin_map = Malaysia#Southeast Asia#Asia
, pushpin_map_caption =
, coordinates =
, su ...
, the PGK is under the direct command of the RMP's Internal and Public Security ( ms, Keselamatan Dalam Negeri dan Ketenteraman Awam) Director. The unit commander holds the rank of Senior Assistant Commissioner (SAC) and is the Deputy Director of the Internal and Public Security Branch.
Roles
Originally established to counter the communist threat during the insurgency years; VAT 69 was raised and trained by the British SAS to specialise in jungle warfare, deep reconnaissance and counter-insurgency. Originally trained by the British SAS, VAT 69 commandos conduct land, sea and air special operation techniques, with a specialty in jungle warfare and deep reconnaissance missions. They execute special operations in support of the Police
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, ...
fight against subversive organisations and terrorist activities, conduct offensive operations using special weapons and tactics, counter-terrorism, counter-insurgency, hostage rescue, close protection and supporting the special forces, Rapid Deployment Force () or infantry force of the
Malaysian Armed Forces
The Malaysian Armed Forces (: MAF; ms, Angkatan Tentera Malaysia; Jawi: ), are the armed forces of Malaysia, consists of three branches; the Malaysian Army, Royal Malaysian Navy and the Royal Malaysian Air Force. The number of MAF active pers ...
in any security measures.
With the growing threat of terrorism since the
11 September attacks
The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated Suicide attack, suicide List of terrorist incidents, terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, ...
, this unit has increasingly adapted itself to conduct
counter-terrorism duties. With the aim of creating teams that are capable of dealing with a broad range of operations (especially counter-terrorism operations), the PGK has forged closer relations with the special forces of the Malaysian Armed Forces, including the
10th Paratrooper Brigade,
Grup Gerak Khas
The 21st Special Service Group (Abbr.: 21 SSG, ) is a command for Malaysian Army special forces, the '' Gerak Khas''. The 21 SSG and 10th Parachute Brigade are elite fighting formations of the Malaysian Army. Both units are independent units unde ...
,
PASKAL and
PASKAU, so as to enable them to more effectively enforce security within Malaysia's borders.
VAT 69's and UTK's snipers, technicians and explosive expertise specialists regularly cross-train with foreign special forces including the Special Air Service Regiments of Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, the Royal Thai Border Patrol Police, and a number of U.S. services including the
Army Green Berets,
Navy SEALs and others.
In 2014, RMP establishes new elite units (
STAFOC, STING and STAGG). UTK and VAT 69 is given another role which is to support these three new units in term of training and technical capabilities.
Recruitment, selection and training
All members of the Malaysian police services with two years of service can enter the Basic 69 Commando Course (). To enter the commando course, the police personnel need to enter and pass the
Kursus Asas Pasukan Gerakan Am (PGA) (''General Operations Force (GOF) Basic Course'') which last for three months. Trainees will learn jungle operations during the GOF Basic Course. Because of this, many of VAT 69 operators are drawn from the GOF personnel.
The Basic 69 Commando Course lasts for three months training period, which includes thirteen weeks of basic training and nine weeks of advanced training. A primary selection period is as long as two days. Depending on the department's policy, officers generally have to serve a minimum tenure within the department before being able to apply for a specialist section such as VAT 69 & UTK. This tenure requirement is based on the fact that PGK officers are still law enforcement officers and must have a thorough knowledge of department policies and procedures. To be eligible to join the PGK special forces, one must be younger than 30 years old and have a good health record.
Prospective trainees are expected to exceed the minimum requirements of the Physical Screening Test (PST), which requires that trainees must be able to:
# Run 3.2 km in 11 minutes or less
# Swim freestyle for at least 8–10 laps
# Do at least 9–13 chin-ups
# Do at least 30 sit-ups
# Do at least 60 push-ups
# Do at least 30 squat thrusts
Basic 69 Commando Course
In Basic 69 Commando Course, it has three phases which are:
;First Phase
:Trainees will spend most of their time mastering patrol techniques.
;Second Phase
:In this phase, all trainees will learn skills and lessons such as tracking, communication, field medical and explosive. This also involves making booby traps, explosives and various demolition techniques.
;Third Phase
:Final movement test where the trainees are tested in all aspects of the skills and lessons that they had learned. At the moment, special attention is given to trainees who show leadership potential.
Advanced Training
To accomplish its varied mission profiles, the 69 Commando ensures that its members are well trained in the required aspects of special operations. These include:
;Insertion Techniques
#
HALO/HAHO
#
Fast roping
Fast-roping is a technique for descending a thick rope, allowing troops to deploy from a helicopter in places where the aircraft cannot touch down.
The person holds onto the rope with gloved hands (with or without using their feet) and slides do ...
techniques
# Helo casting
# Abseiling
# Combat diving
;Combat Techniques
#
Close Quarters Combat – CQC
#
Counter-insurgency
Counterinsurgency (COIN) is "the totality of actions aimed at defeating irregular forces". The Oxford English Dictionary defines counterinsurgency as any "military or political action taken against the activities of guerrillas or revolutionar ...
#
Unconventional warfare
#
Sabotage
Sabotage is a deliberate action aimed at weakening a polity, effort, or organization through subversion, obstruction, disruption, or destruction. One who engages in sabotage is a ''saboteur''. Saboteurs typically try to conceal their identitie ...
# Close VIP protection
# Vehicular assault
# Unarmed combat
# Knife combat
# Marksmanship
# Booby-trap defusal
# Underwater demolitions
;Intelligence Gathering
#
Intelligence
Intelligence has been defined in many ways: the capacity for abstraction, logic, understanding, self-awareness, learning, emotional knowledge, reasoning, planning, creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving. More generally, it can b ...
#
Counter-intelligence
#
Special reconnaissance
Special reconnaissance (SR) or Recon Team is conducted by small units of highly trained military personnel, usually from special forces units or military intelligence organizations, who operate behind enemy lines, avoiding direct combat and detect ...
# Long-range Combat Patrol
;Task Oriented
# Aircraft Hijackings
# Car stops
# Combat, Search and Rescue (
CSAR)
# Coordinate multi-location warrant service
#
Dignitary protection
#
Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD)
# Foreign language
#
Fugitive tracking (in
rural
In general, a rural area or a countryside is a geographic area that is located outside towns and cities. Typical rural areas have a low population density and small settlements. Agricultural areas and areas with forestry typically are describ ...
environments)
#
Hazmat Disposal
# High risk arrests (armed and dangerous subjects)
#
Hostage rescue (HR)
#
K9 Handling
# Operations in
WMD environments
# Site surveys for high visibility events
# Specialized
sniper
A sniper is a military/paramilitary marksman who engages targets from positions of concealment or at distances exceeding the target's detection capabilities. Snipers generally have specialized training and are equipped with high-precision r ...
operations
# Stronghold assaults (structures requiring specialised breaching equipment that local law enforcement might not have access to)
# Tubular
assault
An assault is the act of committing physical harm or unwanted physical contact upon a person or, in some specific legal definitions, a threat or attempt to commit such an action. It is both a crime and a tort and, therefore, may result in crim ...
s (aircraft, trains, buses, etc.)
The 69 Commando is known to conduct joint training exercises and participate in exchange programs with Commonwealth special units such as the
Australian SAS
The Special Air Service Regiment, officially abbreviated SASR though commonly known as the SAS, is a special forces unit of the Australian Army. Formed in 1957, it was modelled on the Special Air Service, British SAS sharing the motto, "Who ...
,
New Zealand SAS
The 1st New Zealand Special Air Service Regiment, abbreviated as 1 NZSAS Regt, was formed on 7 July 1955 and is the Special forces unit of the New Zealand Army, closely modelled on the British Special Air Service (SAS). It traces its origins ...
,
British SAS
The Special Air Service (SAS) is a special forces unit of the British Army. It was founded as a regiment in 1941 by David Stirling and in 1950, it was reconstituted as a corps. The unit specialises in a number of roles including counter-terr ...
and
Singapore Special Tactics and Rescue. The 69 Commando routinely trains with neighbouring nations' tactical teams such as the
Indonesian Mobile Brigade and
Thailand Border Patrol Police. Occasionally, the 69 Commando trains with
Green Berets
The United States Army Special Forces (SF), colloquially known as the "Green Berets" due to their distinctive service headgear, are a special operations force of the United States Army.
The Green Berets are geared towards nine doctrinal m ...
,
Army Special Operations Command Pacific Unit (SOCPAC) of the United States and other international units.
On 10 December 2003, the then Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sri Mohd Bakri Haji Omar, launched the training program between the USSOCPAC and the VAT 69 at the GOF Training Center in Ulu Kinta,
Perak
Perak () is a state of Malaysia on the west coast of the Malay Peninsula. Perak has land borders with the Malaysian states of Kedah to the north, Penang to the northwest, Kelantan and Pahang to the east, and Selangor to the south. Thailand's ...
. The SOCPAC team were to conduct joint exercise with the PGK, under the code-name ''Advance Vector Balance Mint'' for a duration of 2 weeks. Only 42 out of the 194 participants completed the inaugural program.
Equipment
69 Commando teams use equipment designed for a variety of specialist situations. The particular pieces of equipment vary from unit to unit, but there are some consistent trends in what they wear and use. Much of their equipment is indistinguishable from that supplied to the military, not least because much of it is military surplus.
Weapons
As a special forces unit, the 69 Commando is equipped with a wide variety of high-class weapons and support equipment commonly associated with counter-terrorism operations, the most common weapons include sub-machine guns, assault rifles, shotguns, machine-guns and sniper rifles.
Tactical vehicles
As a special forces unit, the 69 Commando employs a number of specialised vehicles to accomplish its missions. These include the
Commando V-150D and the
GKN Sankey AT105 armoured personnel carriers equipped with
M60s as assault vehicles in urban and jungle terrain as well as modified police MPV (Mobile Patrol Vehicles), vans, trucks, 4WD and buses for use as tactical vehicles. PGK also employs
RHIB assault boats, jet-skis and
Marine Subskimmer (DPV) in maritime missions and amphibious insertions.
For its airborne operations, 69 Commando utilises the
C-130 Hercules
The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed Corporation, Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin). Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 ...
,
Cessna 206G,
Cessna 208 Caravan 1 and
Pilatus Porter PC-6 aircraft as well as the
E-Squirrel AS-355 F2/AS-355N helicopter.
Development and acquisitions
On 25 October 2007, the US Joint Interagency Task Force (JIATF) West funded RM2 million state-of-the-art shooting house for the VAT 69 Commando battalion was opened.
69 Commando will get their own base after 47 years sharing base with the General Operations Force
Northern Brigade. The new base estimated to be fully operational in 2017.
Killed in the line of duty
Missions
Operation Dawn
Its first counter-terrorism mission, which is one of the most well-known and which established the unit's reputation as an elite unit, was an operation known as "Operasi Subuh"/"Operasi Khas 304" (Operations Dawn/Special Operation 304). It was carried out on 3 July 2000 against the militants of
Al-Ma'unah
The Al-Ma'unah was a spiritual Islamist militant group based in Malaysia. The group was made famous by their audacious raid on 2 July 2000 on a camp of Malaysian Army Reserve (Mobilised) in the early hours of the morning and stealing weapons fro ...
who had stolen ninety-seven
M16 rifle
The M16 rifle (officially designated Rifle, Caliber 5.56 mm, M16) is a family of military rifles adapted from the ArmaLite AR-15 rifle for the United States military. The original M16 rifle was a 5.56×45mm automatic rifle with a 20-roun ...
s, two
Steyr AUG
The Steyr AUG () is an Austrian bullpup assault rifle chambered for the 5.56×45mm NATO intermediate cartridge, designed in the 1960s by Steyr-Daimler-Puch, and now manufactured by Steyr Arms GmbH & Co KG.
It was adopted by the Austrian Arm ...
rifles, four
General Purpose Machine Guns (GPMG), six
light machine gun
A light machine gun (LMG) is a light-weight machine gun designed to be operated by a single infantryman, with or without an assistant, as an infantry support weapon. LMGs firing cartridges of the same caliber as the other riflemen of the sam ...
s (LMG), five
M203 grenade launcher
A grenade launcher is a weapon that fires a specially-designed large-caliber projectile, often with an explosive, smoke or gas warhead. Today, the term generally refers to a class of dedicated firearms firing unitary grenade cartridges. The mos ...
s, twenty-six bayonet daggers and thousands of ammunition rounds from two control posts of the
Rejimen Askar Wataniah ''(Territorial Army Regiment)'' camp in Kuala Rui, Perak and captured two police officers, one army special forces soldier and one villager as hostages and planned to commit treason against a democratically elected government.
In the dawn of 5 July 2000, police and military units created a distraction, while members of the PGK led by 69 Commando Battalion leader ASP
Abd Razak Mohd Yusof, accompanied by the 22nd
Grup Gerak Khas
The 21st Special Service Group (Abbr.: 21 SSG, ) is a command for Malaysian Army special forces, the '' Gerak Khas''. The 21 SSG and 10th Parachute Brigade are elite fighting formations of the Malaysian Army. Both units are independent units unde ...
led by Malaysian Army senior officer
Lt. Gen.
Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star rank, three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in ...
(Ret.)
Zaini Mohamad Said
)
, unit = Royal Malay Regiment (1964–1966)Grup Gerak Khas (1966–2001)
, commands = Army field commander''Panglima medan tentera darat''
, battles = Indonesian-Malaysian Confrontation Communist insurgency in Malaysia (1968–89)Al-Ma'un ...
, were sent to ''Sauk'' to negotiate with the ''Al-Ma'unah'' leader, Mohamed Amin Mohamed Razali.
Amin, along with his comrades, were persuaded to drop their arms and surrender to the security forces. Although most of the group initially surrendered, negotiations eventually broke down and a bloody gunfight ensued. In these incidents, 2 of the 4 hostages were killed before the group finally surrendered. The security forces suffered two casualties – police Special Branch officer Detective Corporal R. Sanghadevan and Trooper Matthew anak Medan from 22nd GGK were tortured before they were killed and was buried by 2 other hostages, Sergeant (R) Mohd Shah Ahmad and civilian Jaafar Puteh, in the jungle before they were both rescued by the security forces. Abdul Halim Ali @ Ahmad, a member of the militant group, was shot dead in the firefight and five others were injured, including two seriously. The other 22 were taken into police custody. Mohamed Amin, Zahit Muslim, Jemari Jusoh and Jamaludin Darus were later sentenced to death and the other 16 were sentenced to life imprisonment. 10 more comrades, Megat Mohamed Hanafi Ilias, Muhamad Nukhshah Bandi Che Mansor, Riduan Berahim, Azlan Abdul Ghani, Shahidi Ali and Khairul Anuar Mohamed Ariffin, were sentenced by the
High Court to ten years in jail each after pleading guilty to an alternative charge under Section 122 for preparing to wage war against the Yang di-Pertuan Agong after they pleaded guilty to the lesser charge.
Publicly known missions
* 1970s: 69 Commandos led by ASP
Zabri Abd Hamid together with Indonesian Army
KOSTRAD
The Army Strategic Reserves Command ( id, Komando Cadangan Strategis Angkatan Darat; abbreviated ) is a combined-arms formation of the Indonesian Army. Kostrad is a Corps level command which has up to 35,000 troops. It also supervises operationa ...
combated the PARAKU in Kalimantan jungles.
* 1994: One of the Philippine MNLF organisations, Rizal Aleh and his father escaped from the Philippines and hid in a village of Sabah where he started piracy activities. 69 Commandos led by DSP Mohd Noor Razak within operations code-named Ops Bamboo II was sent to Sabah to infiltrate him. Mohd Noor was shot by Rizal at his leg during a struggle with him. Both were successfully captured and sentenced by the National Court after pleading guilty for his criminal activities in Sabah. Later, both Rizal and his father were sent back to the Philippines Government.
* 1998: The Pasukan Gerakan Khas and the Grup Gerak Khas were deployed to provide security and were on standby for hostage rescue, close protection and counter-terrorism duties during the
1998 Commonwealth Games
The 1998 Commonwealth Games ''(Malay: Sukan Komanwel 1998)'', officially known as the XVI Commonwealth Games ''(Malay: Sukan Komanwel ke-16)'', was a multi-sport event held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This edition is marked by several unprecedent ...
held at
National Stadium, Bukit Jalil
The Bukit Jalil National Stadium ( Malay: Stadium Nasional Bukit Jalil) in Bukit Jalil, located in the National Sports Complex to the south of the city centre of Malaysia's capital city, Kuala Lumpur, is an all-seater multi-purpose stadium and ...
, Kuala Lumpur on 11 to 21 September 1998.
* 20 September 1998: In the twilight hours, by orders from the then Prime Minister to the
Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sri Rahim Noor, 69th Commando PGK operatives led by Inspector Mazlan arrested the ex-Deputy Prime Minister Dato' Sri
Anwar Ibrahim
Anwar bin Ibrahim ( ms, انور بن ابراهيم, label= Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset, IPA: ; born 10 August 1947) is a Malaysian politician who has served as the 10th Prime Minister of Malaysia since November 2022. He served as the 12 ...
in his home 18 days after his ejection from the Cabinet, for inciting anti-Mahathir reforms in
Kuala Lumpur
, anthem = '' Maju dan Sejahtera''
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, pushpin_map = Malaysia#Southeast Asia#Asia
, pushpin_map_caption =
, coordinates =
, su ...
. He was initially arrested under the Internal Security Act and was subsequently charged with, and convicted of, corruption and sodomy. 6 years later in 2004 when he was serving his jail sentence for sodomy after completing his sentence for corruption, he was released when his sodomy conviction was overturned by the Federal Court in the case of Dato’ Seri Anwar b. Ibrahim & Sukma Darmawan Sasmitaat Madja Lwn. Pendakwa Raya.
*5 July 2000: The militant group Al-Ma'unah stole thousands of military firearms and planned to commit treason against a democratically elected government. The members of 69 Commando and the 22nd GGK stormed the group's camp at
Sauk, Malaysia and rescued two hostages while two other hostages were killed.
* 12 September 2002: Ahmad Mohd Arshad or Mat Komando, 37, the leader of Gang 13, then No. 1 on the Malaysian Most-Wanted-Criminal list for 52 armed robberies involving about RM2.5 million, armed assault and illegal possession of firearms (among others), was known to be hiding in a Kampung Hujung Keton, the village in the state of
Kedah on the west coast of the Malay Peninsula. Armed with intelligence gathered from surveillance and villagers, 10 police officers from 69 Commando anti-terror police, supported by the GOF paramilitary police, cordoned off the area and stormed a hut in the village for the takedown. Sensing the presence of law enforcement officials in dawn 12, 6 September.30 am, Mat Komando opened fire and in the ensuing shoot-out, was shot in the head and left ribs and was killed. The police seized a
Colt .45 pistol with three rounds of ammunition and a
S&W Model 617 .22 revolver with two rounds of ammunition, two bullet shells from the deceased criminal. The then Malaysian Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sri Norian Mai (Retired), said that Mat Komando was the fourth member of the Gang 13 members to be killed in shoot-outs against police while the remaining nine members had been arrested.
* Participated in hostage rescue operations against
Abu Sayyaf in Sipadan Island (''Pulau Sipadan'') and Ligitan Island (''Pulau Ligitan''),
Sabah
Sabah () is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia located in northern Borneo, in the region of East Malaysia. Sabah borders the Malaysian state of Sarawak to the southwest and the North Kalimantan province of Indone ...
with support from GOF, the
Malaysian Armed Forces
The Malaysian Armed Forces (: MAF; ms, Angkatan Tentera Malaysia; Jawi: ), are the armed forces of Malaysia, consists of three branches; the Malaysian Army, Royal Malaysian Navy and the Royal Malaysian Air Force. The number of MAF active pers ...
and
Philippine Armed Forces
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) ( fil, Sandatahang Lakas ng Pilipinas) are the military forces of the Philippines. It consists of three main service branches; the Army, the Air Force, and the Navy (including the Marine Corps). The P ...
.
* 2003: Arrested six Jemaah Islamiyah suspect terrorists, Mohd Khaider Kadran (JI leader), Wan Amin Wan Hamat, Sulaiman Suramin, Sufian Salih, Ahmad Muaz Al Bakry and Hasim Talib.
* 16 October 2003/17 October 2003: Involved in VVIP protection of the Islamic leaders during the 10th
Organisation of the Islamic Conference
An organization or organisation (Commonwealth English; see spelling differences), is an entity—such as a company, an institution, or an association—comprising one or more people and having a particular purpose.
The word is derived fro ...
(OIC) in Putrajaya.
* 16 December 2004: Participated in the
search and rescue
Search and rescue (SAR) is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger. The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, typically determined by the type of terrain the search ...
mission for the lost
Indonesian BRIMOB, in which 700 personnel from the POLRI special operations force units went missing in
Acheh
Aceh ( ), officially the Aceh Province ( ace, Nanggroë Acèh; id, Provinsi Aceh) is the westernmost province of Indonesia. It is located on the northernmost of Sumatra island, with Banda Aceh being its capital and largest city. Granted a s ...
after the tsunami incident.
* 23 August 2005: Five officers and 32 members of the 69 Commandos of PGK counter-terrorist operatives flown to Kukup, Pontian for the intercept operations of a ship seized the Panama-registered 567-tonne vessel ''MV Natris'' which was renamed ''MV Paulijing'', laden with soybeans and vinegar, believed to run off Batam waters, Indonesia. The ship was detected by the Marine Operations Force in the Malacca Straits after reported missing in 2003. This operation was named ''Operation MV Paulijing''. The operation also involves members of the
SWAT
In the United States, a SWAT team (special weapons and tactics, originally special weapons assault team) is a police tactical unit that uses specialized or military equipment and tactics. Although they were first created in the 1960s to ...
units of the Marine Operations Force which resulting arrested 20 Chinese crews including the captain when they refused to heed to the order by the police authorities.
* 2006: Deployed as part of the United Nations (U.N.)
INTERFET to support the
Operation Astute
Operation Astute was an Australian-led military deployment to East Timor to quell unrest and return stability in the 2006 East Timor crisis. It was headed by Brigadier Bill Sowry, and commenced on 25 May 2006 under the command of Brigadier Michael ...
. It consisted of Malaysian U.N.
10 Paratrooper Brigade
The 10th Parachute Brigade ( ms, Briged ke-10 Payung Terjun – 10 Briged Para, Jawi script, Jawi: ١٠ بريڬيد ڤارا), commonly known as 10 Para, is an Elite Forces of Malaysia, elite brigade-sized airborne unit within the Malaysian Arm ...
,
Grup Gerak Khas
The 21st Special Service Group (Abbr.: 21 SSG, ) is a command for Malaysian Army special forces, the '' Gerak Khas''. The 21 SSG and 10th Parachute Brigade are elite fighting formations of the Malaysian Army. Both units are independent units unde ...
, Australian and New Zealand U.N Armed Forces in
Timor Leste.
* July 2007: Deployed in a search and rescue operation after a Sikorsky S61 Nuri helicopter of the RMAF went down along with a crew of six near Genting Sempah, Genting Highlands. The SAR team, which consisted of the U.S. Navy Air Fleet from ''
U.S.S. Jarrett'', 10 Paratrooper Brigade, the 22nd GGK, PASKAU, the Police's General Operations Force
Senoi Praaq
) The Silent Killer( ms, Pembunuh Senyap)
, patron =
, motto ="We never killed anyone who didn't deserve to die"( ms, "Kami tidak pernah membunuh sesiapa yang tidak berhak untuk mati")"Cepat, Cekap, Ihsan"(''"Speed, Efficiency, Courtesy"'')
, ...
,
Police Air Wing,
Fire and Rescue Department, Forestry Department rangers, Civil Defense Department (JPA3) and the villagers, located the wreckage of the helicopter on 17 July 1324 hrs with its rotor blades detached. The bodies of all crew members were found in the cabin of the stricken aircraft.
* 2010: Intercepted the Sultan of Kelantan's motorcade (escorts) 30m outside of the Kelantan Royal Palace as they were heading for the Sultan Ismail Petra Airport to depart for Singapore pending further treatment at Mount Elizabeth Hospital. The team then brought the Sultan, himself not willingly, to the nearby hospital (HUSM) somewhere 200m from the Palace.
* 2013: Deployed in Lahad Datu, Sabah during the
Lahad Datu conflict. The 69 Commando members were involved in hunting down a terrorist group, numbering approximately 200 in strength, from the self-styled "Royal Security Forces of the Sultanate of Sulu and North Borneo," while UTK members were deployed in urban and populated areas to defend them. The commandos were the main assault team during the early stage of the conflict. Two officers were gunned down and three more wounded in an unexpected "white flag" ambush by the Sulu terrorists, while 12 of the terrorists were shot to death in retaliation and three other terrorists were fatally wounded.
* 2 March 2013: Officers and members of the 69 Commandos who were deployed to Lahad Datu as reinforcements rescued police officers who were trapped in an ambush by less than ten Sulu terrorists in Kampung Seri Jaya Siminul, Semporna. The terrorists, armed with AK-47 and M16 rifles, had ambushed the officers during a surveillance operation. In the ambush, six officers were downed, while six terrorists also killed after the officers launched the counter-attack.
* 19 May 2015: A team of roughly 300 operators from the 69 Commandos were deployed to the Malaysia–Thailand border to search and curb the human trafficking activities in the region.
Notable members
* ASP G/3427
Mohd Zabri Abdul Hamid
ASP Mohd Zabri Bin Abdul Hamid, S.P. was a police officer most remembered as a member and officer of the Royal Malaysia Police 69 Commandos of the Pasukan Gerakan Khas.
Background
Mohd Zabri was born in Tapah, Perak on 15 August 1937 and wa ...
,
S.P., former commander of 3rd Platoon, VAT 69 during
Communist insurgency in Malaysia. He was killed in action on 1975 in Grik, Perak by a booby trap. Because of his heroic, he was posthumously promoted to Assistant Superintendent (ASP). In 2014, ASP Zabri was posthumously awarded with the
Seri Pahlawan Gagah Perkasa
The Grand Knight of Valour ( ms, Darjah Kebesaran Seri Pahlawan Gagah Perkasa) is the highest federal award which can be presented in Malaysia. It was created on 29 July 1960 and was gazetted on 11 August 1960. The award is the highest ranking in ...
(S.P.), the highest and most distinguished Federal awards.
* SAC G/10958 Dato'
Abdul Razak Mohd Yusof
DCP Dato' Abdul Razak bin Mohd Yusof is a senior police officer, martial artist and one of the national heroes from the Royal Malaysia Police 69 Commando of the Pasukan Gerakan Khas (). He is a recipient of the Grand Knight of Valour (S.P.) a ...
, S.P., BMS, PKT, BKT, is a senior officer of VAT 69. He was awarded Seri Pahlawan Gagah Perkasa (S.P.) in 2001 because of his heroic act in Operation Dawn (). In Operation Dawn, then-ASP Abdul Razak and his VAT 69 operators infiltrate into
al-Ma'unah
The Al-Ma'unah was a spiritual Islamist militant group based in Malaysia. The group was made famous by their audacious raid on 2 July 2000 on a camp of Malaysian Army Reserve (Mobilised) in the early hours of the morning and stealing weapons fro ...
stronghold and manage to persuade al-Ma'unah leader, Mohamed Amin Mohamed Razali to surrender without a fight.
* ASP NAVARATNAM
In popular culture
Books and televisions.
* 2005: "''VAT 69 - Warisan Darah Perwira''", a
docudrama
Docudrama (or documentary drama) is a genre of television and film, which features dramatized re-enactments of actual events. It is described as a hybrid of documentary and drama and "a fact-based representation of real event".
Docudramas typic ...
by
Astro
Astro may refer to:
Entertainment and media
* Astro (South Korean band), a South Korean boy band
* Astro (UB40) (1957–2021), member of the British reggae band UB40
* Astro (Chilean band), a Chilean indie rock band
* Astro (Japanese band), ...
and directed by late Senator, Dato'
Jins Shamsuddin
Mohamed Zain "Jins" Shamsudin ( Jawi: محمد زين بن شمس الدين; born 5 November 1935 – 1 March 2017) was a Malaysian film actor, director, politician, writer and producer.
Early life and film career
Mohamed Jin was born in Tai ...
. It is about tactics and professionalism of VAT 69.
* 2010: "
VAT 69: Malaysia's Very Able Troopers'", a documentary by
History Channel Asia about VAT 69 history and formations.
* 2011: "''Wira Padang Pasir''", a TV drama by Astro, about an ex-VAT 69 turn UTK operator now working as a Malaysian Embassy bodyguard in
Cairo
Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo metro ...
, Egypt.
* 2016: "''Kerambit''", a TV series by RTM and directed by Zul Huzaimy. The series is about Intelligence Squad of VAT 69.
See also
*
Elite Forces of Malaysia
Notes
References
*
External links
* Berita Harian Online
VAT 69 digeruni komunis(In
Malay language
Malay (; ms, Bahasa Melayu, links=no, Jawi alphabet, Jawi: , Rejang script, Rencong: ) is an Austronesian languages, Austronesian language that is an official language of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore, and that is also spo ...
).
{{Terrorism in Malaysia
Government agencies established in 1997
Law enforcement units
Law enforcement in Malaysia
Organizations established in 1997
Counterterrorism in Malaysia
Police units of Malaysia
Royal Malaysia Police
Special forces of Malaysia
Non-military counterterrorist organizations
National law enforcement agencies of Malaysia