Federal Reserve Unit

Federal Reserve Unit
FRU 3rd group arms with Czech-made CZ 527 bolt actions rifles without ammo during the anti-riot drill.
Active	5 December 1955 - Present
Country	British Malaya (1955 - 1960) Malaysia (1960 - present)
Branch	Royal Malaysia Police
Type	Riot control
Role	Paramilitary unit and law enforcement
Size	10 detachments
Part of	Directly under control of the Royal Malaysia Police and the Ministry of Home Affairs
Garrison/HQ	Main Police Headquarters, Bukit Aman, Kuala Lumpur
Nickname	FRU
Color of Beret	Red beret
Anniversaries	March 25 (Police Days Anniversaries) August 31 (Hari Merdeka)
Engagements	May 13 Incident Memali Incident Operation Lalang 2007 Bersih rally Bersih 2.0 rally

The Federal Reserve Unit (Malay: Pasukan Simpanan Persekutuan; PSP), or better known by the abbreviation as FRU was established as a riot control forces and a special response team as well as a paramilitary that can be deployed regardless of time to engage on any emergency or public unrest that happens in Malaysia.

Role

A member of the Malaysia's Federal Reserve Unit prepares to disperse protesters during the Bersih Rally 2.0.

The main role of this unit is to disperse illegal assembly, riot suppression and to carry out other functions relating to Public Order. This unit is self-contained and capable, highly mobile and become Public Order Reserve Units. When this unit is not involved in Public Order duties, this unit can be assigned by Commanding Officer to assist the Chief of Police, State police, Criminal Investigation Division and Special Branch in general or special task which include:

• Crime prevention as special patrol in addition to regular patrol unit / Patrol in the area of high crime frequency;
• Disaster relief (flood, fire, landslide, air crash and others ), evacuation and large scale operation;
• Setting roadblock and check points, media censorship, intensive patrol and others.
• Safeguarding the VIP visitors, events, parades, assemblies and others.

Owed to his role more important, this team was augmented to 7 units, with a total membership to 2003 as many as 2,481 people. Per unit, containing 3 troops. Beside that FRU has also a water canon unit, horseback unit and training institution at Sungai Senam, Ipoh, Perak. In line with current needs and law claim, and supply smoothing job performance, a woman special detachment have been spawned and this detachment based in Jalan Semarak, Kuala Lumpur. It has since been moved to its own base located in Cheras.

FRU's performance is known globally. This was evident during United Nations (U.N.) apply to PDRM to house riot guard force under U.N. flags in Timor Leste. This team assigning to control riot and tranquility in public a country whose just come at independence.

History

This team was established before Malaysia achieved independence on 31 August 1957. Starting with three troops, FRU has successfully overcome the problems of public order such as strikes and riots that happened in early years of 1950s. From 1990 onwards, FRU also played an important role in handling organized riot that have sparked from the arrest of Anwar Ibrahim.

Organizations

Each FRU base have wing headquarters composed of three troops, A, B and C. Each troop consists of two baton sections, an armed section (rifles, tear gas and grenades), a guard vehicle sections. Specific vocations within them include drivers, photographers, translators, marksmen, signal operators and diary recorders.

Apart from that this team also perform the duties crime prevention to help remote district police chief effort in reducing crime rates. By that FRU have pointed out success could not be disputed more when entrust to royal pennant parade in the line of honor guard duties.

Delegation

Certain FRU divisions are under the command of the IGP and require prior approval from the IGP to be deployed.

Bases

The riot police units were placed at various places around Kuala Lumpur. A unit was on active duty at the Masjid Negara.

The Federal Reserve Unit bases are located in densely populated areas in the country.

• FRU No. 1 - Kuala Lumpur
• FRU No. 2 - Johor Bahru, Johor
• FRU No. 3 - Pulau Pinang
• FRU No. 4 - Kuala Lumpur
• FRU No. 5 - Ipoh, Perak
• FRU No. 6 - Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu
• FRU No. 7 - Seremban, Negeri Sembilan
• Women's Detachment - Kuala Lumpur
• Mounted Unit - Kuala Lumpur
• FRU Training Centre - Ipoh, Perak

Recent Operations

The police form a human line near the National Palace.

• Event May 13, 1969 - Deployed during the racial riots to control the situation.
• Involved in the arrest of Ibrahim Libya in the Memali Incident in Baling, Kedah.
• October 27, 1987 - Involved in Operation Lalang which resulted in the arrest of 106 people under the Internal Security Act including the opposition leader and DAP Secretary-General Lim Kit Siang, ALIRAN President Chandra Muzaffar, DAP Deputy Chairman Karpal Singh, and others.
• 1997 - Deployed to suppress the resulting street demonstrations after Dato' Sri Anwar Ibrahim was put into jail for alleged corruption and homosexual practices.
• November 10, 2007 - FRU deployed for suppressing the 2007 Bersih Rally was a rally held in Kuala Lumpur. As a result, only 245 people were arrested and released the night later.
• 2007 - Deployed to disperse the Hindu Rights Action Force (HINDRAF) during their peaceful demonstration in the capital of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur.
• 2008 - Joint together with Malaysian Armed Forces and civil agencies to securing the incidents of Bukit Antarabangsa landslide.
• 2011-FRU were deployed to stop a DAP gathering at Stutong market in Kuching during the 10th Sarawak Election. The attempt failed after negotiations with DAP candidates. However, FRU were later spotted at Miri's Indoor stadium controlling the crowd as the election results were announced. Nevertheless, the night ended peacefully.
• July 9, 2011 - FRU deployed in capital Kuala Lumpur to suppress Bersih 2.0 rally.

Websites

• (English) FRU's articles