Pasukan Gerakan Khas (Abbreviation: PGK; 'Special Operations Command — Police SOCOM', Jawi: ڤاسوكن ڬرقن خاص) is a special operations command of the Royal Malaysia Police (RMP). The PGK has two distinct sub-units; the Special Actions Unit and the 69 Commando Battalion (Very Able Trooper 69 — VAT 69; ). Operators of UTK and VAT 69 are specially trained to intervene in high-risk events like hostage and barricade situations by hostile forces, especially terrorists and/or criminals. It originally had over 4,000 full-time operators, but its actual size and organisation are classified. Both units commonly function as a high-level national tactical team in extremely sensitive or dangerous situations.

History

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

VAT 69

The 69 Commando Battalion, also known as Very Able Troopers 69 (VAT 69), Task Force, Charlie Force and Special Project Team, is modeled on and trained by the British Special Air Service and New Zealand Special Air Service. It was founded in 1969 (hence the name – 69) as a small combat unit to counter the tactics and techniques of the communist forces of the Second Malayan Emergency. Initially established as an elite counter-insurgency force, the role of counter-terrorism was added to the VAT 69 in the 1990s after the Second Malayan Emergency officially ended.

UTK

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. 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.

Functions

PGK roles are believed to include:

Organisation

Previously separate entities, both VAT 69 and the UTK were amalgamated into the PGK Command on 20 October 1997, when it was launched by the fifth Inspector General of Police, Tan Sri Rahim Noor. However, VAT 69 and the UTK are still operated 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, the PGK is under the direct command of the RMP's Internal Security and Public Order Director. The unit commander holds the rank of Senior Assistant Commissioner (SAC) and is the Deputy Director of the Internal Security and Public Order (Special Operations Command). With the growing threat of terrorism since the 9/11 attacks, 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), the PGK small patrol team consist of six to ten operatives led by officers ranked from Police Inspector to Superintendent of Police with different expertise such as assault units, EOD experts, communications experts, snipers and field medics. The PGK has also forged closer relations with the special forces units of the Malaysian Armed Forces, including the elite 10th Parachute Brigade, 21 Grup Gerak Khas, PASKAL and PASKAU, so as to enable them to enforce security within Malaysia's borders more effectively.

Roles

Both VAT 69's and UTK's snipers, technicians and explosive expertise regularly cross-train with foreign special forces units, including the Special Air Service Regiments of Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, the Royal Thai Border Patrol Police, the French GIGN, the German GSG 9, and a number of US services including the US Navy SEALs, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) and others. UTK members wear maroon berets while VAT 69 Commando members wear the sand coloured beret given to them by their founding trainers, the SAS. On 14 November 2006, for the first time in the history of PGK, the maroon and sand coloured berets were honoured as 'Royal Berets' by Yang Dipertuan Agong Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Syed Putera Jamalullail, the then King of Malaysia.

Area of responsibility

The PGK divides areas of responsibility of both PGK detachments by states which are: For Sabah and Sarawak, it is under the responsibility of General Operations Force (GOF) Special Forces Equivalent Unit; Tiger Platoon from GOF Sabah Brigade and GOF Sarawak Brigade. The Tiger Platoons are supported by both PGK detachments.

Recruitment, selection and training

Both VAT 69 and UTK has their own recruitment and selection program. All members of the RMP with two years of service can apply to the unit selections. The PGK is known to conduct joint training exercises and participate in exchange programs with Commonwealth special units such as the Australian SAS, British SAS, New Zealand SAS and Singapore Special Tactics and Rescue. The PGK routinely trains with neighbouring country tactical teams such as the Indonesian Mobile Brigade and Thailand Border Patrol Police. Occasionally, the PGK trains with FBI Hostage Rescue Team, French GIGN and RAID, German GSG 9, Italian NOCS, Spanish G.E.O, US Delta Force, US Green Berets, US Army Special Operations Command Pacific Unit (SOCPAC), Russian Special Rapid Response Unit and other international units. On 10 December 2003, the then Inspector General of Police, Tan Sri Mohd Bakri Haji Omar, launched the training programme between the US SOCPAC and the 69th PGK at the General Operations Force Training Center in Ulu Kinta, Perak. The team of SOCPAC were to conduct a 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 programme.

PGK equipment

PGK 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 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. Semi-automatic pistols are the most popular sidearms and the majority of the officers use various 9 mm pistols. Principal handguns include: Various shotguns used by PGK units include: Common sub-machine guns used by all PGK teams include: Common carbines include: Common sniper rifles used are: Machine guns used by VAT 69 include: Various grenade launchers used by PGK units include: Less lethal weapons used include:

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.

List of commanders

Listed below are the unit commanders past & present.

Personnel killed in the line of duty

Missions

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. 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. 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.

Publicly known missions

In popular culture

Books, television and movies