The Royal Malay Regiment ( ms, Rejimen Askar Melayu DiRaja; Jawi: ) is the premier unit of the

Malaysian Army The Malaysian Army ( ms, Tentera Darat Malaysia; Jawi: تنترا دارت مليسيا) 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 th ...

's two

infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and mar ...

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscript ...

s. At its largest, the Malay Regiment comprised 27 battalions. At present, three battalions are parachute trained and form part of the Malaysian Army Rapid Deployment Force. Another battalion has been converted into a

mechanised infantry Mechanized infantry are infantry units equipped with armored personnel carriers (APCs) or infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) for transport and combat (see also mechanized force). As defined by the United States Army, mechanized infantry is di ...

battalion while the remaining battalions are standard light infantry. The 1st Battalion Royal Malay Regiment acts as the ceremonial foot guards battalion for the

Yang di-Pertuan Agong The Yang di-Pertuan Agong (, Jawi: ), also known as the Supreme Head of the Federation, the Paramount Ruler or simply as the Agong, and unofficially as the King of Malaysia, is the constitutional monarch and head of state of Malaysia. The o ...

, and is usually accompanied by the

Central Band of the Royal Malay Regiment The Central Band of the Royal Malay Regiment ( ms, Pancaragam Pusat Rejimen Melayu Diraja, PPRAMD) is the official central band of the Malaysian Army's Royal Malay Regiment that is dedicated to providing ceremonial honours and music to the Yang d ...

. As its name suggests, the regiment only recruits ethnic Malays.

History

Beginning in 1920, Malay rulers led by Sultan Alang Iskandar Shah (

Sultan of Perak The Sultan of Perak (سلطان ڤيراق) is one of the oldest hereditary seats among the Malay states. When the Sultanate of Malacca empire fell to Portugal in 1511, Sultan Mahmud Syah I retreated to Kampar, Sumatra, and died there in ...

), Tuanku Muhamad Ibni Yam Tuan Antah (

Negeri Sembilan Negeri Sembilan (, Negeri Sembilan Malay: ''Nogoghi Sombilan'', ''Nismilan'') is a state in Malaysia which lies on the western coast of Peninsular Malaysia. It borders Selangor on the north, Pahang in the east, and Malacca and Johor to the s ...

Raja Chulan Raja Chulan ibni Almarhum Sultan Abdullah Muhammad Shah II Habibullah KBE (1 July 1869 – 10 April 1933) was a member of the Perak royal family. He was born on 1 July 1869 at Tanjung, Brambong. He was the son of Sultan Abdullah Muhammad Sha ...

(Perak Royal Family), and

Dato Abdullah Haji Dahan Dato may refer to: * ''Dato'', a variant of Datuk, a traditional Malay honorific title * ''Dato'' (newspaper), a Danish newspaper * Eduardo Dato e Iradier, Spanish politician * Dato Khujadze, also known as Dato, Georgian pop singer * Dato, Greec ...

(Undang Luak Rembau) urged the British colonial office to raise an army regiment from the local population. At the time various

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

and

Indian Army The Indian Army is the Land warfare, land-based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Commander-in-Chief, Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head is the Chief of Arm ...

battalions (including the

Burma Rifles The Burma Rifles were a British colonial regiment raised in Burma. Founded in 1917 as a regiment of the British Indian Army, the regiment re-used the name of an unrelated earlier unit, the 10th Regiment (1st Burma Rifles) Madras Infantry, which evol ...

) provided security for the Malay States. On 23 November 1932 the

War Office The War Office was a department of the British Government responsible for the administration of the British Army between 1857 and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the new Ministry of Defence (MoD). This article contains text from ...

approved the formation of the Malay Regiment as a locally raised regiment of the British Army. Then on 23 January 1933, the

Federal Consultative Council Federal or foederal (archaic) may refer to: Politics General *Federal monarchy, a federation of monarchies *Federation, or ''Federal state'' (federal system), a type of government characterized by both a central (federal) government and states or ...

passed the Malay Regiment Act as Act No. 11. Funding of $70,000 was also approved for the purchase of the Kong Sang Rubber Estate in

Port Dickson Port Dickson (Negeri Sembilan Malay: ''Podeksen'', Jawi: ) is a beach resort in Port Dickson District, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. It is the second largest urban area in Negeri Sembilan after Seremban, its state capital. The town's admin ...

for use as the Recruit Training Centre. The regiment traces its origin back to 1933 and the 1st Experimental Company, a

company A company, abbreviated as co., is a legal entity representing an association of people, whether natural, legal or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members share a common purpose and unite to achieve specific, declared ...

of native Malays established as the beginning of a native military force in Malaya. On 1 February 1933, 25 young Malay locals were chosen from 1,000 applicants as suitable recruits for the new regiment. Formed on 1 March 1933 in the Haig Lines, Port Dickson,

, this Experimental Company began with the 25 recruits under Commanding Officer G. McBruce and

Adjutant Adjutant is a military appointment given to an officer who assists the commanding officer with unit administration, mostly the management of human resources in an army unit. The term is used in French-speaking armed forces as a non-commission ...

Captain K. G. Exham. The Regimental Sergeant Major was A. E. McCarthy, and E. Oldfield served as Quartermaster Sergeant. At this stage, because the 'Company' was only an attempt to "find out how the Malays would react to military discipline". it was designated "Experimental". On 1 January 1935, the Experimental Company became the Malay Regiment with a complement of 150 men. Recruitment then accelerated, and a further 232 recruits were formed into two rifle companies, as well as a headquarters wing that included a Vickers machine-gun platoon, a Signalling Section, and a Corps of Drums. As of 1 January 1938, the 1st Battalion Malay Regiment had a complement of 17 British officers, six Malay officers, 11 Warrant Officers, and 759 non-commissioned officers and other ranks. Training intensified as the shadow of war loomed larger with frequent long route marches and exercises at battalion and brigade levels. The regiment also began training with mortars and anti-tank weapons. In August 1941, a

Bren gun carrier The Universal Carrier, also known as the Bren Gun Carrier and sometimes simply the Bren Carrier from the light machine gun armament, is a common name describing a family of light armoured tracked vehicles built by Vickers-Armstrongs and other ...

platoon was formed under Captain

R. R. C. Carter R. or r. may refer to: * ''Reign'', the period of time during which an Emperor, king, queen, etc., is ruler. * '' Rex'', abbreviated as R., the Latin word meaning King * ''Regina'', abbreviated as R., the Latin word meaning Queen * or , abbrevia ...

and trained with the British 2nd Loyals Regiment. In March 1941, the Colonial Governor of the

Straits Settlements The Straits Settlements were a group of British territories located in Southeast Asia. Headquartered in Singapore for more than a century, it was originally established in 1826 as part of the territories controlled by the British East India Com ...

, authorised the increase of the regiment's strength to two battalions with the creation of The 2nd Battalion in 1941. The two battalions of the Malay Regiment, along with the 2nd Battalion

The Loyal Regiment (North Lancashire) The Loyal Regiment (North Lancashire) (until 1921 known as the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army that was in existence from 1881 to 1970. In 1970, the regiment was amalgamated with the Lancashire Reg ...

, formed the 1st Malaya Infantry Brigade and went on to play a major role in the defence of Malaya during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

. Company A of 2nd Battalion was the first Malay Regiment unit to engage Japanese forces landing at Kampung Salak in Pengkalan Chepa,

Kelantan Kelantan (; Jawi: ; Kelantanese Malay: ''Klate'') is a state in Malaysia. The capital is Kota Bharu and royal seat is Kubang Kerian. The honorific name of the state is ''Darul Naim'' (Jawi: ; "The Blissful Abode"). Kelantan is located in t ...

. Outnumbered, the unit eventually withdrew to

Kuala Krai Kuala Krai (alternative spelling: Kuala Kerai, Jawi: كوالا كراي) is a town located in the coterminous Kuala Krai District in southern-central Kelantan, Malaysia. During British protection it was known as ''Kuala Lebir''. It is 67 ...

, and later to Singapore.

Battle of Pasir Panjang Ridge

The first clash between the Malay Regiment and Japanese soldiers occurred on 13 February 1942 at around 1400 hrs when the Japanese 18th Division attacked the south-western coast along the

Pasir Panjang Pasir Panjang is an area located at the southern part of Queenstown in Singapore. Kent Ridge Park is a topographical feature which runs adjacent to Pasir Panjang. History Pasir Panjang Road, which once hugged the coastline, was laid down a ...

Ridge and across Ayer Rajah Road. That morning, the Japanese 56th Infantry Regiment, with considerable artillery support, attacked. B Company of 1st Battalion, Malay Regiment, defending their position on the ridge came under heavy fire from Japanese troops supported by artillery and tanks and were forced to retreat to the rear. However, before their withdrawal was complete, the Japanese broke through B Company's position encircling the entire company. When their ammunition ran out, B Company fought on savagely in hand-to-hand combat using bayonets. Captain

Yazid Ahmad Yazīd ( ar, يزيد, links=no, "increasing", "adding more") is an Arabic name and may refer to: Given name * Yazid I (647–683), second Umayyad Caliph upon succeeding his father Muawiyah * Yazid II (687–724), Umayyad caliph * Yazid III (701� ...

of the Federated Malay States Volunteer Force, on secondment to the Malay Regiment, took over B Company. They were reduced owing to mounting officer casualties: in a heroic and glorious last stand eclipsing the later achievements of 2nd Lieutenant

Adnan Saidi Adnan bin Saidi ( Jawi: ; 1915 – 14 February 1942) was a Malayan military officer of the 1st Infantry Brigade who fought the Japanese at the Battle of Pasir Panjang in Singapore during World War II. He is lauded as a national hero in Sin ...

. Captain Yazid died where he stood at the head of his men. A few soldiers from B Company managed to break out from the encirclement while other survivors were captured and became prisoners-of-war. The company's destruction triggered an immediate night withdrawal of both the 44th Indian and 1st Malaya Brigade to the general line running from Mount Echo (at the junction of Ayer Rajah and Depot Road) to Buona Vista.

Battle of Bukit Chandu

On 14 February, the Japanese launched a further heavy attack at 0830 hours, supported by intense mortar and artillery fire, on the front held by the 1st Malaya infantry Brigade. The fighting included bitter hand-to-hand combat with heavy losses on both sides. At 1600 hours, an attack supported by tanks eventually succeeded in penetrating the left flank where the defenders were forced back to a line from the junction of the Ayer Rajah and Depot Road through the Brick Works and along the canal to Bukit Chermin. Owing to the failure of units on both its flanks to hold their ground, the 1st Malaya Infantry Brigade withdrew at 1430 hours. At this point, the Malay Regiment's C Company were ordered to move to a new defence position, Pt. 226 at Bukit Chandu. Had the Japanese gained control of the hill and ridge that overlooked the north of the island, it would have given them direct passage to the Alexandra area where the British army had its main ammunition and supply depots, a military hospital and other key installations. Second Lieutenant Adnan Saidi and his men of 7 Platoon, C Company of the 1st Bn Malay Regiment made their well-known final stand against the Japanese attack on Bukit Chandu, now being commemorated as

Reflections at Bukit Chandu Reflections at Bukit Chandu is a World War II interpretive centre developed and managed by the National Archives of Singapore, located on Bukit Chandu (Malay for "Opium Hill") off Pasir Panjang Road in Singapore. The centre was officially opene ...

. Adnan Saidi's bravery was exemplified in the battle where he was killed along with many of the Malay Regiment in the last defensive battle at Pasir Panjang. His motto "Biar Putih Tulang Jangan Putih Mata" is still remembered. The translation loosely means, "it is better to die fighting than to live crying in regret till the eyes becomes blind." In other words, "Death Before Dishonour". Separated from D Company by a big canal on fire with oil flowing from Normanton Depot, C Company were prevented from retreating further south. C Company Commander Captain Rix died during the early part of the engagement whereupon command automatically passed to Second Lieutenant Adnan Saidi. The Japanese troops pressed their attack on Bukit Chandu in the afternoon. Using deception, they sent a group of soldiers dressed in Punjabi uniforms to pass themselves off as

Punjabi Punjabi, or Panjabi, most often refers to: * Something of, from, or related to Punjab, a region in India and Pakistan * Punjabi language * Punjabi people * Punjabi dialects and languages Punjabi may also refer to: * Punjabi (horse), a British Th ...

soldiers from the British army. However Second Lieutenant Saidi saw through the ruse as British soldiers march in threes and Japanese soldiers march in fours. When the disguised soldiers reached the Malay Regiment's defence line, C Company's squad opened fire with their Lewis machine guns, killing some and badly wounding the rest — those who survived rolled and crawled downhill to save themselves. Four of the top marksmen in the previous years military competition held in Singapore were men from C Company. Two hours later, the Japanese launched an all-out assault in great numbers despite being within point blank range of the Australian artillery. To save ammunition, the artillery did not open fire, a manoeuvre that greatly surprised the Japanese. The shell that had been "saved" by the Australian artillery was handed over to the Japanese army the next day when General Percival surrendered Singapore to General Yamashita. The Malay Regiment were soon overwhelmed by the attack. Although greatly outnumbered and short of ammunition and supplies, they continued to put up resistance. Reports claimed that Lieutenant Saidi manned a Lewis machine gun others engaged in fierce hand-to-hand combat using only bayonets. Nevertheless, the troops stood their ground and frustrated the enemy. Lt. Saidi was seriously wounded but refused to retreat; instead he encouraged his men to fight to the last, showing a disregard for personal danger that inspired the company to fight on. Adnan was later captured and tortured before being bayoneted to death. On 28 February 1942, four Malay Regiment officers taken prisoner were executed in

by firing squad for refusing to join the Imperial Japanese Army when instructed to do so by Malay traitor Major Mustapha Hussein of the ''

Fujiwara Kikan was a military intelligence operation established by the IGHQ in September 1941. The Unit was transferred to Bangkok at the end of that month and headed by Major Fujiwara Iwaichi, chief of intelligence of the 15th army. Its task was to contact t ...

'' Japanese intelligence organisation. They were Lieutenant (No.8) Ariffin Hj Sulaiman, Lieutenant (No.29) Abdul Wahid Jidin, Lieutenant (No.57) Abdullah Saad and Lieutenant (No.12) Ibrahim Sidek. Lieutenant Ahmad Noordin of 'A' Company, 1st Battalion was executed earlier on 15 February 1942 while Lieutenant Muhammad Isa Mahmud of HQ Company, 1st Battalion was executed on 12 February 1943. Most of the surviving captured Malay Regiment officers defected or joined the Imperial Japanese Army. During the entire

Malayan Campaign The Malayan campaign, referred to by Japanese sources as the , was a military campaign fought by Allied and Axis forces in Malaya, from 8 December 1941 – 15 February 1942 during the Second World War. It was dominated by land battles betwe ...

, but largely between 12 and 14 February 1942 in Singapore, the Malay Regiment suffered a total of 159 killed (six British officers, seven Malay officers, and 146 other ranks) and a large but unspecified number wounded. On the whole the British were not convinced that the Malays were a martial race in view of the widespread desertions among Malay Volunteer troops leading to most of the remaining Malay Volunteers being disarmed before they entered Johor and were ordered home. A small core of well trained and loyal Malay Volunteer officers and NCOs fought to the end in the defence of Singapore.

Reconstruction during the British Military Administration

By mid 1946, the idea of a multi-racial Malay Regiment, raised after the war, had been dropped due to opposition from state rules and governments. The all-Malay Malay Regiment would become part of a Federation Army of divisional strength thereby freeing up British regiments for other more strategic duties. The British plan to develop a strategic reserve of three brigades held in Britain would require the raising of more local regimental strength. The Overseas Defence Committee thereafter endorsed a gradual expansion of the Malay Regiment to six battalions by 1950 whereby the Malay Regiment would be used mainly for internal security, with multi-racial formations in the supporting arms. But in fact by 1954 it reached seven battalions at the height of The Emergency.

The Malayan Emergency

By 1948, the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurkha ...

had seven partially reformed

Gurkha The Gurkhas or Gorkhas (), with endonym Gorkhali ), are soldiers native to the Indian subcontinent, Indian Subcontinent, chiefly residing within Nepal and some parts of Northeast India. The Gurkha units are composed of Nepalis and Indian Go ...

battalions in Malaya, in addition to two battalions of the Malay Regiment. By mid 1948, only three British battalions remained in Malaya to provide security to the Federation. The Malay Regiment also played a major role against the communist guerrillas of the Malayan National Liberation Army (MNLA) when an eventual seven battalions served during the Emergency, with the 3rd battalion, which was raised in 1948. During the campaigns privates carried a No.4 and No.5

.303 .303 may refer to: * .303 British, a rifle cartridge * .303 Savage, a rifle cartridge * Lee–Enfield The Lee–Enfield or Enfield is a bolt-action, magazine-fed repeating rifle that served as the main firearm of the military forces of the B ...

service rifle in sporting guise to hide it for jungle warfare. A sling swivel on the side of the butt was one feature. Another was the flash eliminator on the muzzle designed to mask firing with a bayonet to affix. The regiment gained the 'royal' prefix in 1960 when many of its officers were still trained at

RMA Sandhurst The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS or RMA Sandhurst), commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is one of several military academy, military academies of the United Kingdom and is the British Army's initial Commissioned officer, officer train ...

. It became the Royal Malay Regiment and by 1961 had a strength of 11 battalions. The Sovereign's

Colours Color (American English) or colour (British English) is the visual perceptual property deriving from the spectrum of light interacting with the photoreceptor cells of the eyes. Color categories and physical specifications of color are associa ...

were received in 1963, seven years after Malaysia became an independent country.

Indonesian confrontation

During the confrontation, the Royal Malay Regiment were also deployed in Sabah and Sarawak. During this deployment, the Kalabakan incident occurred on 29 December 1963. An outpost in Kalabakan in

Tawau Tawau (, Jawi: , ), formerly known as Tawao, is the capital of the Tawau District in Sabah, Malaysia. It is the third-largest city in Sabah, after Kota Kinabalu and Sandakan. It is located on the Semporna Peninsula in the southeast coast of t ...

, established and manned by members of C Company of the 3rd Battalion under the command of Maj Zainal Abidin bin Haji Yaacob was ambushed by "volunteers" of the North Kalimantan Army while performing their Maghrib prayers. The company reacted and stood to, and were finally able to repel the attacking force. However, seven members of the company, including Major Zainal Abidin were killed and 16 others wounded.

Second Emergency

Lahad Datu Standoff

Serving the United Nations

Malayan Special Forces in Congo

The 4th Bn Royal Malay Regiment under the command of Lt Kol Ungku Nazaruddin formed the core of the Malayan Special Force that served under UN command in the Congo in 1960. In turn, the 6th Bn Royal Malay, 7th Bn Royal Malay and 2nd Bn Royal Malay also served in the Congo under UN command. 2nd Bn Royal Malay ended the Congo deployment on 28 April 1963 when they returned home.

Somalia

As part of the United Nations

UNOSOM II United Nations Operation in Somalia II (UNOSOM II) was the second phase of the United Nations intervention in Somalia and took place from March 1993 until March 1995, following the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991. UNOSOM II carried on ...

operation in Somalia, the 19th Bn Royal Malay Regiment (Mechanised) started deployment of its 870 members in Mogadishu from 18 June 1993. The battalion was involved in the combat rescue of

US Army Rangers United States Army Rangers, according to the US Army's definition, are personnel, past or present, in any unit that has the official designation "Ranger". The term is commonly used to include graduates of the US Army Ranger School, even if t ...

during the Battle of Mogadishu together with

Pakistan Army The Pakistan Army (, ) is the land service branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The roots of its modern existence trace back to the British Indian Army that ceased to exist following the Partition of British India, which occurred as a result ...

's 10th Battalion of the

Baloch Regiment The Baloch Regiment is an infantry regiment of the Pakistan Army. The modern regiment was formed in May 1956 by the merger of 8th Punjab and Bahawalpur Regiments with the Baluch Regiment. Since then, further raisings have brought the strength of ...

, where the battalion provided the Radpanzer Condor

armoured personnel carrier An armoured personnel carrier (APC) is a broad type of armoured military vehicle designed to transport personnel and equipment in combat zones. Since World War I, APCs have become a very common piece of military equipment around the world. Acc ...

s for the QRF force of the

10th Mountain Division The 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) is a light infantry division in the United States Army based at Fort Drum, New York. Formerly designated as a mountain warfare unit, the division was the only one of its size in the US military to rec ...

that effected the rescue. One member of the battalion, a driver of one of the APCs, Private Mat Aznan (posthumously promoted to Corporal) was killed and four APCs destroyed during the rescue.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

23rd Bn Royal Malay and 3rd Armour formed MALBATT I as part of the United Nations Protection Force and started deployment in September 1993. 23 Bn Royal Malay served until August 1994 and were replaced by MALBATT II comprising 5 Bn Royal Malay and 2nd Armour. MALBATT III (28 March 1995 – November 1995) was formed from 12 Bn Royal Malay and 1st Armour. Malcon 1 (2 Royal Ranger Regiment & 4th Armour), Malcon 2 (18 RMR & 2nd Armour), Malcon 4 (2 RMR & 1 Armour)

Regimental Crest

The Regiment's crest depicts a pair of tigers supporting an Oriental Crown. Within the circle of the crest are a

kris The kris, or ''keris'' in the Indonesian language, is an asymmetrical dagger with distinctive blade-patterning achieved through alternating laminations of iron and nickelous iron (''pamor''). Of Javanese origin, the kris is famous for its dist ...

and a scabbard with the Regimental motto "Ta'at Setia" written in Jawi, meaning "Loyal and True". Major G. McI. S. Bruce and Captain K. G. Exham, the founding officers of this Regiment, designed the crest. Three colours were chosen – green (the Muslim colour), yellow (for Malay royalty) and red (for the British Army influence).

Royal Guards

* Istana Negara, Kuala Lumpur

Battle honours

: *

Tanah Melayu The Malay Peninsula ( Malay: ''Semenanjung Tanah Melayu'') is a peninsula in Mainland Southeast Asia. The landmass runs approximately north–south, and at its terminus, it is the southernmost point of the Asian continental mainland. The area ...

1941–42 * Singapura 1942 * Darurat 1948–1960 * Konfrontasi 1963–1965 – Confrontation with Indonesia * Battle of Mogadishu, Somalia 1993–1995 *

Bosnia Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and Pars pro toto#Geography, often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of Southern Europe, south and southeast Euro ...

1993–1998 *

Namibia Namibia (, ), officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country in Southern Africa. Its western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Zambia and Angola to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and ea ...

1989–1990 *

Cambodia Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailand ...

1992–1993 * Congo 1960–1963 *

East Timor East Timor (), also known as Timor-Leste (), officially the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, is an island country in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the exclave of Oecusse on the island's north-w ...

- Operation Astute 2006 *

Lahad Datu Lahad Datu ( ms, Bandar Lahad Datu) is the capital of the Lahad Datu District in the Dent Peninsula on Tawau Division of Sabah, Malaysia. Its population was estimated to be around 27,887 in 2010. The town is surrounded by stretches of cocoa an ...

2013

UN Peacekeeping missions

Democratic Republic of the Congo The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République démocratique du Congo (RDC), colloquially "La RDC" ), informally Congo-Kinshasa, DR Congo, the DRC, the DROC, or the Congo, and formerly and also colloquially Zaire, is a country in ...

1960–1963 – UN Peacekeeping *

1989–1990 – UN Peacekeeping *

1992–1993 – UN Peacekeeping mission ( UNTAC) *

Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and ...

1993–1998 – UN Peacekeeping

Alliances

* – The Royal Australian Regiment * –

The Royal Anglian Regiment The Royal Anglian Regiment (R ANGLIAN) is an infantry regiment of the British Army. It consists of two Regular battalions and one Reserve battalion. The modern regiment was formed in 1964, making it the oldest of the Line Regiments now operating i ...

; 1st Bn * – The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment (King's Lancashire and Border); 2nd Bn * – The Royal Welsh; 4th Bn * – The Royal Scots Borderers; 5th Bn * –

The Rifles The Rifles is an infantry regiment of the British Army. Formed in 2007, it consists of four Regular battalions and three Reserve battalions, plus a number of companies in other Army Reserve battalions. Each battalion of The Rifles was formerl ...

; 6th Bn * –

The Royal Gurkha Rifles The Royal Gurkha Rifles (RGR) is a rifle regiment of the British Army, forming part of the Brigade of Gurkhas. Unlike other regiments in the British Army, RGR soldiers are recruited from Nepal, which is neither a dependent territory of the Unite ...

* – The Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment; 7th Bn

Battalions

The RAMD has a total of 27 battalions. 21 of these are standard light infantry battalions, with two roled as

and three as parachute infantry. The final battalion is a support unit.

1st Battalion Royal Malay Regiment

The 1st Bn Royal Malay is the most senior infantry battalion of the Regiment. This was also the battalion group to which Lieutenant

Adnan Bin Saidi Adnan bin Saidi ( Jawi: ; 1915 – 14 February 1942) was a Malayan military officer of the 1st Infantry Brigade who fought the Japanese at the Battle of Pasir Panjang in Singapore during World War II. He is lauded as a national hero in Singa ...

was posted. In 2008, the 1st Battalion became the first all-Muslim unit to provide the

Queen's Guard The King's Guard and King's Life Guard (called the Queen's Guard and the Queen's Life Guard when the reigning monarch is female) are the contingents of infantry and cavalry soldiers charged with guarding the official royal residences in the U ...

Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace () is a London royal residence and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and royal hospitality. It ...

as well as the first guard from a nation that was not a

Commonwealth realm A Commonwealth realm is a sovereign state in the Commonwealth of Nations whose monarch and head of state is shared among the other realms. Each realm functions as an independent state, equal with the other realms and nations of the Commonwealt ...

. Its primary role is as the foot guards unit stationed at the Istana Negara in Kuala Lumpur, the national capital city, as well as in the premises of the Ministry of Defence Building. Primarily the battalion's responsibilities are to perform

public duties Public duties are performed by military personnel, and usually have a ceremonial or historic significance rather than an overtly operational role. Armenia Since September 2018, the Honour Guard Battalion of the Ministry of Defense of Armenia has ...

within the capital in support of ceremonial events.

5th Battalion Royal Malay Regiment

5 Bn Royal Malay regiment was an Allied regiment of the

King's Own Scottish Borderers The King's Own Scottish Borderers (KOSBs) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Scottish Division. On 28 March 2006 the regiment was amalgamated with the Royal Scots, the Royal Highland Fusiliers (Princess Margaret's O ...

Regiment (KOSB) of the

. The Alliance was formed during 1st Bn KOSB's service in Malaya during the

Malayan Emergency The Malayan Emergency, also known as the Anti–British National Liberation War was a guerrilla war fought in British Malaya between communist pro-independence fighters of the Malayan National Liberation Army (MNLA) and the military forces ...

. Several traditions of KOSB are retained by the 5 Bn. The shoulder flash of officers and men of 5 Bn follows the regimental colours of KOSB. 5 Bn also maintains the tradition of having a bagpipe platoon. The tradition started when an officer of KOSB was seconded to 5 Bn Royal Malay in 1953. 5 Bn have just then formed a pipe

platoon A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two or more squads, sections, or patrols. Platoon organization varies depending on the country and the branch, but a platoon can be composed of 50 people, although specific platoons may rang ...

. The Scottish officer introduced the

bagpipe Bagpipes are a woodwind instrument using enclosed reeds fed from a constant reservoir of air in the form of a bag. The Great Highland bagpipes are well known, but people have played bagpipes for centuries throughout large parts of Europe, ...

and helped train the pipers, and the

was formed. To this day, the bagpipe platoons of both battalions maintained their alliance. The bagpipe platoon has, in the past, been invited to attend the

Edinburgh Festival __NOTOC__ This is a list of arts and cultural festivals regularly taking place in Edinburgh, Scotland. The city has become known for its festivals since the establishment in 1947 of the Edinburgh International Festival and the Edinburgh F ...

. The last time 5 Bn attended the festival was in January 1990, celebrating the KOSB's 300th anniversary.http://army.mod.gov.my/buletin_td/news_item.asp?NewsID=225

6th Battalion Royal Malay Regiment

The 6th battalion, Royal Malay Regiment was formed on 1 May 1952 and later deployed to Quetta Camp in Kluang, Johor on 3 November 1952. Though formed on 1 May, the official date for the formation of the battalion is recorded as 3 November 1952. On its formation, the 6th Battalion had British officers from the 1st Battalion of the Dorset and Devonshire Regiment seconded to form the command core of the battalion. The seconded officers were gradually replaced by Malay officers and in early 1954, 21 of the 26 officers of the battalion consisted of Malay officers replacing their British counterparts. Jeneral (Rtd) Tun Ibrahim Ismail was the first Malay Commanding Officer of the battalion, taking command from 11 August 1958 until 14 June 1960. He later went on to become the first Malay Chief of the Malaysian Armed Forces (now called Chief of Defence Forces) The battalion is a Standard Infantry Battalion of the Malaysian Army. The battalion has participated in the Kris Mere exercises with the

New Zealand Army , image = New Zealand Army Logo.png , image_size = 175px , caption = , start_date = , country = , branch = ...

the battalion was also deployed to The Congo as part of the Malayan Special Force serving under the United Nations Command.

7th Battalion Royal Malay Regiment

7 Bn Royal Malay Regiment is a mechanized unit of the RMR. It is currently allied with the

Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment The Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment is the parent administrative regiment and corps of regular and reserve infantry battalions in the New Zealand Army. It was originally formed in 1947 with a singular Regular regiment and multiple reserve r ...

of the

New Zealand Defence Force The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF; mi, Te Ope Kātua o Aotearoa, "Line of Defence of New Zealand") are the armed forces of New Zealand. The NZDF is responsible for the protection of the national security of New Zealand and her realm, prom ...

. It is currently based at Kukusan Camp in

Sabah Sabah () is a state of Malaysia located in northern Borneo, in the region of East Malaysia. Sabah borders the Malaysian state of Sarawak to the southwest and the North Kalimantan province of Indonesia to the south. The Federal Territory ...

17th Battalion Royal Malay Regiment

The 17th Battalion, Royal Malay Regiment (17 RAMD) was formed on 1 August 1970. It is an elite force of paratroopers assigned to the Malaysian Army's 10th Parachute Brigade. On 10 October 1994, 17th PARA undertook a rapid deployment exercise, supported by elements of the Malaysian Special Forces Group (Gerup Gerak Khas) and PASKAL, as well as operational support from the Royal Malaysian Navy and Royal Malaysian Air Force. The exercise centred around a scenario of the retaking of Langkawi International Airport from an invading force by the Rapid Deployment Force spearheaded by the paratroopers.

27th Battalion Royal Malay Regiment

Newly activated standard infantry battalion, 27th Royal Malay Regiment (27 RAMD) will be placed under the formation of the 5th Infantry Brigade, 5th Malaysian Infantry Division based at the West Coast of Sabah, Malaysia.

Notable people

Lieutenant Adnan Bin Saidi

led the reinforced 42-strong No.7 Platoon of 'C' Company, 1st Battalion of the Malay Regiment at the Bukit Chandu (Opium Hill) position on 12–14 February 1942. Although heavily outnumbered, Adnan refused to surrender and urged his men to fight until the end. They held off the Japanese for two days amid heavy enemy shelling and shortages of food and ammunition. Adnan was shot but carried on fighting. After the battle was lost, the wounded Adnan was taken prisoner by Japanese soldiers, who tied him to a cherry tree and bayoneted him to death. According to some, he was also slashed and his body parts were burnt. Adnan epitomises the bravery and tenacity of the Malay Regiment. Because of this, he is considered a hero by many Malaysians and Singaporeans today.

Captain Hamid Bin Awang

Based on intelligence gathered indicating that a force of 40 to 50 communist guerrillas of the would converge on Gunung Pueh, "D" Company of 2nd Royal Malay Regiment led by Captain Hamid was tasked in a search and destroy mission. On April 7, 1973, Captain Hamid and his company detected a communist guerrilla encampment. He organised his company for an assault on the camp. Captain Hamid fired a round of

M79 grenade launcher The M79 grenade launcher is a single-shot, shoulder-fired, break-action grenade launcher that fires a 40×46mm grenade, which uses what the US Army calls the High-Low Propulsion System to keep recoil forces low, and first appeared during the V ...

to mark the start of the attack and rushed into the communist guerrillas camp. In the heat of battle, a communist guerrilla tried to shoot down one of Captain Hamid's men. Captain Hamid immediately rushed to the guerrilla and hit him in the back of the neck with his grenade launcher's butt. Captain Hamid's company scored three kills and captured three enemy weapons, as well as ammunition and assorted equipment. Captain Hamid's company suffered one KIA. Captain Hamid was awarded the SP on 6 June 1973.

References

https://www.airtimes.my/2020/09/12/tentera-darat-malaysia-tubuh-briged-infantri-perkukuh-pertahanan-sabah/