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PASKAL Overview

History
The PASKAL was founded uno cially in year 1977. It was then known as Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN)
Naval Commando Unit based in Woodland, Singapore; which was formerly known as HMS PELANDOK at
Khatib Camp, Sembawang, Singapore. This unit is under the RMN Security Regiment Organisation
(Malay: Organisasi Rejimen Keselamatan) which now known as the Navy Provos (Malay: Provos Tentera
Laut; Protela).

PASKAL had its origins in a perceived need for a security regiment trained in modern maritime opera-
tions. It main purpose was the protection of Malaysia's naval bases and national assets. (At that time, the
Royal Malaysian Navy; RMN main base was known as KD Malaya (Kapal Diraja Malaya; English: His Majes-
ty's Ship Malaya), formerly known as HMS Malaya before independence, in Woodlands, Singapore, which
was later transferred to the new naval base in Lumut, Perak when it was completed in 1979.

The Security Regiment is largely composed of sailors responsible for the security of strategic sites such
as bases and ammunition depots. When the main naval base at Lumut became available PASKAL head-
quarters was established there in 1981.

Initial training
Following the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) Malaysia was among the rst
nations to claim the right to extend maritime borders beyond the previous 12 (nautical) mile limit. The
new unit is received basic training at the Special Warfare Training Centre, Sungai Udang, Malacca by the
Grup Gerak Khas.

In 1977, the rst batch was split into two groups. The rst group was sent to Indonesian Marine Corps'
Jungle Commando (Indonesian: Komando Hutan; Kohut) Course at Combat Training Centre (Indonesian:
Pusat Latihan Tempur; Puslatpur), Selogiri, Banyuwangi, Indonesia while the second group with strength
of 30 o cers, led by Captain Sutarji Kasmin (now Admiral, retired), was sent to Marine Training Centre
(Indonesian: Pusat Pendidikan Marinir; Pusdikmar), Kota Pahlawan, Surabaya, Indonesia to receive com-
mando and jungle training delivered by Indonesian Navy KOPASKA.[4][5] On their return the cadre were
referred to as Navy Commandos.

To enhance and diversify their skill set they trained in Portsmouth, United Kingdom with Royal Marines
Commandos, Special Boat Service, Special Air Service and to California by US Navy SEALs. A few, includ-
ing RMN senior o cer, Lieutenant Commander Ahmad Ramli Kardi travelled on to Coronado, California
and Norfolk, Virginia to receive Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) Training by the US Navy
SEALs.

Exclusive Economic Zone
In April 1980, Malaysia declared that its EEZ reached up to 200 nautical miles from the coast as provided
by the UNCLOS. This decision a ected development plan as a naval eet is directly responsible for
controlling and protecting its national waters and has made Malaysia a maritime littoral nation of some
598,450 square kilometres (approximately 231,060 square miles) including some four and a half thou-
sand kilometres of coastline and over a thousand islands.

On 1 October 1982, PASKAL was o cially established as the instrument used to enforce the Malaysian
EEZ. In an e ort to strengthen its claim over the Spratly Islands Waters (subject to overlapping claims by
multiple countries) the National Security Council of Malaysia mandated PASKAL as Maritime Coun-
ter-Terrorism operatives in 1991.

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