The Special Forces Selection is the recruitment, selection, and training process for candidates of the Special forces units in Malaysia. This selection process is not limited only to the special forces of the Malaysian Armed Forces but also includes the Royal Malaysian Police, the Malaysian Coast Guard, and the Johor Military Forces, which is a private army of the state of Johor. Currently, there are four training centres, also known as commando schools, and one non-commando school in Malaysia that conduct special forces selection.

In contrast to the United Kingdom Special Forces Selection, which originally had separate selections before being merged in the late 1990s, the Malaysian Armed Forces Special Forces Selection started as one before the Royal Malaysian Navy and Royal Malaysian Air Force initiated their own special forces selection processes in the mid-1980s.

The Malaysian Army, which has the largest special forces among other service branches, conducts the selection process three times a year.

The Malaysian Special Forces Selection typically involves two courses before candidates graduate from the selection and are awarded the beret according to their units and a combat knife. Depending on their commando school, graduates may also be awarded a special forces lanyard and insignia.

History

Origin: Special Operations Executive

Years prior to the independence of Malaya from the United Kingdom in 1957 and the formation of Malaysia in 1963, during World War II, the region now known as Malaysia witnessed the introduction of modern special forces. Force 136, the Far East branch of the Special Operations Executive (SOE), established a forward operating base in Kuala Kangsar, Perak. Citizens from various regions, including British Malaya, the Raj of Sarawak, North Borneo, and Southern Siam, such as Chin Phui Kong, Ibrahim Ismail, and Tunku Osman, underwent special forces training at the British Commando School under SOE.

The principles and expertise acquired during that training period continue to influence and shape the development of special forces in Malaysia today.

Pre-independence

Following the conclusion of World War II, Malaya and Borneo found themselves embroiled in a new conflict against communism. The Malayan Emergency, which commenced in 1948, posed a challenge for the Malayan British Military Administration (BMA) due to the guerrilla tactics employed by the enemy, who had received training from Force 136 during World War II. The existing military and police forces in Malaya, being versed in conventional warfare, struggled to make headway against the communist armed forces.

To address this issue, the BMA formed a unit known as the Ferret Force, comprising former Force 136 agents and local volunteers from the military and police forces. Colonel John Davis led this unit. As the situation continued to deteriorate, General Sir John Harding, the commander-in-chief of the Far East Land Forces, enlisted the expertise of Major Mike "Mad Mike" Calvert. Major Calvert, a former Chindits and Force 136 agent with experience in Burma, was tasked with assessing the situation in Malaya.

In 1950, Major Calvert established a special forces unit called the Malayan Scouts. Subsequently, Ferret Force was reorganised and became A Squadron, Malayan Scouts. The Malayan Scouts underwent another transformation in 1958 when they were renamed the 22 Special Air Service.

Malaysian Special Service Unit

The Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation began in 1963 when Indonesia, then under a pro-communist government, attacked Malaysia. At that time, Malaysia, having recently formed, had a small military force and relied on military assistance from the Commonwealth Nations. In early 1965, Abdul Razak Hussein, the Minister of Defence at the time, instructed the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) to establish an experimental special forces unit by recruiting members from various branches within the MAF. General Tunku Osman, the Chief of Defence Forces at that time and a former Force 136 agent, desired that the task force be trained as commandos, similar to his own experiences during World War II. Seeking assistance, the Malaysian Armed Forces approached 40 Commando, based in Singapore at the time, to conduct the selection process and provide training for the task force. Initially named the Malaysian Special Service Unit, it later became known as Gerak Khas in Malay.

Police's special operations task force

The Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation officially ended in 1966, but Malaysia faced a second communist armed conflict that began in 1968. On 13 May 1969, racial riots erupted in major cities in Malaysia, resulting in several casualties. In response to the incident's racial tensions, the Special Branch, the police intelligence unit, collaborated with the Malaysian Special Service Unit to apprehend leaders of gangsters and triads who played a role behind the scenes.

Recognising the need for special forces within the Royal Malaysian Police (RMP), the RMP established a special forces task force in 1969, with the first selection process taking place in October of that year. The task force went by various names, such as Task Force, Charlie Force, and Special Project Team. Over time, the task force evolved into a permanent police unit and officially adopted the name Pasukan Polis Hutan 69, translated as Police Field Force 69, or Jungle Squad 69 in English. It was placed under the Police Field Force, now known as the General Operations Force. Presently, the squad is known as 69 Commando, or VAT 69 for short.

Malaysian SWAT In response to the growing presence of communism, the emergence of gangster groups, and triads in major cities, especially Kuala Lumpur, during the 1970s, the RMP establishing a police tactical unit on 1 January 1975. This unit, named the Special Actions Unit, underwent specialised training to carry out counterterrorism operations, covert missions, and to serve as an assault team for the RMP in urban areas. To enhance their capabilities, counterterrorism instructors from the 22 Special Air Service were brought to Malaysia to train the Special Actions Unit in counterterrorism tactics, building raids, and sniper operations. On 20 October 1997, the RMP amalgamated the VAT 69 Commando and the Special Actions Unit, establishing a unified special operations command. Consequently, these two units are recognised as the true special forces within the RMP.

Special Warfare Training Centre

Due to the ongoing armed conflict with communists, which showed no signs of near resolution, and with the aim of saving costs associated with sending military personnel overseas for special operations training, the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) established the Special Warfare Training Centre (SWTC) on 1 August 1976, at Sungai Udang Camp in Malacca. The training centre was placed under the management of the Malaysian Army. During this period, the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) and the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) still lacked their own special forces. Officers, sailors, or airmen from these branches could volunteer for Gerak Khas selection to become a special forces soldier, commonly referred to today as an 'operator'. Even after the RMN and RMAF established their own special forces in 1977 and 1980, the SWTC remained the sole commando school conducting special forces selection for the entire MAF.

Commando schools

The term Commando School is used for training centres that offer selection courses, officially known as Basic Commando Courses (), for Special Forces in Malaysia. The term 'Commando' in Malaysia is used to signify the ability of a unit or individual trained in small unit tactics, guerrilla warfare, and jungle warfare mastery. Although in the present day, the term 'Commando' is highly associated with special forces units in Malaysia, the status of 'commando' was not exclusive to special forces in the past.

For example, during the Malayan Emergency, the British conferred the status of 'Commando' upon the Senoi Praqq, a manhunt and tracker unit that functioned as an auxiliary team for the Special Air Service, and the Sarawak Rangers, a manhunt and tracker unit embedded with the Royal Marines Commando. Likewise, in 1972, amid the Communist insurgency in Malaysia (1968–1989), the Malaysian government granted the 'Commando' status to the Tiger Platoon of the 9 RAMD, a long-range reconnaissance patrol.

The four commando schools are:

Special Warfare Training Centre The Special Warfare Training Centre (SWTC), located at Sungai Udang Camp in Malacca, is the oldest special operations training centre in Malaysia. Established on 1 August 1976, as the Malaysian Armed Forces Special Warfare Training Centre (Malay: Pusat Latihan Peperangan Khas Angkatan Tentera Malaysia), this school operates under the administration of the Malaysian Army Training and Doctrine Command. One of the objectives of the establishment of SWTC is to conduct Basic Commando Courses, taking over from the 1st Malaysian Special Service Regiment, so they can focus on functioning as a combat unit.

In the past, the Basic Commando Course at the SWTC served as the primary special forces selection for all branches of the Malaysian Armed Forces. However, in 1985, the Royal Malaysian Navy initiated its own Special Forces Selection at Lumut Naval Base, leading to SWTC undergoing a transformation and changing its name to the Malaysian Army Special Warfare Training Centre.

RMAF Combat Training School Established on 1 March 2018, the RMAF Combat Training School, or Sekolah Latihan Tempur TUDM in Malay, is located at RMAF Bukit Ibam Air Base in Pahang. Operating under the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF), the school has offered the Basic Commando Course since its inception. Before the school's establishment, the RMAF conducted its own Basic Commando Course since the late 1993 at various locations, including the Air Force Academy, RMAF Jugra Air Base in Selangor, and RMAF Kuantan Air Base in Pahang.

KD Panglima Garang Established on 1 October 2021, KD Panglima Garang is a Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) shore establishment located inside RMN Lumut Naval Base in Perak. Also known as the Naval Special Forces Training Centre, it boasts various facilities, including a mock oil platform for Naval Special Forces (PASKAL) training. Despite the recent establishment of the RMN's special operations training centre, RMN has conducted its own Basic Commando Course since 1985 at RMN Lumut Naval Base, sharing training facilities with other RMN units.

69 Commando Training Centre The 69 Commando Training Centre (Malay: Pusat Latihan 69 Komando) is the dedicated special operations training facility of the Royal Malaysia Police (RMP). Officially opened in May 2024, the centre is managed by the Special Warfare Training Branch of 69 Commando (). It oversees all selection, basic commando course and advanced training stages, serving not only the RMP's tactical units but also personnel from the Malaysian Armed Forces and other government agencies.

The majority of the centre's infrastructure is located within Camp Sultan Nazrin Shah, the 69 Commando headquarters in Ulu Kinta, Perak. Additionally, the unit maintains a specialised jungle warfare facility known as the 69 Commando Outdoor Training Camp () situated in Terong, Perak.

The establishment of this centre represents a significant transition from the unit's previous reliance on shared facilities. Since 1978, 69 Commando had conducted its basic commando course within the General Operations Force (GOF) Northern Brigade garrison in Ulu Kinta. The transition to a dedicated headquarters and training centre allows for greater autonomy and the expansion of specialised training programmes.

Other special forces training centre