Senoi Praaq
Encyclopedia
The Senoi Praaq is a unit of the Royal Malaysian Police
made up almost entirely of the tribal people of Peninsular Malaysia
known as the Orang Asli
(aborigines) . The name Senoi Praaq means “war people” or “those who fight” in the Semai
language. Jumper considered them “one of the finest jungle fighting force” and was highly successful in diminishing the threat by Communist Terrorist during the Malayan Emergency
.
and the Malayan Emergency
. They are, Power and Politics: The Story of Malaysia's Orang Asli, 1997; Orang Asli Now: The Orang Asli in the Malaysian Political World, 1999; Ruslan of Malaysia: The Man Behind the Domino That Didn't Fall, 2007.
The Senoi Praaq was the brainchild of R.O.D. Noone, a member of the then British Administration in Malaya during the Malayan Emergency
. He pressed for the formation of the Senoi Praaq as a deterrent force to stop the communist influence over the remote Orang Asli
(aboriginal) settlements in the deep jungles. In 1956 General Gerald Templer finally agreed to the formation of the Senoi Praaq as an arm of the Department of Aborigines.
The unit was established in May 1956, and Noone was made the commanding officer, serving from 1957 until 1961. The Malayan Emergency
was officially declared over in 1960.
The Senoi Praaq started as a small unit, with an initial 20 recruits. This soon grew to 40 with recruits from Surrendered Enemy Personnel
. The original 40 troopers were trained by the British units including by the Special Air Service
, in particular by Major John Slim. Training lasted three months and covered firearms training and small units tactics, in particular ambush
tactics
, with the SAS concept of speed and surprise profusely ingrained right from the start.
Charles H. Ley became the first commander of A Squadron, and had under his command some of the men he had originally captured! By 1957, the Senoi Praaq have grown to 2 squadrons of 80 men each.
from Thailand
to Johor
.
The Senoi Praaq would traverse the deep darkness of the rainforests that borders Malaysia, moving quickly and silently through the thick jungle undergrowth, seemingly impenetrable to others. Although many members are of the Senoi
tribe, all 18 sub ethnic groups are represented in the Senoi Praaq.
The Senoi Praaq was formed to counter the influence of the communist insurgents on the Orang Asli
community deep in the jungles of Malaysia, as the communist terrorists operated close to the Orang Asli communities, and the British were concerned of the influence that the communist terrorist would have on the Orang Asli communities. The extraordinary jungle survival and tracking skills of the Orang Asli was legendary and the British
feared that the Communist Terrorist would gain an advantage if these skills were utilized against the British.
Apart from modern firearms, the unit also used sharpened bamboo stakes in traps called the Belantik, an animal trap modified by the Senoi Praaq to trap a more dangerous hunt. A contraption of rope, bamboo
, rattan
and roots, the Belantik was cleverly camouflaged with leaves and grass. It was a sharp stick that would go right through the torso of the victim.
Before the Senoi Praaq was deployed into an area, conventional units would withdraw, allowing the Senoi Praaq complete unrestricted freedom of movement in the operational area. The jungle skills, stealth, endurance, and fighting skills of the Senoi Praaq made them feared adversaries of the communist terrorists in Malaya. The unit notched up a respectable body count and legends born of the time when the Senoi Praaq would count up 10 kills in a single incident. The Senoi Praaq Squadrons achieved a kill ratio of 16:1 (Jumper, pg 61) for killed, wounded or surrendered.
In some instances, the Senoi Praaq troopers were given the choice of weapons. They apparently enjoyed scoring kills using their traditional weapons, the blowpipe
was a favourite. They particularly enjoyed a leisurely hunt that would take a few days, stalking their prey in a leisurely hunt. (Jumper, pg 62)
The Senoi Praaq quickly established a ruthless reputation among the Communist Terrorists, and took great pains to avoid the Senoi Praaq. (Jumper, pg 63). Though they had access to air support and artillery support, these were rarely used. Instead The Senoi Praaq prefers their more intimate kills.
or the Malaysian Army
. With the beginning of the Second Communist Insurgency in 1968, The Senoi Praaq was absorbed as a unit of the Royal Malaysian Police
, to fully exploit their skills and expertise. A second battalion was raised in 1970 by the royal Malaysian Police. http://202.186.86.35/services/printerfriendly.asp?file=/2005/6/4/features/11107584.asp&sec=features
. One of the unit’s main function is border security, but the unit is famed for the tracking skills of its members.
The unit have two battalions, the 3rd Battalion is based in Bidor
.The Commanding Officer (CO) was then (2004-2006)Supt Mohd Yusof Wok and the 18th Battalion based in Pengkalan Hulu
. Both Senoi Praaq battalions are put under the administrative and tactical command of the General Operations Force
Northern Brigade
.
With the end of the insurgency by Communist Party Of Malaya Terrorists, jungle patrols are no longer the primary tasks of the Senoi Praaq. Instead their task has been more akin of the normal General Operations Force
battalions of the Royal Malaysian Police.
But both the units has maintained their jungle tracking and survival skills and occasionally called upon in Search and Rescue
missions for people missing is the jungle. They are occasionally called to assist in locating lost jungle trekkers and mountain climbers.
by the British, which has been won with pride by the unit to this day. During the restructuring of the Police Field Force in 1997, the Senoi Praaq was made part of the Police
General Operations Forces and made to wear the blue beret but this was rescinded and the right to wear the red beret was restored in 2003http://www.utusan.com.my/utusan/archive.asp?y=2003&dt=1009&pub=utusan_malaysia&sec=tentera&pg=te_02.htm&arc=hive
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...
made up almost entirely of the tribal people of Peninsular Malaysia
Peninsular Malaysia
Peninsular Malaysia , also known as West Malaysia , is the part of Malaysia which lies on the Malay Peninsula. Its area is . It shares a land border with Thailand in the north. To the south is the island of Singapore. Across the Strait of Malacca to the west lies the island of Sumatra...
known as the Orang Asli
Orang Asli
Orang Asli , is a generic Malaysian term used for people indigenous to Peninsular Malaysia...
(aborigines) . The name Senoi Praaq means “war people” or “those who fight” in the Semai
Semai
The Semai are a semisedentary people living in the center of the Malay Peninsula in Southeast Asia, known especially for their nonviolence . They speak Semai, a Mon-Khmer language. The Senai belong to the Senoi ethnic group....
language. Jumper considered them “one of the finest jungle fighting force” and was highly successful in diminishing the threat by Communist Terrorist during 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....
.
Roots of the Senoi Praaq
One source for the following is Death Waits in the Dark, by Roy Davis Linville Jumper, Greenwood, 2001. Jumper has also written other books that are directly or indirectly related to the Senoi Praaq, Orang AsliOrang Asli
Orang Asli , is a generic Malaysian term used for people indigenous to Peninsular Malaysia...
and 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....
. They are, Power and Politics: The Story of Malaysia's Orang Asli, 1997; Orang Asli Now: The Orang Asli in the Malaysian Political World, 1999; Ruslan of Malaysia: The Man Behind the Domino That Didn't Fall, 2007.
The Senoi Praaq was the brainchild of R.O.D. Noone, a member of the then British Administration in Malaya during 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....
. He pressed for the formation of the Senoi Praaq as a deterrent force to stop the communist influence over the remote Orang Asli
Orang Asli
Orang Asli , is a generic Malaysian term used for people indigenous to Peninsular Malaysia...
(aboriginal) settlements in the deep jungles. In 1956 General Gerald Templer finally agreed to the formation of the Senoi Praaq as an arm of the Department of Aborigines.
The unit was established in May 1956, and Noone was made the commanding officer, serving from 1957 until 1961. 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....
was officially declared over in 1960.
The Senoi Praaq started as a small unit, with an initial 20 recruits. This soon grew to 40 with recruits from Surrendered Enemy Personnel
Surrendered Enemy Personnel
Surrendered Enemy Personnel is a designation for captive enemy soldiers . It was most commonly used by British forces towards German forces in Europe, and towards Japanese and associated forces in Asia after the end of World War II.On March 1, 1947 the U.S...
. The original 40 troopers were trained by the British units including by the Special Air Service
Special Air Service
Special Air Service or SAS is a corps of the British Army constituted on 31 May 1950. They are part of the United Kingdom Special Forces and have served as a model for the special forces of many other countries all over the world...
, in particular by Major John Slim. Training lasted three months and covered firearms training and small units tactics, in particular ambush
Ambush
An ambush is a long-established military tactic, in which the aggressors take advantage of concealment and the element of surprise to attack an unsuspecting enemy from concealed positions, such as among dense underbrush or behind hilltops...
tactics
Military tactics
Military tactics, the science and art of organizing an army or an air force, are the techniques for using weapons or military units in combination for engaging and defeating an enemy in battle. Changes in philosophy and technology over time have been reflected in changes to military tactics. In...
, with the SAS concept of speed and surprise profusely ingrained right from the start.
Charles H. Ley became the first commander of A Squadron, and had under his command some of the men he had originally captured! By 1957, the Senoi Praaq have grown to 2 squadrons of 80 men each.
Senoi Praaq Operations
The Operational Area of the Senoi Praaq was the “Bamboo Operations Area”, which defines two strips of land along the Main RangeMain Range
Main Range may mean:* Main Range National Park, Queensland, Australia* Main Range , New South Wales, Australia-See also:* Main Ranges, also known as the Park Ranges, a group of mountain ranges in the Canadian Rockies...
from Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
to Johor
Johor
Johor is a Malaysian state, located in the southern portion of Peninsular Malaysia. It is one of the most developed states in Malaysia. The state capital city and royal city of Johor is Johor Bahru, formerly known as Tanjung Puteri...
.
The Senoi Praaq would traverse the deep darkness of the rainforests that borders Malaysia, moving quickly and silently through the thick jungle undergrowth, seemingly impenetrable to others. Although many members are of the Senoi
Senoi
The Senoi are a set of Malaysian hunting and gathering Orang Asli peoples.-Demography:The Senoi tribes live in the central part of the Malaya peninsula, and consist of five different groups, the Semai, Temiar, Mah Meri, Jah Hut, Sema Berisi and the Che Wong, all of who speak Senoic languages and...
tribe, all 18 sub ethnic groups are represented in the Senoi Praaq.
The Senoi Praaq was formed to counter the influence of the communist insurgents on the Orang Asli
Orang Asli
Orang Asli , is a generic Malaysian term used for people indigenous to Peninsular Malaysia...
community deep in the jungles of Malaysia, as the communist terrorists operated close to the Orang Asli communities, and the British were concerned of the influence that the communist terrorist would have on the Orang Asli communities. The extraordinary jungle survival and tracking skills of the Orang Asli was legendary and the 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...
feared that the Communist Terrorist would gain an advantage if these skills were utilized against the British.
Apart from modern firearms, the unit also used sharpened bamboo stakes in traps called the Belantik, an animal trap modified by the Senoi Praaq to trap a more dangerous hunt. A contraption of rope, bamboo
Bamboo
Bamboo is a group of perennial evergreens in the true grass family Poaceae, subfamily Bambusoideae, tribe Bambuseae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family....
, rattan
Rattan
Rattan is the name for the roughly 600 species of palms in the tribe Calameae, native to tropical regions of Africa, Asia and Australasia.- Structure :...
and roots, the Belantik was cleverly camouflaged with leaves and grass. It was a sharp stick that would go right through the torso of the victim.
Before the Senoi Praaq was deployed into an area, conventional units would withdraw, allowing the Senoi Praaq complete unrestricted freedom of movement in the operational area. The jungle skills, stealth, endurance, and fighting skills of the Senoi Praaq made them feared adversaries of the communist terrorists in Malaya. The unit notched up a respectable body count and legends born of the time when the Senoi Praaq would count up 10 kills in a single incident. The Senoi Praaq Squadrons achieved a kill ratio of 16:1 (Jumper, pg 61) for killed, wounded or surrendered.
In some instances, the Senoi Praaq troopers were given the choice of weapons. They apparently enjoyed scoring kills using their traditional weapons, the blowpipe
Blowpipe
Blowpipe can refer to:*The Blowpipe missile*Blowgun, a weapon*Blowpipe *Blowpipe , several Transformers characters....
was a favourite. They particularly enjoyed a leisurely hunt that would take a few days, stalking their prey in a leisurely hunt. (Jumper, pg 62)
The Senoi Praaq quickly established a ruthless reputation among the Communist Terrorists, and took great pains to avoid the Senoi Praaq. (Jumper, pg 63). Though they had access to air support and artillery support, these were rarely used. Instead The Senoi Praaq prefers their more intimate kills.
Absorbed Into Royal Malaysian Police
The Senoi Praaq operated as a unit of the Jabatan Orang Asli (Department of Aboriginal Affairs) and not as a unit of the Royal Malaysian PoliceRoyal 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...
or 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...
. With the beginning of the Second Communist Insurgency in 1968, The Senoi Praaq was absorbed as a unit of the 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...
, to fully exploit their skills and expertise. A second battalion was raised in 1970 by the royal Malaysian Police. http://202.186.86.35/services/printerfriendly.asp?file=/2005/6/4/features/11107584.asp&sec=features
Present Organisation Senoi Praaq
Today, the Senoi Praaq is part of the General Operations Forces (formerly the Police Field Force) of the Royal Malaysian PoliceRoyal 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...
. One of the unit’s main function is border security, but the unit is famed for the tracking skills of its members.
The unit have two battalions, the 3rd Battalion is based in Bidor
Bidor
Bidor is a small town in the district of Batang Padang, Perak, Malaysia. Chinese name is 美罗.-Geography:Bidor is located between Ipoh and Kuala Lumpur via the North-South Expressway...
.The Commanding Officer (CO) was then (2004-2006)Supt Mohd Yusof Wok and the 18th Battalion based in Pengkalan Hulu
Pengkalan Hulu
Pengkalan Hulu, formerly known as Kroh or Keroh, is a town within Hulu Perak district, in northern Perak, Malaysia bordering Thailand and also the state of Kedah...
. Both Senoi Praaq battalions are put under the administrative and tactical command of the General Operations Force
General Operations Force
The General Operations Force is the paramilitary arm of the Royal Malaysia Police. The General Operations Force was established in 1948 during the Malayan Emergency by the British Administration when Malaya was a Colony. The Police service was mobilised to the field role, primarily to engage...
Northern Brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
.
With the end of the insurgency by Communist Party Of Malaya Terrorists, jungle patrols are no longer the primary tasks of the Senoi Praaq. Instead their task has been more akin of the normal General Operations Force
General Operations Force
The General Operations Force is the paramilitary arm of the Royal Malaysia Police. The General Operations Force was established in 1948 during the Malayan Emergency by the British Administration when Malaya was a Colony. The Police service was mobilised to the field role, primarily to engage...
battalions of the Royal Malaysian Police.
But both the units has maintained their jungle tracking and survival skills and occasionally called upon in Search and Rescue
Search and rescue
Search and rescue 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, mostly based upon terrain considerations...
missions for people missing is the jungle. They are occasionally called to assist in locating lost jungle trekkers and mountain climbers.
Traditions
The unit was bestowed the Red beretRed beret
The red beret is a military beret worn by many military police, paramilitary, commando and police forces around the world. The maroon beret has become a symbol of airborne forces, though this is often known as a "red beret", particularly when referring to the British Parachute...
by the British, which has been won with pride by the unit to this day. During the restructuring of the Police Field Force in 1997, the Senoi Praaq was made part of the 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...
General Operations Forces and made to wear the blue beret but this was rescinded and the right to wear the red beret was restored in 2003http://www.utusan.com.my/utusan/archive.asp?y=2003&dt=1009&pub=utusan_malaysia&sec=tentera&pg=te_02.htm&arc=hive