Special Actions Unit (Malaysia)

Special Actions Unit
Unit Tindakhas
The crest of the Special Actions Unit
Active	1 January 1975–present; 42 years
Country	Malaysia
Branch	Royal Malaysian Police
Type	Special Operations Force, SWAT
Role	Intelligence Gathering, Direct Action, Special Weapons And Tactics, Counter Terrorism, VIP protections, Urban Warfare
Size	Classified
Part of	Pasukan Gerakan Khas National Special Operations Force
Garrison/HQ	Bukit Aman, Kuala Lumpur
Nickname(s)	SWAT Malaysia (English: Malaysian SWAT)
Motto(s)	"Tangkas Banteras Ganas" (English: Quick to Overcome Terror)
Colour of Beret	Maroon
Anniversaries	October 20
Engagements	Pudu Prison siege Operation Astute Arrest of Mas Selamat Kastari UNMIT Lahad Datu standoff
Commanders
Current commander	SAC Datuk Hazani Ghazali
Notable commanders	SAC Dato' Meor Chek Hussien Mahayuddin
Insignia
Royal Malaysian Police Parachute Wing Insignia

The Special Actions Unit (Malay: Unit Tindakhas; UTK, Jawi: اونيت تيندق خاص) commonly known as UTK, is an urban area counter-terrorism, hostage rescue and special operations police unit of the Royal Malaysia Police (RMP). The unit is headquartered in Royal Malaysian Police Headquarter Bukit Aman, Kuala Lumpur and together with 69 Commando (Malay: 69 Komando), they are part of Pasukan Gerakan Khas (English: Police SOCOM).

This unit performs as a high-level national SWAT team and the unit's men also undertake undercover missions. UTK operators are specially trained to intervene in high-risk events like hostage and barricade situations by hostile forces, especially terrorists and/or criminals. UTK is the Malaysian most experience unit in dealing with counter-terrorism in urban areas.

Founded on 1 January 1975, UTK is the brainchild of then Inspector-General of Police Tun Hanif Omar. They were also deployed in the first mission during the Japanese Red Army (Japanese: 日本赤軍; Nihon Sekigun) hostage incident on 5 August 1975 when the terrorists held approximately 50 civilians including members of the US consulate and the Swedish chargé d'affaires as hostages within the AIA building housing several embassies in Kuala Lumpur, two years after the massacre of Israeli hostages in Munich, West Germany by the Palestinian Black September army group in 1973. The terrorists won the release of five imprisoned comrades and flew with them to Libya.