JUNGLE WARFARE EXPERTISE SOUGHT
Foreign troops turn to Malaysian military for know-how
SOLDIERS from around the world, including the United States, come to Malaysia to train for jungle warfare simply because Malaysian troops are among the best in the world at this.
Lieutenant-Colonel Mohd Jailani Ismail should know. He is the chief planner for the latest edition of Exercise Keris Strike, a joint exercise between the Malaysian army and the US Army Pacific Command (USARPAC).
“For our troops, entering the jungle is like going camping, but foreign troops are not used to it. They are thinking about attacks from wild or poisonous animals. They are even afraid of leeches.”
Jailani said Malaysian armed forces, especially the army, was so well known for their experience and expertise in jungle warfare, especially when it came to rainforests, that many defence forces from around the world sought to train or exchange views with the nation’s security forces.
“Everyone knows that US troops are experts in conventional warfare and operations in various environments, including deserts. But they lack expertise and experience in operating in dense jungles. For Malaysian troops, that is our bread and butter.
“The forests in US are different. They aren’t dense, allowing for fields of vision of about 100m, whereas here, the maximum is 20m. At night, it is almost nil because of the thick canopy above our heads.
“Apart from that, their forests do not have as many wild and poisonous animals as tropical jungles,” he said at the closing ceremony for the exercise at the parade ground of the 15th Battalion, Royal Malay Regiment, in Senawang recently.
Jailani said apart from sharing tactical lessons on jungle warfare with USARPAC, Malaysian soldiers provided tips on how to avoid or defend against wild and poisonous animals.
“We teach them things that you won’t find in books or field manuals. Things like how to spray insect repellent on their fatigues so that not only insects but also leeches do not attack them, and how to use sulphur and salt to protect themselves from insects.
“They can even use the gunpowder from their bullets to ward off certain insects and poisonous animals.”
Third Division commander Major-General Datuk Hasagaya Abdullah said Malaysia’s expertise in jungle warfare and counter-insurgency was always a point of reference for other nations.
He said besides Asean and the US, other countries, such as the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand and Australia held exercises with Malaysian armed forces.
“The US has called upon us to train their troops in survival tactics and combat tracking. Many countries learn from us in several series of joint exercises and training sessions.”