VAT 69/UTK - Recruitment, Selection and Training

Recruitment, Selection and Training

All members of the Malaysian police forces services with two years of service can join the PGKs. The three months training period includes thirteen weeks of basic training and nine weeks of advanced training. A primary selection period is as long as two days. Depending on the department's policy, officers generally have to serve a minimum tenure within the department before being able to apply for a specialist section such as PGK. This tenure requirement is based on the fact that PGK officers are still law enforcement officers and must have a thorough knowledge of department policies and procedures. To be eligible to join the PGK Special Forces, one must be younger than 30 years old and have a good health record.

Prospective trainees are expected to exceed the minimum requirements of the Physical Screening Test (PST), which requires that trainees must be able to:

1. Run 6 km in 40 minutes or less
2. Swim freestyle for at least 8–10 laps
3. Do at least 9–13 chin-ups
4. Do at least 30 sit-ups
5. Do at least 60 push-ups
6. Do at least 30 squat thrusts

In 69 Commando, it has a three phases included:

First Phase

Trainees will spend most of their time mastering patrol techniques.

Second Phase

In this phase, all trainees will learn skills and lessons such as tracking, communication, field medical and explosive. This also involves making booby traps, explosives and various demolition techniques.

Third Phase

Final movement test where the trainees are tested in all aspects of skills and lessons that they had learned. At the moment, special attention is given to trainees who show leadership potential.

To accomplish its varied mission profiles, the PGK ensures that its members are well trained in the required aspects of special operations. These include:-

Insertion Techniques

1. HALO/HAHO
2. Fast roping techniques
3. Helo casting
4. Abseiling
5. Combat diving

Combat Techniques

1. Close Quarters Combat – CQC
2. Counter-insurgency
3. Unconventional warfare
4. Sabotage
5. Close VIP protection
6. Vehicular assault
7. Unarmed combat
8. Knife combat
9. Marksmanship
10. Booby-trap defusal
11. Underwater demolitions (Basic Underwater Demolition )

Intelligence Gathering

1. Intelligence
2. Counterintelligence
3. Special reconnaissance
4. Long-range Combat Patrol

Task Oriented

1. Combat, Search and Rescue (CSAR)
2. Hostage rescue (HR)
3. Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD)
4. Hazmat Disposal
5. Operations In Built-up Areas – OBUA
6. Foreign language
7. FIBUA
8. Assaults on trains, airfield and aircraft
9. K9 Handling

The PGK regularly trains abroad with other units such as the Australian Special Air Service Regiment, British SAS, FBI Hostage Rescue Team, French GIGN, German GSG 9, Indonesian Brigade Mobil, New Zealand Special Air Service, Singapore Special Tactics and Rescue, US Green Berets and the US Army Special Operations Command Pacific Unit (SOCPAC).

On 10 December 2003, the then Inspector General of Police, Tan Sri Mohd Bakri Bin Haji Omar, launched the training programme between the USSOCPAC and the 69th PGK at the General Operations Force Training Center in Ulu Kinta, Perak. The team of SOCPAC were to conduct joint exercise with the PGK, under codename Advance Vector Balance Mint for a duration of 2 weeks. Only 42 out of the 194 participants completed the inaugural programme.