Zulkiple (right) hands over the 18th Battalion Royal Malay Regiment flag to Muhammad Fauzi (second left) at the base at Sri Pantai Camp, Kuala Nerus. — Bernama photo
KUALA NERUS: The 18th Battalion Royal Malay Regiment (RAMD) based at Sri Pantai Camp, Kuala Nerus was yesterday officially declared as an Infantry Battalion under 10 Paratrooper Brigade (Para).
Chief of Army, General Tan Sri Zulkiple Kassim made the declaration, witnessed by 10 Paratrooper Brigade commander Brigadier General Datuk Tengku Muhammad Fauzi Tengku Ibrahim and Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Razif Abdul Rahman.
Zulkiple in his speech said the unit established on May 1, 1976, as an Ordinary Infantry Battalion based at Segenting Camp, Port Dickson was restructured as a Standard Infantry Battalion on April 10, 1999 and relocated to Sri Pantai Camp.
“In line with organisational changes in the army the unit was again restructured as a Para Infantry Battalion on Sept, 10 2015,” he said.
He said the restructuring was closely linked to current needs of the army to have the Rapid Deployment Force strengthened.
As an initial step to upgrade the Battalion to a Rapid Deployment Force, four officers and 46 members of the other ranks were selected to become the pioneer group after attending a Basic Parachute Course in PULPAK, Melaka.
“Today the unit has achieved the standard set to be accorded elite status based on its current capabilities,” he said adding that the restructuring was driven by geostrategic developments in the country as well as the region. — Bernama