Royal Malay Regiment
The Royal Malay Regiment is the premier unit of the Malaysian Army's three infantry regiments. At its largest, the Malay Regiment comprised 27 battalions. At present, three battalions are parachute trained and form part of the Malaysian Army Rapid Deployment Force. Another three battalions have been converted into mechanised infantry battalions while the remaining battalions are standard light infantry. The 1st Battalion Royal Malay Regiment acts as the ceremonial foot guards battalion for the King of Malaysia, and is usually accompanied by the Central Band of the Royal Malay Regiment. As its name suggests, the regiment only recruits ethnic Malays.
History
Beginning in 1920, local rulers in British Malaya, led by Sultan Iskandar, Tuanku Muhammad and Abdullah Dahan urged Britain's Colonial Office to raise an infantry regiment from the colonial population. During this period, British and Indian troops, including the Burma Rifles, were stationed in Malaya for internal security duties. On 23 November 1932, the War Office approved the formation of the Malay Regiment as a British Colonial Auxiliary Forces unit consisting of British officers and Malayan other ranks. Shortly afterwards on 23 January 1933, the Federated Malay States passed the Malay Regiment Act, which stipulated that $70,000 of government funds would be used to purchase the Kong Sang Rubber Estate in Port Dickson and convert it into a military recruit training centre for the regiment's new recruits.On 1 February 1933, 25 Malayans were chosen from 1,000 applicants to serve in the first company of the regiment. A month later on 1 March, the company was officially formed in Port Dickson under commanding officer G. McBruce and his adjutant, Captain K. G. Exham; the regiment's regimental sergeant major was A. E. McCarthy, and E. Oldfield served as its quartermaster sergeant. Since the company was solely an attempt to "find out how the Malays would react to military discipline", it was designated as the 1st Company. On 1 January 1935, the company was expanded into a regiment with 150 personnel. Recruitment efforts for the unit proceeded to accelerate, and a further 232 recruits were formed into two rifle companies and a headquarters section which included a Vickers machine gun platoon, a signallers section and a corps of drummers.
By 1 January 1938, the regiment had a complement of 17 British officers, six Malayan officers, 11 warrant officers and 759 non-commissioned officers and other ranks. In the leadup to World War II, the regiment's training intensified with more frequent and longer marches and exercises and both regimental and brigade level. The regiment also began training with mortars and anti-tank weapons. In March 1941, Governor Shenton Thomas authorised an increase of the regiment's size to two battalions, which along with the 2nd Battalion of the British Army's Loyal Regiment formed the 1st Malaya Infantry Brigade. Five months later, a Bren Gun Carrier platoon was formed under Captain R. R. C. Carter and began training with the 2nd Loyal Regiment.
Battle of Pasir Panjang Ridge
The first clash between the Malay Regiment and the Imperial Japanese Armed Forces occurred on 13 February 1942 at around 1400 hrs when the Japanese 18th Division attacked the south-western coast along the Pasir Panjang Ridge and across Ayer Rajah Road. That morning, the Japanese 56th Infantry Regiment, with considerable artillery support, attacked. B Company of 1st Battalion, Malay Regiment, defending their position on the ridge came under heavy fire from Japanese troops supported by artillery and tanks and were forced to retreat to the rear. However, before their withdrawal was complete, the Japanese broke through B Company's position encircling the entire company.When their ammunition ran out, B Company fought on savagely in hand-to-hand combat using bayonets. Captain Yazid Ahmad of the Federated Malay States Volunteer Force, on secondment to the Malay Regiment, took over B Company. They were reduced owing to mounting officer casualties: in a heroic and glorious last stand eclipsing the later achievements of 2nd Lieutenant Adnan Saidi. Captain Yazid died where he stood at the head of his men. A few soldiers from B Company managed to break out from the encirclement while other survivors were captured and became prisoners-of-war. The company's destruction triggered an immediate night withdrawal of both the 44th Indian and 1st Malaya Brigade to the general line running from Mount Echo to Buona Vista.
Battle of Bukit Chandu
On 14 February, the Japanese launched a further heavy attack at 0830 hours, supported by intense mortar and artillery fire, on the front held by the 1st Malaya infantry Brigade. The fighting included bitter hand-to-hand combat with heavy losses on both sides. At 1600 hours, an attack supported by tanks eventually succeeded in penetrating the left flank where the defenders were forced back to a line from the junction of the Ayer Rajah and Depot Road through the Brick Works and along the canal to Bukit Chermin. Owing to the failure of units on both its flanks to hold their ground, the 1st Malaya Infantry Brigade withdrew at 1430 hours. At this point, the Malay Regiment's C Company were ordered to move to a new defence position, Pt. 226 at Bukit Chandu. Had the Japanese gained control of the hill and ridge that overlooked the north of the island, it would have given them direct passage to the Alexandra area where the British army had its main ammunition and supply depots, a military hospital and other key installations.Second Lieutenant Adnan Saidi and his men of 7 Platoon, C Company of the 1st Bn Malay Regiment made their well-known final stand against the Japanese attack on Bukit Chandu, now being commemorated as Reflections at Bukit Chandu. Saidi's bravery was exemplified in the battle where he was killed along with many of the Malay Regiment in the last defensive battle at Pasir Panjang. His motto "Biar Putih Tulang Jangan Putih Mata" is still remembered. The translation loosely means, "it is better to die fighting than to live crying in regret till the eyes becomes blind." In other words, "Death Before Dishonour". Separated from D Company by a big canal on fire with oil flowing from Normanton Depot, C Company were prevented from retreating further south. C Company Commander Captain Rix died during the early part of the engagement whereupon command automatically passed to Saidi.
The Japanese troops pressed their attack on Bukit Chandu in the afternoon. As a ruse, they sent a group of soldiers dressed in captured Indian Army uniforms who attempted to pass themselves off as Punjabi troops. However, Saidi saw through the ruse as Indian soldiers marched in threes and Japanese troops marched in fours. When the disguised soldiers reached the Malay Regiment's defence line, C Company's squad opened fire with their Lewis guns, killing some and badly wounding the rest — those who survived rolled and crawled downhill to save themselves. Four of the top marksmen in the previous years military competition held in Singapore were men from C Company.
Two hours later, the Japanese launched an all-out assault in great numbers despite being within point blank range of the Australian artillery. To save ammunition, the artillery did not open fire, a manoeuvre that greatly surprised the Japanese. The shell that had been "saved" by the Australian artillery was handed over to the Japanese army the next day when General Percival surrendered Singapore to General Yamashita. The Malay Regiment were soon overwhelmed by the attack. Although greatly outnumbered and short of ammunition and supplies, they continued to put up resistance. Reports claimed that Saidi manned a Lewis gun others engaged in fierce hand-to-hand combat using only bayonets. Nevertheless, the troops stood their ground and frustrated the Japanese. Saidi was seriously wounded but refused to retreat; instead he encouraged his men to fight to the last, showing a disregard for personal danger that inspired the company to fight on. Saidi was later captured and tortured before being bayoneted to death.
On 28 February 1942, four captive Malay Regiment officers were executed by firing squad in Pasir Panjang for refusing to join the Japanese army when instructed to do so by a Malaysian collaborator, Major Mustapha Hussein of the F Kikan. They were Lieutenant Ariffin Hj Sulaiman, Lieutenant Abdul Wahid Jidin, Lieutenant Abdullah Saad and Lieutenant Ibrahim Sidek. Lieutenant Ahmad Noordin of 'A' Company, 1st Battalion was executed earlier on 15 February 1942 while Lieutenant Muhammad Isa Mahmud of HQ Company, 1st Battalion was executed on 12 February 1943. Most of the surviving captured Malay Regiment officers defected or joined the Imperial Japanese Army.
During the Malayan campaign, primarily between 12-14 February 1942 in Singapore, the Malay Regiment suffered a total of 159 killed and a large but unspecified number wounded. On the whole the British were not convinced that the Malays were a martial race in view of the widespread desertions among Malay Regiment troops leading to most of the remaining Malaysian soldiers being disarmed before they entered Johor and were ordered home. A small core of well trained and loyal Malaysian officers and non-commissioned officers fought to the end in the defence of Singapore.