Pasukan Gerakan Khas

Formation of Police SOCOM

On 20 October 1997, the RMP reorganised their special operations force, combining VAT 69 and UTK into one special operations command known as Pasukan Gerakan Khas (PGK; 'Special Operations Command — SOCOM'), launched by Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad and Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Abdul Rahim Mohd Noor.^[2]

Although amalgamated into one directorate, they are essentially still two separate entities operating in two distinct operational environments.

UTK

Main article: Special Actions Unit (Malaysia)

Unit Tindakhas ('Special Actions Unit'), popularly known with its acronym UTK, is a special forces unit of RMP and the oldest and most experienced counter-terrorism unit in Malaysia.

It performs as a high-level national police tactical unit, providing 24 hours of close protection to high ranking government executives and their spouses, and the unit's members also undertake undercover missions. Founded on 1 January 1975, UTK is the brainchild of then Inspector-General of Police Tun Hanif Omar.^[4] UTK were trained by the 22nd SAS for urban warfare on its early establishment.

However, this unit does not only perform close-quarter combat and close-protection only, but they also have the capability to perform underwater mission, airborne mission, and sometimes jungle operation since 1975 to encounter various types of terrorism.

National Special Operations Force

In 2016, the main counter-terrorism operators in Malaysia, including PGK, were combined into one special operations task force called the National Special Operations Force.^[5]

Weapons

As a special forces command, the PGK's detachments are equipped with a wide variety of weapons and support equipment commonly associated with counter-terrorism operations, including sub-machine guns, assault rifles, shotguns, machine guns and sniper rifles.^[13]

Semi-automatic pistols are the most popular sidearms and the majority of the officers use various 9 mm pistols. Principal handguns include:

•  US: Colt 1911A1, .45 ACP
•  Austria: Glock pistol series (especially the Glock 17,^[13] Glock 18, Glock 26, Glock 34), 9 mm
•  Germany: Heckler & Koch USP series,^[13] 9 mm
•   Switzerland: SIG Sauer P2022, 9 mm
•  US: STI Grandmaster, 9 mm
•  US: STI Tactical-5.0, 9 mm
•  Germany: HK Mk23 Mod 0,.^[13] 45 ACP

Various shotguns used by PGK units include:

•  Italy: Benelli M3 Super 90
•  Italy: Franchi SPAS-12^[13]
•  US: Remington M870 Police Magnum^[13]
•  US: Remington 1100^[13]

Common sub-machine guns used by all PGK teams include:

•  Czech Republic: CZ Scorpion Evo 3, 9 mm
•  Germany: Heckler & Koch MP5 series (especially the MP5A5, MP5-N, MP5K-A4 and MP5SD6),^[13] 9 mm
•  Germany: HK UMP, 9 mm
•  Germany: Heckler & Koch MP7A1 PDW,^[21] 4.6 mm

Common carbines include:

•  US: Colt M4A1,^[13] 5.56 mm
•  US: Colt APC, 5.56 mm
•  US: FN SCAR-H, 7.62 mm
•  Germany: HK 416 series (especially the D10RS and D14.5RS), 5.56 mm
•  Germany: HK G36C,^[13] 5.56mm
•  Austria: Steyr AUG-A3, 5.56 mm
•  US/ Philippines: Special Operations Assault Rifle, 5.56 mm

Common sniper rifles used are:

•  UK: Accuracy International PM, .308 Win
•  UK: Accuracy International AX338, .338 LM
•  UK: Accuracy International AWSM, .338 LM
•  US: Barrett M82, 12.7 mm
•  Germany: HK PSG-1A1,^[13] 7.62 mm
•  US: Remington 700P,^[13] 7.62 mm

Machine guns used by VAT 69 include:

•  US: M60 machine gun, 7.62 mm

Various grenade launchers used by PGK units include:

•  US: M79 grenade launcher, 40 mm
•  US: M203 grenade launcher, 40 mm

Less lethal weapons used include:

•  US: Bean bag rounds^
•  US: M84 stun grenade
•  US: Pepper spray
•  US: Pepper-spray projectile
•  US: Taser X26 (electroshock weapon)

Tactical vehicles

PGK employs a number of specialised vehicles to accomplish its missions. These include the Streit Typhoon, IAG Jaws, 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, pick-ups and buses for use as tactical vehicles. PGK also employs RHIB assault boats, jet-skis and Marine Subskimmers (DPV) in maritime missions and amphibious insertions.

For its airborne operations, PGK is aided with the C-130 Hercules from the Royal Malaysian Air Force, and Cessna 206G, Cessna 208 Caravan 1 and Pilatus Porter PC-6 aircraft as well as the E-Squirrel AS-355 F2/AS-355N helicopter from the RMP Air Wing Unit.

Developments and acquisitions

On 25 October 2007, a state-of-the-art shooting house for the VAT 69 Commando battalion was opened. It was funded by the US Joint Interagency Task Force West and cost RM 2 million.^[22]

Operations Dawn

Its first counter-terrorism mission, 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 Al-Ma'unah militants who had stolen 97 M16 rifles, 2 Steyr AUG rifles, 4 general purpose machine guns (GPMG), 6 light machine guns, 5 M203 grenade launchers, 26 bayonet daggers and thousands of ammunition rounds from 2 control posts of the Rejimen Askar Wataniah ('Territorial Army Regiment') camp in Kuala Rui, Perak. The militants also took two police officers, one army special forces soldier and one villager as hostages and planned to launch attacks against the government.^[24]

In the dawn of 5 July 2000, police and military units created a distraction, while members of the PGK, accompanied by the 22nd Commando Regiment (22 Cdo) of Grup Gerak Khas led by Malaysian Army senior officer Lieutenant general (R) Zaini Mohamad Said and PGK 69 Commando leader ASP Abd Razak Mohd Yusof were sent to Sauk, Perak to negotiate with the Al-Ma'unah leader, Mohamed Amin Mohamed Razali.

Amin, along with his comrades, were persuaded to drop their weapons and surrender to the security forces. Although most of the group initially surrendered, negotiations eventually broke down and a gunfight ensued. Two of the four 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 22 Cdo, who were tortured before they were killed and was buried by the other two hostages, Sergeant (R) Mohd Shah Ahmad and civilian Jaafar Puteh, in the jungle before they were both rescued by security forces. Abdul Halim Ali @ Ahmad, a member of the militant group, was shot dead in the gunfight and five others were injured, including two seriously injured. The other twenty-two were taken into police custody.^[25] Mohamed Amin, Zahit Muslim, Jemari Jusoh and Jamaludin Darus were later sentenced to death and the other sixteen were sentenced to life imprisonment. Ten more militants were sentenced to ten years in prison by the High Court of Malaysia for war preparations against the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.^[26][27]

Publicly known missions

• 1970s: 69 Commandos led by ASP Zabri Abd Hamid together with Indonesian Army KOSTRAD combated the PARAKU in Kalimantan jungles.
• October 1985: The Special Actions Unit (UTK) was involved in the Pudu Prison siege.
• 29 June 1993: UTK stormed a hiding place of P. Kalimuthu, a gangster also known as Bentong Kali, at Medan Damansara, Selangor. In the shoot-out with the police, Kalimuthu was killed.
• 1994: Rizal Aleh and his father, part of one of the Philippine MNLF organisations, escaped from the Philippines and hid in a village of Sabah where he started piracy activities. 69 Commandos led by DSP Mohd Noor Razak conducted an operation named Ops Bamboo II to infiltrate his organisation. In a struggle, Mohd Noor was shot by Rizal in the leg. Rizal and his father were captured and sentenced by the National Court after pleading guilty for his criminal activities in Sabah. Later, both Rizal and his father were extradited to the Philippines.
• 1998: The PGK 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 held at National Stadium, Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur on 11 to 21 September 1998.^[28]
• 20 September 1998: In the twilight hours, by orders from the then Prime Minister to the Inspector General of Police, Tan Sri Rahim Noor, 69 Commando operatives led by Inspector Mazlan arrested the ex-Deputy Prime Minister Dato' Sri Anwar Ibrahim in his home 18 days after his ejection from the Cabinet, for inciting anti-Mahathir reforms in Kuala Lumpur. He was initially arrested under the Internal Security Act and was subsequently charged with, and convicted of, corruption and sodomy.^[29] Six 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.^[30][31]
• 18 January 2000: The PGK was involved in an operation to arrest the Gang Steyr, an armed criminal group led by an ex-special forces soldier named Mohd Hizan Jaafar, along with five men after they robbed a bank in Sri Serdang Road, Selangor. Mohd Hizan and one other were killed in Majidee Malay Village, with two more killed in Kempas Toll Plaza, Johor Bahru, after a shootout with local police. The operation recovered 4 Steyr AUG rifles, one Smith & Wesson .22 handgun, one Remington shotgun, 85 rounds of 5.56 mm ammunition, three rounds of .22 ammunition, a few bullet shells and RM 291,000. The police also launched an operation to hunt two other members of the gang.^[32]
• 2001: Arrested two Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) suspects in the list of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Yazid Sufaat and Suhaimi Mokhtar. The two suspects were detained at Kamunting Detention Center under the Internal Security Act 1960 related to involvement with the activities of JI and al-Qaeda in conducting the September 11 attacks and Bali bombings.^[33][34]
• 2002: Arrested six Jemaah Islamiyah suspect terrorists, Dr Abdullah Daud, Shamsuddin Sulaiman, Mat Shah Mohd Satray, Abdul Murad Sudin, Zaini Zakaria and Zainun Rashid.^[33]
• 12 September 2002: Ahmad Mohd Arshad, also known as Mat Komando, 37, the leader of Gang 13, then No. 1 on the Malaysian Most-Wanted-Criminal list for 52 armed robberies involving about RM 2.5 million, armed assault, and illegal possession of firearms (among others), was known to be hiding in Kampung Hujung Keton, a village in the state of Kedah on the west coast of the Malay Peninsula. Armed with intelligence gathered from surveillance and villagers, ten 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 around 6.30 am. In the ensuing shoot-out, Mat Komando was shot in the head and left ribs and killed. The police seized a Colt .45 pistol with three rounds of ammunition, an S&W Model 617 .22 revolver with two rounds of ammunition, and two bullet shells from the deceased. 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.^[35]

• 27 September 2002: Hunted down Gang M16, the then Most-Wanted-Criminals of Malaysia, for an armed robbery at the Bank of Tokyo in 1985 and sixteen other armed robberies in jewellery shops and pawn shops, amounting to RM 21.28 million in total. It was reported that all the members of this group were Chinese and the mastermind of this group was one Elvis Keh Jiang Long, also known as Ah Po, an ex-Singaporean National Service personnel in the Singaporean Army, was an expert in various firearms and was responsible for training the group for the robberies. During the gun-fighting with the UTK in Batu 5, Jalan Seremban-Mantin, near the Galla Recreational Park, Mantin, Negeri Sembilan, two of the Gang M16 members, identified as Sunny Chai @ Sum Wing Chang and his right-hand man, known as Hew Yau, were shot dead. Another gang member, Chang Kew Yin, managed to escape. One UTK officer was wounded. Security forces recovered an M16 rifle with two rounds of ammunition, a Colt semi-automatic handgun with sixteen rounds of ammunition, a Smith & Wesson revolver and three ski-masks from the suspects' vehicles. On 28 December at 2 am, Chang was gunned down in a shootout at Jalan Keris, Taman Sri Tebrau, Johor Bahru and security forces recovered a Chinese-made Norinco pistol with three rounds of ammunition. Federal CID Director, Datuk Salleh Mat Som (late), said the police are hunting for the Gang M16 members who were still at large, including sending their officers to Singapore and Thailand to track Keh down, and also requested the assistance of the Australian police to locate another gang member, Hew Soon Loong @ Hong Kong Chai, who was believed to have fled to the country.^[36][37]
• Participated in hostage rescue operations against Abu Sayyaf in Sipadan Island (Pulau Sipadan) and Ligitan Island (Pulau Ligitan), Sabah with support from GOF, the Malaysian Armed Forces and Philippine Armed Forces.
• 2003: Arrested six Jemaah Islamiyah suspects, Mohd Khaider Kadran (JI leader), Wan Amin Wan Hamat, Sulaiman Suramin, Sufian Salih, Ahmad Muaz Al Bakry, and Hasim Talib.^[33]
• 16–17 October 2003: Involved in VVIP protection of the Islamic leaders during the 10th Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Putrajaya.
• 2004: Arrested three Indonesian Jemaah Islamiyah suspect terrorists, Zakaria Samad, Ahmad Zakaria and Terhamid Dahalan.
• 16 December 2004: Participated in the search and rescue mission for the lost Indonesian BRIMOB, in which 700 personnel from the POLRI special operations force units went missing in Aceh after the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami.
• 2004: Arrested three Indonesian Jemaah Islamiyah suspects, Mahfudi Saifuddin, Mulyadi, and Arifin related to involvement with the 2002 Bali bombings.
• 2005: Undertook VVIP escort missions to protect ex-Prime Minister Tun Mahathir Mohamad when he visited Johor.
• 23 August 2005: Five officers and thirty-two members of 69 Commandos were flown to Kukup, Pontian to intercept the Panama-registered 567-tonne vessel MV Natris, renamed MV Paulijing. The ship was laden with soybeans and vinegar, and believed to run off Batam waters, Indonesia. The ship was detected by the Marine Operations Force in the Malacca Straits after being reported missing in 2003. This operation was named Operation MV Paulijing and also involved members of the SWAT units of the Marine Operations Force. In the end, the twenty Chinese crew including the captain were arrested when they refused to heed the orders by police.^[38][39]
• 2006: Deployed as part of the United Nations INTERFET to support Operation Astute. It consisted of Malaysian U.N. 10th Parachute Brigade, Grup Gerak Khas, Australian and New Zealand U.N Armed Forces in Timor Leste.^[40]
• 2007: Arrested four alleged Jemaah Islamiyah suspects, Zulkifli Marzuki, Mohd Nasir Ismail, Ahmad Kamil Hanafiah, and Muhd Amir Hanafiah.^[33]
• July 2007: Deployed in a search and rescue operation after a Sikorsky S61 Nuri helicopter of the Royal Malaysian Air Force went missing, along with a crew of six near Genting Sempah, Genting Highlands. The SAR team, which consisted of the U.S. Navy Air Fleet from USS Jarrett, 10th Parachute Brigade, the 22 Cdo of GGK, PASKAU, the police General Operations Force's Senoi Praaq, the Police Air Wing, the Fire and Rescue Department, Forestry Department rangers, the Civil Defense Department (JPA3) and villagers, located the wreckage of the chopper at 1324 hrs on 17 July 2007 with its rotor blades detached. The bodies of all crew members were found in the cabin of the aircraft.^[41]

• 16 July 2008: Arrested the PKR de facto leader, Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim in front of his house at Bukit Segambut in the twilight hours, similar to what happened in 1998, for investigations under Section 377C of the Penal Code for alleged "carnal intercourse against the order of nature" with his former aide, Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan. However, CID director Commissioner Dato' Mohd Bakri Zinin said that the arrest was not carried out by the UTK, but by the Bukit Aman's Serious Crimes Division (possibly by the Unit Tindakan Cepat, UTC).^[42]

• 2009: In February 2008, the Singaporean Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) leader, Mas Selamat Kastari, escaped from Whitley Detention Center in Singapore. A few months later, he was found to be hiding at a village house in Kampung Tawakal, Skudai, 40 km from Johor Bahru. Following intelligence sharing with the police forces of Indonesia and Singapore, in the dawn of 1 April 2009 at 06:00 am, a team from the UTK counter-terrorist unit was deployed to assist police Special Branch agents to recapture the militant leader. Both the UTK and Special Branch members stormed the perimeters of the house while Mas Selamat was sound asleep. However, according to a witness, Mohd Saat Marjo, 57, a villager who lived opposite the fugitive's home, about thirty masked commandos armed with automatic weapons together with plainclothes Special Branch agents broke through two doors and rushed into the house when Mat Selamat refused to come out and surrender when ordered by the police. Mas Selamat was handcuffed with his face covered in a dark blue checked cloth before he was swiftly bundled into a police vehicle and taken away.^[43] Other JI members, Abdul Matin Anol Rahmat and Johar Hassan, were also arrested together, and the police also seized documents and other paraphernalia that allegedly revealed their planned operation, as well as combed the area with bomb detectors to ensure that the house was free of explosives.^[44] However, the UTK's involvement in the operation was not highlighted in the media due to the top-secret nature of the operations. The arrest was attributed to the Special Branch.
• 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 unwilling Sultan to the nearby hospital (HUSM) somewhere 200m from the palace.^[45]
• 8 July 2011: Deployed in the 2011 Muar kindergarten hostage crisis, in which a preschool located at Sungai Abong Park, Sakeh Street near Muar in southern Johor state was taken by a 40-year-old man. The man, Loi Hui Chung, who was suspected to be a drug addict and mentally-deranged, was armed with a hammer and a machete and threatened to kill the hostages if his demand was not met. The siege ended at exactly 1541 GMT after UTK members stormed the building with tear gas and shot the suspect. He was in a critical condition with a head wound and died later at the Sultanah Fatimah Specialist Hospital at 2115 GMT.^[46][47][48]
• 7 February 2013: Arrested a former Internal Security Act (ISA) detainee Yazid Sufaat and two of his friends, including a woman, in the Klang Valley, Selangor in separate operations. The unit nabbed Yazid and Mohd Hilmi Hasim at a canteen in the Jalan Duta court complex whilst the woman, Halimah Hussin, was picked up from her house in Kajang. They became the first few to be arrested under the new Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (SOSMA) which replaced the ISA. They were alleged to have been promoting terrorism and had allegedly been linked to terrorist activities in Syria.^[49][50][51]
• 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 shot dead and three more wounded in an unexpected "white flag" ambush by the Sulu terrorists, while twelve of the terrorists were shot death and three others were fatally wounded.^[52]
• 2 March 2013: Officers and members of the 69 Commandos were deployed to Lahad Datu as reinforcements to rescue police officers who were trapped in an ambush by fewer 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 killed, while six terrorists were killed after the officers launched a counter-attack.
• 19 May 2015: A team of roughly 300 operators from the 69 Commandos were deployed to Malaysia–Thailand border to search and curb the human trafficking activities in the region.^[53]