Rejimen Askar Wataniah
Encyclopedia
The Rejimen Askar Wataniah (Territorial Army Regiment;) is the military reserve force
of the Malaysian Army
. An equivalent formation in the British Army
would be the Territorial Army.
The Regiment infantry unit formerly consist 2 series reservist; the mobilized 300 series and the volunteer 500 series. But the 300 series which consist of 5 infantry battalions with mobilized reservists for full time duty has been converted into the new regular Rejimen Sempadan (Border Regiment) since 2008. The 500 series are reserve volunteers units, based in major towns and cities throughout the whole country. In all, there are about sixteen infantry Regiments of the 500 series beside other support and service support reserve units.
In 1861, the Penang Volunteers were formed as a volunteer army unit of the Straits Settlement. Similar units were formed in Singapore
and in the other Malay States.
In 1902, the Federated Malay States
formed the Malay State Volunteer Rifles (MSVR) volunteer force. The Unfederated Malay States also formed their own volunteer units. With further expansion, the formations were then known as the Federated Malay States Volunteer Force (FMSVF), Unfederated Malay States Volunteer Force (UFMSVF) and the Straits Settlement Volunteer Force (SSVF).
With the outbreak of the Second World War, the volunteer units were mobilised and fought alongside the regular British
, India
n and Australian troops in the defence of Malaya and Fortress Singapore.
During the Japanese Occupation of Malaya, the Chinese dominated Malayan People’s Anti-Japanese Army conducted guerrilla warfare against the Japanese occupiers. As only the regular Malay Regiment led by British officers had acquitted itself well until the surrender in Singapore (February 1942), the British felt it was possible to involve Malays in the resistance against the Japanese but only with extensive training and by working in close co-operation with the stay behind British forces. The British desperately needed Malay resistance fighters to operate in Malay dominated areas. During the Japanese Occupation, a number of local Malays formed resistance groups and carried out guerrilla warfare
against the Japanese. Resistance units in Pahang were called WATANIAH, derived from the Arabic word WATAN (state). The Wataniah was led by Yeop Mahidin Bin Mohamed Shafiff
(known as the Father of Wataniah). Force 136
of the Special Operations Executive
was amongst the British formations that co-ordinated the Malayan resistance (including the Wataniah movement) against the Japanese.
After the war, the volunteer units were reformed. With the start of the Malayan Emergency
, the Home Guard was raised and tasked with local static defence, thus releasing regular British, Commonwealth and Malayan units for combat operations against the Communist Terrorists. In 1958, with the security situation under control and the threat from the Communist Terrorists diminished, the Home Guard was disbanded.
However, many of the members of the Home Guard wished to continue their voluntary service, and the Federation Government agreed to the formation of the Territorial Army with the passing of the Territorial Army Ordinance 1958. The Askar Wataniah was formed on 1 June 1958.
The Al-Mau'nah
Sauk Arms Heist happened on 2 July 2000 at an outpost and a camp manned by members of Bn 304 of Rejimen Askar Wataniah was involved in an arms heist by the Al-Mau'nah
militant group
. In the small hours of the morning, 21 members of the militant group visited the outpost and camp of Bn 304 Rejimen Askar Wataniah under the guise of a surprise inspection and relieved the soldiers' weapons or carted away weapons from the armoury. They took away a huge cache of firearms and ammunition, including 97 M16
assault rifles, four GPMGs, five grenade launchers, 9,095 rounds of 5.56mm and 60 rounds of 40mm ammunition. The group was later cornered in the village of Sauk, Perak
and involved in a stand-off the Malaysian Army
and Royal Malaysian Police
forces. Police threw a containment cordon of Bukit Jenalik. The group then took several hostages and holed up for four days in Bukit Jenalik, Sauk before finally surrendering to security forces. However, they brutally tortured and murdered two of the hostages -— a soldier and a police personnel.
The Al-Mau'nah
group later surrendered, and the leaders brought to trial for "waging war upon the King". Mohamed Amin Mohamed Razali and his group were brought to trial for charges of "waging war against the King", and became the first people convicted of such charges in Malaysia. Mohamed Amin Mohamed Razali and his two lieutenants, Zahit Muslim and Jamaluddin Darus, were sentenced to death. Sixteen others were given life sentences.
and the Royal Ranger Regiment
. There are currently 16 Wataniah Regiments, each comprising 3 (nominal) infantry battalions.
Regiments located throughout Malaysia are namely
, Kuantan
, Sungai Petani
and Kota Belud
.
The Wataniah Artillery Batteries are integrated components of the regular units of the Royal Artillery Regiment. The Wataniah Artillery Batteries are located in Kota Bharu
, Taiping
, Melaka, Seremban
and Kuala Lumpur.
The Wataniah Signal Squadrons assist regular squadrons Royal Signals Regiment
in establishing and maintaining Army communications. Squadrons are located in Kuala Lumpur
, Ipoh
and Sungei Besi.
The Wataniah Engineer Squadrons provide combat engineering skills alongside regular engineer squadrons. Squadrons are located in Kuala Terengganu
, Kajang
, Klang
and Penang
.
The Wataniah Military Police Companies are tasked with helping the discipline and law enforcement, based in Penang, Kuantan, Sg. Buloh and Kem Genting.
The Wataniah Intelligence unit is an integral part of the regular battalion of the Kor Risik diRaja (Royal Intelligence Corps), and is located in Penang.
The Askar Wataniah Electrical and Mechanical Engineers maintain two workshops, one in Ipoh and the other in Kuala Lumpur as well as 4 field workshops based in Taiping, Melaka, Kuantan and Kuching
The Wataniah Ordnan Corps maintains a single Kumpulan Ordnan Briged (Brigade Ordnance Group) based in Kuala Lumpur while Wataniah Brigade Ordnance groups are integrated into regular Army brigades in Kuching, Taiping Melaka and Kuantan.
Askar Wataniah also has 4 medical companies (called Kompeni Ubat AW) based in Kuantan, Kluang, Sungai Petani and Kuching.
The Askar Wataniah Specialist Signals Unit specialises in the maintenance of communication, and its members are drawn from amongst staff of Telekom Malaysia Berhad.
Askar Wataniah Specialist Engineering Units are based at the Markas Jurutera (SP) (HQ L of C) in Bukit Haigate, Kuala Lumpur
and comprises:
It had been perceived that the establishment of PALAPES was highly motivated by the American's own ROTC or Reserve Officer Training Corps and UK's own OTC or Officer Training Corps. The ROTC or OTC standards were and are still highly regarded as equivalent to their counterpart at Westpoint or Sandhurst, unlike in Malaysia, the PALAPES standard is yet to be officially recognised as equivalent to the current institutions such Cadet Wings RMC, Airforce College, Naval College, ATMA and now UPNM. Standardization is importance as to ensure the country's combat readiness is not compromise.
Historically, following the Confrontation
, the Reserve unit was formed on 3 April 1965 as the 1st Infantry Battalion, Askar Wataniah at University Malaya, mustered from amongst undergraduates and staff of Universiti Malaya. Initially 30 undergraduates from various faculties volunteered and underwent basic training during their semester breaks at the Recruit Training Camp at Kem Latihan Seputih, Batu Gajah, Perak. The majority of the recruits had prior experience in the Army and Police Cadets and many were former students of the Maktab Tentera Diraja (Royal Military College).
The aftermath of the 13 May 1969 riots
saw the expansion of the Askar Wataniah unit to other universities with A Company formed in Institut Teknologi MARA
, B Company formed in Universiti Pertanian Malaysian (UPM) (now called Universiti Putra Malaysia
) and C Company formed at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
while the unit at Universiti Malaya took on the role of battalion HQ.
On 18 December 1978, the Brigadier General Dato’ Abdul As Ismail, the Director of Askar Wataniah discussed the formation of the Reserve Officers Training Units with the university Vice Chancellors and the Director of ITM. Pursuant to the meeting, the Armed Forces Council approved the formation of the Reserve Officer Training Unit ROTU at Malaysian local universities to attract Reserve Officers from amongst staff and undergraduates of the various universities. ROTU is currently known as Pasukan Latihan Pegawai Simpanan (PALAPES).
There are currently thirteen (13) Malaysian public universities and institutions of higher education (IPTAs) hosting PALAPES units. Units are formed at Universiti Malaya (PALAPES UM), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia
, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
, Universiti Sains Malaysia
, Universiti Putra Malaysia
, Universiti Utara Malaysia
, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak
, Universiti Malaysia Sabah
, Universiti Teknologi MARA
, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris
, Universiti Malaysia Perlis
, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu
and International Islamic University Malaysia
. There are several universities hosting tri-services PALAPES units e.g. Army, Navy and Airforce, some hosting Army and Navy and most hosting only the Army.
Now, with thirteen (13) universities and IPTAs hosting PALAPES units, around 1,200 up to 3,000 officers or subalterns or commonly known as YO (young officers) are commissioned yearly. The mass commissioning of the new YO yearly had indirectly created some issues to the Armed Forces such as;
a) Imbalance number of position available in the TA units compare to the growing number of YOs
b) Imbalance of strength between NCOs and YOs
c) Many of the YOs are posted to infantry units of 500 series rather than to fill many available subalterns post at combat support elements and services such as Medic Corp, Signal etc.
d) The recruitment of Potential Officers (PO) to post directly as Capt, Major or Lt Col within 1 week training had created a gap between the inexperience and troublesome YOs in term of quality of delivery as platoon commander up until battalion command.
was awarded the medal Panglima Gagah Berani
(PGB) for his action in a firefight at Grik, Perak on August 15, 1977.
: British Territorial Army: United States Army Reserve
Military reserve force
A military reserve force is a military organization composed of citizens of a country who combine a military role or career with a civilian career. They are not normally kept under arms and their main role is to be available to fight when a nation mobilizes for total war or to defend against invasion...
of the Malaysian Army
Malaysian Army
The Malaysian Army 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 the Royal Malaysian Air Force and the Royal Malaysian Navy...
. An equivalent formation in the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
would be the Territorial Army.
The Regiment infantry unit formerly consist 2 series reservist; the mobilized 300 series and the volunteer 500 series. But the 300 series which consist of 5 infantry battalions with mobilized reservists for full time duty has been converted into the new regular Rejimen Sempadan (Border Regiment) since 2008. The 500 series are reserve volunteers units, based in major towns and cities throughout the whole country. In all, there are about sixteen infantry Regiments of the 500 series beside other support and service support reserve units.
History
- Volunteer Units In Malaya
In 1861, the Penang Volunteers were formed as a volunteer army unit of the Straits Settlement. Similar units were formed in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
and in the other Malay States.
In 1902, the Federated Malay States
Federated Malay States
The Federated Malay States was a federation of four protected states in the Malay Peninsula—Selangor, Perak, Negeri Sembilan and Pahang—established by the British government in 1895, which lasted until 1946, when they, together with the Straits Settlements and the Unfederated Malay...
formed the Malay State Volunteer Rifles (MSVR) volunteer force. The Unfederated Malay States also formed their own volunteer units. With further expansion, the formations were then known as the Federated Malay States Volunteer Force (FMSVF), Unfederated Malay States Volunteer Force (UFMSVF) and the Straits Settlement Volunteer Force (SSVF).
- Second World War
With the outbreak of the Second World War, the volunteer units were mobilised and fought alongside the regular British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n and Australian troops in the defence of Malaya and Fortress Singapore.
- Japanese Occupation of Malaya
During the Japanese Occupation of Malaya, the Chinese dominated Malayan People’s Anti-Japanese Army conducted guerrilla warfare against the Japanese occupiers. As only the regular Malay Regiment led by British officers had acquitted itself well until the surrender in Singapore (February 1942), the British felt it was possible to involve Malays in the resistance against the Japanese but only with extensive training and by working in close co-operation with the stay behind British forces. The British desperately needed Malay resistance fighters to operate in Malay dominated areas. During the Japanese Occupation, a number of local Malays formed resistance groups and carried out guerrilla warfare
Guerrilla warfare
Guerrilla warfare is a form of irregular warfare and refers to conflicts in which a small group of combatants including, but not limited to, armed civilians use military tactics, such as ambushes, sabotage, raids, the element of surprise, and extraordinary mobility to harass a larger and...
against the Japanese. Resistance units in Pahang were called WATANIAH, derived from the Arabic word WATAN (state). The Wataniah was led by Yeop Mahidin Bin Mohamed Shafiff
Yeop Mahidin Bin Mohamed Shafiff
Yeop Mahidin bin Mohamed Shariff was the first Director of Rejimen Askar Wataniah, the reserves component of the Malaysian Army. He was widely regarded as the “Father of Wataniah” for his efforts in establishing the Rejimen Askar Wataniah as a credible force.- Biography :Yeop Mahidin was born on...
(known as the Father of Wataniah). Force 136
Force 136
Force 136 was the general cover name for a branch of the British World War II organization, the Special Operations Executive . The organisation was established to encourage and supply resistance movements in enemy-occupied territory, and occasionally mount clandestine sabotage operations...
of the Special Operations Executive
Special Operations Executive
The Special Operations Executive was a World War II organisation of the United Kingdom. It was officially formed by Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Minister of Economic Warfare Hugh Dalton on 22 July 1940, to conduct guerrilla warfare against the Axis powers and to instruct and aid local...
was amongst the British formations that co-ordinated the Malayan resistance (including the Wataniah movement) against the Japanese.
- Malayan Emergency
After the war, the volunteer units were reformed. With the start of the Malayan Emergency
Malayan Emergency
The Malayan Emergency was a guerrilla war fought between Commonwealth armed forces and the Malayan National Liberation Army , the military arm of the Malayan Communist Party, from 1948 to 1960....
, the Home Guard was raised and tasked with local static defence, thus releasing regular British, Commonwealth and Malayan units for combat operations against the Communist Terrorists. In 1958, with the security situation under control and the threat from the Communist Terrorists diminished, the Home Guard was disbanded.
However, many of the members of the Home Guard wished to continue their voluntary service, and the Federation Government agreed to the formation of the Territorial Army with the passing of the Territorial Army Ordinance 1958. The Askar Wataniah was formed on 1 June 1958.
- Al-Mau'nah Arms Heist, 2000
The Al-Mau'nah
Al-Mau'nah
The Al-Ma'unah was a militant terrorist group based in Malaysia. The group was made famous by their audacious raid on 2 July 2000 on a Malaysian Army Reserve camp in the early hours of the morning and stealing weapons from the armoury...
Sauk Arms Heist happened on 2 July 2000 at an outpost and a camp manned by members of Bn 304 of Rejimen Askar Wataniah was involved in an arms heist by the Al-Mau'nah
Al-Mau'nah
The Al-Ma'unah was a militant terrorist group based in Malaysia. The group was made famous by their audacious raid on 2 July 2000 on a Malaysian Army Reserve camp in the early hours of the morning and stealing weapons from the armoury...
militant group
Militant Group
The Militant Group was an early British Trotskyist group, formed in 1935 by Denzil Dean Harber, former leader of the Marxist Group, as an entrist group inside the Labour Party....
. In the small hours of the morning, 21 members of the militant group visited the outpost and camp of Bn 304 Rejimen Askar Wataniah under the guise of a surprise inspection and relieved the soldiers' weapons or carted away weapons from the armoury. They took away a huge cache of firearms and ammunition, including 97 M16
M16 rifle
The M16 is the United States military designation for the AR-15 rifle adapted for both semi-automatic and full-automatic fire. Colt purchased the rights to the AR-15 from ArmaLite, and currently uses that designation only for semi-automatic versions of the rifle. The M16 fires the 5.56×45mm NATO...
assault rifles, four GPMGs, five grenade launchers, 9,095 rounds of 5.56mm and 60 rounds of 40mm ammunition. The group was later cornered in the village of Sauk, Perak
Perak
Perak , one of the 13 states of Malaysia, is the second largest state in the Peninsular Malaysia bordering Kedah and Yala Province of Thailand to the north, Penang to the northwest, Kelantan and Pahang to the east, Selangor the Strait of Malacca to the south and west.Perak means silver in Malay...
and involved in a stand-off the Malaysian Army
Malaysian Army
The Malaysian Army 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 the Royal Malaysian Air Force and the Royal Malaysian Navy...
and Royal Malaysian Police
Royal Malaysian Police
The Royal Malaysia Police is a part of the security forces structure in Malaysia. The force is a centralised organization with responsibilities ranging from traffic control to intelligence gathering. Its headquarters is located at Bukit Aman, Kuala Lumpur. The police force is led by an...
forces. Police threw a containment cordon of Bukit Jenalik. The group then took several hostages and holed up for four days in Bukit Jenalik, Sauk before finally surrendering to security forces. However, they brutally tortured and murdered two of the hostages -— a soldier and a police personnel.
The Al-Mau'nah
Al-Mau'nah
The Al-Ma'unah was a militant terrorist group based in Malaysia. The group was made famous by their audacious raid on 2 July 2000 on a Malaysian Army Reserve camp in the early hours of the morning and stealing weapons from the armoury...
group later surrendered, and the leaders brought to trial for "waging war upon the King". Mohamed Amin Mohamed Razali and his group were brought to trial for charges of "waging war against the King", and became the first people convicted of such charges in Malaysia. Mohamed Amin Mohamed Razali and his two lieutenants, Zahit Muslim and Jamaluddin Darus, were sentenced to death. Sixteen others were given life sentences.
Combat Element
The 500 series is tasked with the same mission as the combat infantry battalions of the Royal Malay RegimentRoyal Malay Regiment
The Royal Malay Regiment is the premier unit of the Malaysian Army's two infantry regiments. At its largest, the Malay Regiment comprised 27 battalions. At present, two battalions are parachute trained and form part of the Malaysian Army Rapid Deployment Force...
and the Royal Ranger Regiment
Royal Ranger Regiment
The Royal Ranger Regiment is an infantry regiment of the Malaysian Army. Although it is second in seniority to the Royal Malay Regiment , the RRD can trace its origins back to the mid 19th century and the establishment of The Sarawak Rangers, the peacekeeping force in the Sarawak region...
. There are currently 16 Wataniah Regiments, each comprising 3 (nominal) infantry battalions.
Regiments located throughout Malaysia are namely
- Rejimen 501 Askar Wataniah, Kem Tebrau, Johor Bharu
- Rejimen 502 Askar Wataniah, Kem Sungai Buloh, Selangor
- Rejimen 503 Askar Wataniah, Kem Jalan Tambun, Ipoh, Perak
- Rejimen 504 Askar Wataniah, Kem Bukit Keteri, Kangar, Perlis
- Rejimen 505 Askar Wataniah, Kem Teluk Sisik, Kuantan, Pahang
- Rejimen 506 Askar Wataniah, Kem Pengkalan Chepa, Kota Bahru, Kelantan
- Rejimen 507 Askar Wataniah, Kem Bukit Perwira, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah
- Rejimen 508 Askar Wataniah, Kem Jalan Rasah, Seremban, Negeri Sembilan
- Rejimen 509 Askar Wataniah, Kem Lebuhraya Peel, George Town, Pulau Pinang
- Rejimen 510 Askar Wataniah, Kem Sri Rejang, Sibu, Sarawak
- Rejimen 511 Askar Wataniah, Kem Ria Kompleks, Kuching, Sarawak
- Rejimen 512 Askar Wataniah, Kem Padang Midin, Kuala Berang, Terengganu
- Rejimen 513 Askar Wataniah, Kem Jalan Kolam Air, Sungai Petani, Kedah
- Rejimen 514 Askar Wataniah, Kem Bukit Beruang, 75450 Melaka
- Rejimen 515 Askar Wataniah, Kem Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur
- Rejimen 516 Askar Wataniah, Kem Kukusan, Tawau, Sabah
Combat Support Element
The Wataniah Armoured Squadrons are the integrated components of the regular units of the Royal Armoured Corps. The Squadrons are currently located at Port DicksonPort Dickson
Port Dickson or PD to locals is a beach and holiday destination situated about 32 km from Seremban and 90 km from Kuala Lumpur. It is located in the state of Negeri Sembilan in Peninsular Malaysia...
, Kuantan
Kuantan
Kuantan is the state capital of Pahang, the 3rd largest state in Malaysia. It is situated near the mouth of the Kuantan River and faces the South China Sea. If one measures the distance along the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia, it is located roughly halfway between Singapore and Kota Bharu...
, Sungai Petani
Sungai Petani
Sungai Petani is a town in the state of Kedah, in the northern part of Peninsular Malaysia. Sungai Petani is the second largest town in Kedah after Alor Star.-Etmylogy:...
and Kota Belud
Kota Belud
Kota Belud is a town located in West Coast Division, in the center of Sabah, east Malaysia on the island of Borneo. Its population was estimated to be around 72,337 in 2000, almost evenly divided between ethnic Dusun and Bajau with a sizeable proportion of Chinese ethnicity...
.
The Wataniah Artillery Batteries are integrated components of the regular units of the Royal Artillery Regiment. The Wataniah Artillery Batteries are located in Kota Bharu
Kota Bharu
Kota Bharu is a city in Malaysia, is the state capital and Royal City of Kelantan. It is also the name of the territory in which Kota Bharu City is situated. The name means 'new city' or 'new castle/fort' in Malay. Kota Bharu is situated in the northeastern part of Peninsular Malaysia, and lies...
, Taiping
Taiping, Perak
Taiping is a town located in northern Perak, Malaysia. With a population of 191,104 , it is the second largest town in Perak after Ipoh, the state capital. Taiping took over Kuala Kangsar's role as the state capital from 1876 to 1937, but was then replaced by Ipoh...
, Melaka, Seremban
Seremban
Seremban is the capital of the Malaysian state of Negeri Sembilan, located within the district of Seremban, one of the seven districts of Negeri Sembilan. The town's administration is run by the Seremban Municipal Council or Majlis Perbandaran Seremban...
and Kuala Lumpur.
The Wataniah Signal Squadrons assist regular squadrons Royal Signals Regiment
Rejimen Semboyan Diraja
The Rejimen Semboyan Diraja is a combat support regiment of the Malaysian Army. It has the primary responsibility of establishing and maintaining secure military communications channels for the command and tactical elements of the Malaysian Army, and is also responsible for all electronic support...
in establishing and maintaining Army communications. Squadrons are located in Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
, Ipoh
Ipoh
Ipoh is the capital city of Perak state, Malaysia. It is approximately 200 km north of Kuala Lumpur on the North-South Expressway....
and Sungei Besi.
The Wataniah Engineer Squadrons provide combat engineering skills alongside regular engineer squadrons. Squadrons are located in Kuala Terengganu
Kuala Terengganu
-Transport:The city is connected to other towns via a good network of roads and also some ferries that ply the Terengganu River. The Sultan Mahmud Bridge, a bridge over the Terengganu River, provides a road link to both banks of the river...
, Kajang
Kajang
Kajang, is a town in the eastern part of Selangor, Malaysia. Kajang is the district capital of Hulu Langat. It is located from of Malaysia's capital, Kuala Lumpur.The current locational gravity of growth in Kajang would be Sungai Chua...
, Klang
Klang
Klang , formerly known as Kelang, is the royal city and former capital of the state of Selangor, Malaysia. It is located within the Klang District in Klang Valley. It is located about 32 km to the west of Kuala Lumpur and 6 km east of Port Klang...
and Penang
Penang
Penang is a state in Malaysia and the name of its constituent island, located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia by the Strait of Malacca. It is bordered by Kedah in the north and east, and Perak in the south. Penang is the second smallest Malaysian state in area after Perlis, and the...
.
The Wataniah Military Police Companies are tasked with helping the discipline and law enforcement, based in Penang, Kuantan, Sg. Buloh and Kem Genting.
The Wataniah Intelligence unit is an integral part of the regular battalion of the Kor Risik diRaja (Royal Intelligence Corps), and is located in Penang.
The Askar Wataniah Electrical and Mechanical Engineers maintain two workshops, one in Ipoh and the other in Kuala Lumpur as well as 4 field workshops based in Taiping, Melaka, Kuantan and Kuching
Services Support Element
The Wataniah Logistic Corps consists of 5 transport companies based in Seremban, Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bharu and Kota Bharu, one supply company based in Kuala Lumpur and one air despatch platoon based in Taiping.The Wataniah Ordnan Corps maintains a single Kumpulan Ordnan Briged (Brigade Ordnance Group) based in Kuala Lumpur while Wataniah Brigade Ordnance groups are integrated into regular Army brigades in Kuching, Taiping Melaka and Kuantan.
Askar Wataniah also has 4 medical companies (called Kompeni Ubat AW) based in Kuantan, Kluang, Sungai Petani and Kuching.
Specialist Elements
Askar Wataniah Specialist Engineering Units are based at the Markas Jurutera (SP) (HQ L of C) in Bukit Haigate, Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
and comprises:
- Port Specialist Regiment(Jurutera Pakar Pelabuhan) These port operating units are formed at the main Malaysian ports, and members are drawn from amongst port personnel at the ports of KuantanKuantanKuantan is the state capital of Pahang, the 3rd largest state in Malaysia. It is situated near the mouth of the Kuantan River and faces the South China Sea. If one measures the distance along the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia, it is located roughly halfway between Singapore and Kota Bharu...
, KlangKlangKlang , formerly known as Kelang, is the royal city and former capital of the state of Selangor, Malaysia. It is located within the Klang District in Klang Valley. It is located about 32 km to the west of Kuala Lumpur and 6 km east of Port Klang...
, PenangPenangPenang is a state in Malaysia and the name of its constituent island, located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia by the Strait of Malacca. It is bordered by Kedah in the north and east, and Perak in the south. Penang is the second smallest Malaysian state in area after Perlis, and the...
, BintuluBintuluBintulu is a coastal town, and the capital of Bintulu District in the Bintulu Division of Sarawak, Malaysia. It is about 650 kilometers from Kuching and about 215 kilometers from either Sibu or Miri....
and KuchingKuchingKuching , officially the City of Kuching, and formerly the City of Sarawak, is the capital and most populous city of the East Malaysian state of Sarawak. It is the largest city on the island of Borneo, and the fourth largest city in Malaysia....
.
- Railway Specialist Regiment are tasked with the maintenance and operation of the Malaysian railway system during emergencies. The unit recruits from members of Malayan Railways and the State Railway of Sabah.
- Water Specialist Regiment with strength recruited from staff of water supply utility companies.
- Power Specialist Regiment are recruited from Tenaga Nasional Berhad and other power generation companies.
Pasukan Latihan Pegawai Simpanan (PALAPES)
Pasukan Latihan Pegawai Simpanan (PALAPES) or Reserve Officers Training Units (ROTU) were formed at 13 universities and institutions of higher leading all over Malaysia. Its main purpose is to train (diploma and first degree) students to become subalterns or young officers to serve as active reservists in the TA 500 series upon their commission. These students will be known as 'cadet officers' and undergo trainings for the next three (3) years to qualify them for King's Commission. It was said that the cadet's training are as equivalent standard of the 1 year RMC Cadet Wings training. After commission as second lieutenant, they are transferred to any 16 TA 500 series to serve as reservists. Many of them join the Malaysian Army as regular officer under the Graduate Scheme.It had been perceived that the establishment of PALAPES was highly motivated by the American's own ROTC or Reserve Officer Training Corps and UK's own OTC or Officer Training Corps. The ROTC or OTC standards were and are still highly regarded as equivalent to their counterpart at Westpoint or Sandhurst, unlike in Malaysia, the PALAPES standard is yet to be officially recognised as equivalent to the current institutions such Cadet Wings RMC, Airforce College, Naval College, ATMA and now UPNM. Standardization is importance as to ensure the country's combat readiness is not compromise.
Historically, following the Confrontation
Confrontation
Confrontation is a tactical fantasy miniature wargaming in which the combatants are represented by metal figures in 28 mm scale. For comparison purposes, the system's figures are slightly larger than those of Games Workshop or The Foundry....
, the Reserve unit was formed on 3 April 1965 as the 1st Infantry Battalion, Askar Wataniah at University Malaya, mustered from amongst undergraduates and staff of Universiti Malaya. Initially 30 undergraduates from various faculties volunteered and underwent basic training during their semester breaks at the Recruit Training Camp at Kem Latihan Seputih, Batu Gajah, Perak. The majority of the recruits had prior experience in the Army and Police Cadets and many were former students of the Maktab Tentera Diraja (Royal Military College).
The aftermath of the 13 May 1969 riots
May 13 Incident
The 13 May Incident is a term for the Sino-Malay sectarian violences in Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia, which began on 13 May 1969...
saw the expansion of the Askar Wataniah unit to other universities with A Company formed in Institut Teknologi MARA
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia is the oldest public engineering and technological university in Malaysia. The university specialises in technical studies, with separate faculties for Education, Pure Sciences, Management, and Human Resources Development. It is the country's major source of graduate...
, B Company formed in Universiti Pertanian Malaysian (UPM) (now called Universiti Putra Malaysia
Universiti Putra Malaysia
Universiti Putra Malaysia , or UPM, is a leading research intensive public university located in central Peninsular Malaysia, close to the capital city, Kuala Lumpur. It was formerly known as Universiti Pertanian Malaysia or Agricultural University of Malaysia...
) and C Company formed at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
The National University of Malaysia is a public university located in Bangi, Selangor which is about 35 km south of Kuala Lumpur...
while the unit at Universiti Malaya took on the role of battalion HQ.
On 18 December 1978, the Brigadier General Dato’ Abdul As Ismail, the Director of Askar Wataniah discussed the formation of the Reserve Officers Training Units with the university Vice Chancellors and the Director of ITM. Pursuant to the meeting, the Armed Forces Council approved the formation of the Reserve Officer Training Unit ROTU at Malaysian local universities to attract Reserve Officers from amongst staff and undergraduates of the various universities. ROTU is currently known as Pasukan Latihan Pegawai Simpanan (PALAPES).
There are currently thirteen (13) Malaysian public universities and institutions of higher education (IPTAs) hosting PALAPES units. Units are formed at Universiti Malaya (PALAPES UM), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia is the oldest public engineering and technological university in Malaysia. The university specialises in technical studies, with separate faculties for Education, Pure Sciences, Management, and Human Resources Development. It is the country's major source of graduate...
, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
The National University of Malaysia is a public university located in Bangi, Selangor which is about 35 km south of Kuala Lumpur...
, Universiti Sains Malaysia
Universiti Sains Malaysia
Universiti Sains Malaysia is a public university with its main campus in Penang, Malaysia. There are three branch campuses: one in mainland Penang , one in Kelantan on the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia, and a offshore collaboration with a university in India...
, Universiti Putra Malaysia
Universiti Putra Malaysia
Universiti Putra Malaysia , or UPM, is a leading research intensive public university located in central Peninsular Malaysia, close to the capital city, Kuala Lumpur. It was formerly known as Universiti Pertanian Malaysia or Agricultural University of Malaysia...
, Universiti Utara Malaysia
Universiti Utara Malaysia
Universiti Utara Malaysia is a public university in the town of Sintok, Kedah. Utara means 'northern' in the Malay language. It was formally incorporated on 16 February 1984. The university was established with the specific mission of providing a leadership role for management education in the...
, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak
Universiti Malaysia Sarawak
Universiti Malaysia Sarawak or UNIMAS was officially incorporated on 24 December 1992. UNIMAS is Malaysia's eighth University, established just after the declaration of Vision 2020...
, Universiti Malaysia Sabah
Universiti Malaysia Sabah
Universiti Malaysia Sabah or UMS is the ninth Malaysian public university located in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia and was established on November 24, 1994...
, Universiti Teknologi MARA
Universiti Teknologi MARA
Universiti Teknologi MARA is a coeducational public university with its main campus located in Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia.It is the flagship institution of the Universiti Teknologi MARA...
, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris
Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris
University Pendidikan Sultan Idris or UPSI is a public university in the town of Tanjung Malim, Perak in Malaysia. First established in 1922 as a teachers college, it is one of the oldest functioning institutions of higher learning in Malaysia.-History:...
, Universiti Malaysia Perlis
Universiti Malaysia Perlis
Universiti Malaysia Perlis or UniMAP is located at the northernmost part of the Malaysian peninsula, less than 35 km from the Thailand border in the town of Arau, Perlis.UNIVERSITI MALAYSIA PERLIS ...
, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu
Universiti Malaysia Terengganu
The Universiti Malaysia Terengganu or UMT, formerly known as Kolej Universiti Sains dan Teknologi Malaysia or KUSTEM was officially chartered on February 1, 2007.-Names:...
and International Islamic University Malaysia
International Islamic University Malaysia
The International Islamic University Malaysia , also known as IIUM or UIAM, is a public publicly-funded university in Malaysia. Its main campus is located in Gombak, Selangor with its situated in Petaling Jaya / Nilai and its medical-centric branch in Kuantan, Pahang. The university is sponsored...
. There are several universities hosting tri-services PALAPES units e.g. Army, Navy and Airforce, some hosting Army and Navy and most hosting only the Army.
Now, with thirteen (13) universities and IPTAs hosting PALAPES units, around 1,200 up to 3,000 officers or subalterns or commonly known as YO (young officers) are commissioned yearly. The mass commissioning of the new YO yearly had indirectly created some issues to the Armed Forces such as;
a) Imbalance number of position available in the TA units compare to the growing number of YOs
b) Imbalance of strength between NCOs and YOs
c) Many of the YOs are posted to infantry units of 500 series rather than to fill many available subalterns post at combat support elements and services such as Medic Corp, Signal etc.
d) The recruitment of Potential Officers (PO) to post directly as Capt, Major or Lt Col within 1 week training had created a gap between the inexperience and troublesome YOs in term of quality of delivery as platoon commander up until battalion command.
Mobilized Units
The mobilized units before disbanded consists of five 300 series infantry battalions of the Rejimen Askar Wataniah responsible for protecting the northern border of peninsular Malaysia, the security of East-West Highway and Key Points Units tasked in protecting the strategic areas of the country. These units have since been converted into Rejimen Sempadan on 09 Feb 2008.Valour
Although the unit is a reserve force, the unit has produced a soldier awarded the medal of honour. One Private Ielias IbrahimIelias Ibrahim
Ielias Ibrahim is a former Malaysian soldier. He is notable for being the only soldier from Rejimen Askar Wataniah to have been awarded the Panglima Gagah Berani....
was awarded the medal Panglima Gagah Berani
Panglima Gagah Berani
The Panglima Gagah Berani is a medal given by the government of Malaysia. The name translates to "General of Bravery and Valor". It can be conferred posthumously. The award was created on 29 July 1960...
(PGB) for his action in a firefight at Grik, Perak on August 15, 1977.
See also
: Australian Army ReserveAustralian Army Reserve
The Australian Army Reserve is a collective name given to the reserve units of the Australian Army. Since the Federation of Australia in 1901, the reserve military force has been known by many names, including the Citizens Forces, the Citizen Military Forces, the Militia and, unofficially, the...
: British Territorial Army: United States Army Reserve
United States Army Reserve
The United States Army Reserve is the federal reserve force of the United States Army. Together, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard constitute the reserve components of the United States Army....
External links
- Overview of Askar Wataniah, Malaysian Army Official Website
- a history of Askar Wataniah (in Bahasa Melayu)
- A biography of KOLONEL DATO' YEOP MAHIDIN BIN MOHAMED SHAFIFF, the father of Askar Wataniah (in Bahasa Melayu)
- An overview of the 500 series Regiment (in Bahasa Melayu)
- 303 INFANTRY BATTALION Askar Wataniah by DR CHEN WEI SENG
- Pasukan Latihan Pegawai Simpanan (PALAPES) Universiti Malaya
- Malaysian Army Web page - Laman Web Tentera Darat Malaysia
- Portal PALAPES - PASUKAN LATIHAN PEGAWAI SIMPANAN
- 12 Kompeni Ubat (AW)
- The Japanese Occupation of Malaya: A Socio-Economic History, By Paul H Kratoska pg 294
- Rejimen Askar Wataniah Website at Malaysian Multimedia University