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    • Source: MALBATT

      • The Malaysia Battalion (Abbr.: MALBATT; Malay: Batalion Malaysia) refers to the Malaysian military battalion including personnel from the Royal Malaysia Police (RMP) serving overseas as part of a United Nations (UN) peacekeeping force.


      History




      = Early foundation

      =
      The peacekeeping contingent traced its history as the successor of the former Malayan Special Forces (MSF) of the Federation of Malaya, which had been involved in the United Nations Operation in the Congo (UNOC) from 1960 until 1963. From 1988 until 1991, the Malaysian contingent sent its military observers to the United Nations Iran–Iraq Military Observer Group (UNIIMOG). One of the first major deployment for the MALBATT contingent after the federation formation was during the United Nations Transition Assistance Group (UNTAG) in Namibia from 1989 until 1990 to observe the withdrawal of South African Defence Force (SADF) and disbandment of the South West African Territorial Force (SWATF) in the South African Border War.


      = 1990s

      =
      Through the Cambodian conflicts in the 1990s, MALBATT was first deployed with only two personnel for the United Nations Advance Mission in Cambodia (UNAMIC); to oversee a ceasefire in the country before further additional MALBATT troops, consisting of 2,119 personnel for the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC), were deployed to maintain law and order and rebuild essential Cambodian infrastructure during the transitional period. In 1991, MALBATT was dispatched as part of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) to observe the implementation of ceasefire between the Polisario Front and Moroccan troops. From 1992 until 1993, MALBATT military personnel were deployed to the United Nations Iraq–Kuwait Observation Mission (UNIKOM). Along the same year in 1991 until 1995, MALBATT troops were dispatched to the United Nations Angola Verification Mission II (UNAVEM II) to enforce a ceasefire in the Angolan Civil War. From 1993, four MALBATT officers were sent for the United Nations Military Liaison Team (UNMLT), which was established for a single period of six months to maintain close liaison with the government of Cambodia and report to the UN Secretary-General on matters affecting security in the country and assist the government in dealing with residual military matters related to the Paris Peace Agreements.
      Further MALBATT troops consisting of 3,206 personnel including from the Royal Malaysia Police (RMP) were deployed as part of the United Nations Operation in Somalia II (UNOSOM II) from 1993. This contingent served to monitor ceasefire in the country, providing protection for UN personnel and to escort and protecting the deliveries of humanitarian supplies. Troops from MALBATT were also involved in Operation Gothic Serpent, during which they engaged the forces of the Somali National Alliance (SNA) in the battle of Mogadishu to rescue surviving American Rangers trapped in the hostile territory after their helicopters were shot down; despite incurring casualties throughout the mission, the MALBATT team succeeded in rescuing survivors. Between 20–24 military officers and 35 police officers of the MALBATT team were attached to the UN Observer Mission of the United Nations Operation in Mozambique (ONUMOZ) from 1993 until 1994 to monitor ceasefire, decommissioning of weapons, withdrawal of foreign troops, and disbanding of private and irregular armed groups, among other things, as a result of the Mozambican Civil War. From 1993 until 1997, MALBATT also contributing troops for the United Nations Observer Mission in Liberia (UNOMIL), the United Nations Observer Mission in Sierra Leone (UNOMSIL) from 1998, and the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) from 1999 to 2005.
      Along the same year in 1993, Malaysia's participation in the peacekeeping operation in the former Yugoslavia through the United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR) during the Yugoslav Wars involving the deployment of three MALBATT battalions consisting 4,369 troops both from the military and police; along with additional two contingents of Malaysia Contingent (MALCON) through Implementation Force (IFOR) and Stabilisation Force (SFOR) placed under the directive of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) following a mandate to protect Bosnia and Herzegovina after the Dayton Agreement signed in 1995. Both Malaysia and its neighbour of Indonesia (Garuda Contingent) were the only two countries from Southeast Asia that contributing both of their military and police personnel to the UN forces for the mission. Through this, MALBATT were part of the United Nations Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina (UNMIBH) until 1998. From May–June 1994, MALBATT observers drawn from the mission of MINURSO were deployed to the United Nations Aouzou Strip Observer Group (UNASOG); led by Colonel B. Mazlan where they meet with the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya authorities to supervise the withdrawal process of Libyan forces from the Aozou Strip as a result of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) decision on the Libya–Chad Territorial Dispute case.
      MALBATT is among the personnel contributor to the United Nations Angola Verification Mission III (UNAVEM III) from February 1995 until June 1997, contributing 19 military observers and 20 civilian police. Further troops were contributed to the United Nations Observer Mission in Angola (MONUA). From April 1998 until April 1999, MALBATT Brigadier-General Tengku Ariffin Mohammed became the Chief Military Observer for the United Nations Mission of Observers in Tajikistan (UNMOT). The 1999 East Timorese crisis saw the further participation of Malaysian peacekeepers in both the International Force East Timor (INTERFET) and the United Nations Mission in East Timor (UNAMET); with the objective to aiding the mission carry out its tasks and facilitate the implementation of humanitarian aid operations. Subsequently, its military members were assigned as interpreters for the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET).


      = 2000s

      =
      From 2000 until 2008, Malaysian peacekeepers were dispatched to the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE). Between 2002 until 2005, MALBATT military personnel and police personnel were deployed to the United Nations Mission of Support to East Timor (UNMISET); to which the mission led by Lieutenant-General Khairuddin Mat Yusof from 2003 to 2005. From September 2003, MALBATT troops deployed for the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) to support the implementation of the ceasefire and the subsequent peace process of Second Liberian Civil War, including the disarmament, demobilisation, reintegration and repatriation (DDRR) of combatants. From 2004, Malaysian peacekeepers began hosting peace talks between the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Philippine government in the Moro conflict which was followed by the formation of International Monitoring Team (IMT) led by Malaysia. Malaysian peacekeepers were also part of the contributing nations for the Aceh Monitoring Mission (AMM) led by the European Union (EU) to oversee the peace process in Aceh between the Indonesian government and Free Aceh Movement (GAM).

      From June 2004 until December 2006, MALBATT military personnel deployed to the United Nations Operation in Burundi (ONUB). In the aftermath of the 2006 East Timorese crisis, MALBATT forces were deployed as part of United Nations Integrated Mission in East Timor (UNMIT) through the Operation Astute led by Australia. The contingent involved in providing assistance in human resource development activities through various training programs in East Timor efforts to rebuild their country. Since 2007, the Malaysian government has authorised the participation of Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) through MALBATT to join other countries peacekeeping forces to enforce Resolution 1701 of the United Nations Security Council as part of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). By 2008, neighbouring Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF) also form a part of MALBATT forces in Lebanon. Until May 2024, a total of five Malaysian peacekeepers have died during the mission. MALBATT military and police personnel have also been deployed to the United Nations–African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) from 2007 until 2020. In 2009, fourteen officers from the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF), which is part of the MALBATT contingent took part as arms monitor for the United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN).


      = 2010s, 2020s–present

      =
      Further Malaysia's participation in the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan in 2010 were placed under the directive of NATO; which is similar as the MALCON in Bosnia and Herzegovina through the previous IFOR and SFOR mission under NATO. From 2019, MALBATT troops were deployed to the UN Mission to Support the Hodeidah Agreement (UNMHA). Further in 2023, two MAF officers were deployed for the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA).


      Deployments




      Units involved


      Malaysian Armed Forces

      Malaysian Army
      Royal Malaysian Navy
      Royal Malaysian Air Force
      Royal Malaysia Police


      In the media


      MALBATT became the subject matter in 1994 documentary film, Misi Keamanan (Peacekeeping Mission), produced by Filem Negara Malaysia and 2023 military war film, MALBATT: Misi Bakara, directed by Adrian Teh.


      See also


      Malaysia and the United Nations


      References




      = Bibliography

      =
      Stewart, R.W.; Center of Military History (2002). The United States Army in Somalia, 1992-1994. CMH pub. U.S. Army Center of Military History.
      Jeshurun, C. (2007). Malaysia: Fifty Years of Diplomacy, 1957-2007. Other Press. ISBN 978-983-9541-58-8.
      Millet, D.; Editions Didier Millet (2009). Malaysia at Random. At Random Series. Editions Didier Millet. ISBN 978-981-4217-95-8.
      Marcinkowski, C.; Chevallier-Govers, C.; Harun, R. (2011). Malaysia and the European Union: Perspectives for the Twenty-first Century. Freiburg Studies in Social Anthropology / Freiburger Sozialanthropologische Studien Series. Lit. ISBN 978-3-643-80085-5.
      Games, A.A.A.A.; Bujeiro, R. (2012). Day of the Rangers: Somalia 1993. Force on Force. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84908-768-1.
      Aziz, A.R.A. (2014). ISU-ISU KETAHANAN NASIONAL MALAYSIA [MALAYSIA'S NATIONAL DEFENCE ISSUES] (in Malay). Institut Terjemahan & Buku Malaysia. ISBN 978-967-430-700-4.
      Salleh, A.; Idris, A. (2021). Malaysia's United Nations Peacekeeping Operations (1960–2010). Springer Nature Singapore. ISBN 978-981-334-137-1.


      = Further reading

      =
      Kertas Putih Pertahanan [Defence White Paper] (PDF) (in Malay). Ministry of Defence, Malaysia. 2020. p. 75 [82/104]. ISBN 978-967-16437-5-4.

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