Abbreviation STAR Employees about 25 Operators | Formed April 25, 2005 Primary governing body Government of Malaysia | |
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Legal personality Governmental: Government agency Secondary governing body Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency | ||
The Special Task And Rescue (Malay: Pasukan Tindakan Khas dan Penyelamat Maritim) (abbreviated STAR) is a special unit of the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA). Its tasks include rescue at sea, diving, retrieval, and maritime counter-terrorism special duties.
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On 2 July 2009, the first commando units graduated from Basic Commando Selection alongside the PASKAU (Air Force Special Air Service). They were given American army combat uniforms with pixelated camouflage, blue PASKAU berets and also Malaysian Army zebra woodland camouflage uniforms. To date, as many as two senior officers and 23 members of Malaysian Maritime have been sent to undergo special commando courses under the supervision of PASKAU at Special Warfare Training Centre, a Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) regiment camp at Bukit Jugra, together with 56 RMAF members.
Training
In April 2008, twenty-five trainees successfully completed the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) commando orientation basic course held at Pulau Indah. This included one senior commissioned officer, one non-commissioned officer, and three senior non-commissioned officers. Students attending this course were selected from a STAR team selection test which was held from 19 to 24 December 2007. According to Deputy Director Chief of Malaysian Maritime Operations Vice Admiral Dato' Noor Aziz Bin Yunnan, the team needed an additional 200 members by the end of the year.
The objective of the orientation training was to expose and prepare candidates before sending them to a commando course held jointly with the three branches of Malaysian Armed Forces. During the orientation course implementation, each student had to pass four levels of training: camp, forest, swamp, and sea. During these four levels, each student was exposed to training on physical construction techniques, small arms operation, map reading, compass and protractor reading, unarmed combat, swimming, long-distance running, navigation, survival effort, and marksman training. Training also included first aid, interrogation resistance, and amphibious assault.
On 14 November 2009, 25 members of the STAR team who had completed the basic commando training course took part in joint training exercises with 11 Royal Malaysian Navy PASKAL (Naval Special Warfare Forces) Alpha Team members. They trained in close quarters combat and ship boarding and rescue, on board the KD Panglima Hitam, at the RMN Naval Base in Lumut Perak. These exercises were conducted to test whether STAR members were able to perform their duties and responsibilities.
The training also involved Maritime ship and boat assets such as KM Gagah vessels and two Kilat (English: Lightning) boat classes from the Lumut Maritime District (DM3).
Responsibilities
Weapons
Support Items
Personnel
Each STAR team has 25 active-duty personnel.