KUALA LUMPUR: FROM fighting terrorism to rescuing kidnapped victims, the work carried out by the police’s Special Action Unit (UTK) is not for the faint-hearted.
There is no shortcut to find this “special breed” of adrenaline junkies, now 400-strong, to pass the rigorous and hardcore seven-day selection procedure.
UTK commander Senior Assistant Commissioner Datuk Hazani Ghazali said the extreme training process was necessary to spot the crème de la crème of officers who are up to the task.
“The extreme selection process and training is so that those chosen can immediately be absorbed into the unit’s main task, which is to act against terror threats that involve Malaysian interests, be it domestically or internationally,” he told the New Sunday Times.
The unit is called upon to respond to the most volatile of situations, including covert operations, fighting insurgencies in urban areas, forming strike teams to neutralise threats and providing protection escort services for VIPs.
“Besides such tasks, we assist other police branches to fight crime upon request.
“We are the go-to people when they have exhausted other resources to handle a situation,” Hazani said.
With the crime landscape becoming ever so dynamic, the unit’s men and women are constantly furnished with state-of-the-art techniques so that they are better prepared in any situation.
“We focus on unconventional warfare, and are trained for close combat and fighting in built-up areas. We also learn martial arts to have an edge over the enemy.
“We train with foreign forces twice a year to keep up our standards.
“Once absorbed into the unit, training is continuous.
“Some of my men and women are sent abroad to undergo upskilling courses. We are also issued the finest firearms so that we can be on a par with other countries,” said Hazani, adding that Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar has always been supportive about better equipping personnel.
He said UTK officers do not spend much time at the station as their job required them to be on the go.
“There will always be officers at the station on standby to respond to calls around-the-clock.
“When duty calls, we take our bags that are already packed in the office and head to the location. Some operations require us to be away for months, such as Op Taring, where the team is assisting the Eastern Sabah Security Command.
UTK started with 100 officers in 1975. Its membership has now quadrupled. The number is expected to increase with the unit receiving 500 applications from officers hoping to be part of the elite team.
Deputy Commander (administration) superintendent M.V. Srikumar M. Nair knows all too well what would make or break an officer due to his outstanding track record as the most experienced training officer in UTK history.
Srikumar has trained many officers from 2000 to 2015 and witnessed candidates shed blood, sweat and tears to make the cut.
“The selection process is tough, and even sadistic from a civilian’s point of view.
“We require candidates to crawl in the jungle at night, jump off a 9m-high cliff into a pool, as well as have their hands and legs tied underwater, to push their boundaries.
“This is to weed out candidates who are acrophobic, claustrophobic, or simply unfit to be part of the team. I admire candidates who will dive even when they do not know how to swim, or have fear of heights, but have the willpower to take on any task thrown at them.
“This is the determination we are looking for, creating a character who is difficult to break,” said Srikumar who joined the unit in 1992, making him the longest serving UTK officer.
The week-long selection process also requires candidates to test their mental limits.
“One test, for instance, requires candidates to be shoved into a bus parked in the hot sun, packed with 50 people. There is little to no circulation as all the windows are shut for four hours.
“As the hours pass, candidates experience breathing difficulties, panic attacks, temporary insanity and heatstroke.
“After the fourth hour, those who are stable will go through to the next phase, where their combat skills and endurance will be tested.”
He said candidates would go through three months of basic training in shooting, combat diving, close quarters combat or in a building, hostage rescue and operation planning, among others.
Due to the intimidating and demanding training, only eight to 10 per cent of applicants become UTK officers.
The sudden and overwhelming interest on the part of the public in the profession is triggered by publicity about the upcoming movie J Revolusi, where actor Zul Ariffin plays the role of a UTK assault leader who is framed for murder and whose sister has been kidnapped.
Hazani said UTK was well-represented in the movie in terms of the tasks they are required to do.
“The filmmakers researched our profession and we even went through the script. Quite a number of officers were involved in the movie, from acting to providing training for actors on UTK techniques and tactics so that they don’t look awkward when they fight or use guns.”
J Revolusi, starring Izara Aishah, Fazura, Farid Kamil, Azad Jazmin, Iedil Putra, Peter Davis and Omar Abdullah, will be released on March 2 in cinemas nationwide.