Exercise Land Malphi Serial 19/2018 is a bilateral exercise involving troops from the Malaysian Army and Philippines Army. It serves as a platform to further enhance the existing cooperation, goodwill and friendship between both armies.
The 14-day exercise, coordinated by Headquarters 2nd Malaysian Infantry Brigade, was from August 5 to 18 and held in Perak for the first time ever. The opening ceremony was officiated at the parade grounds of Gua Permai Camp, Ipoh on Monday, August 6.
“The objectives of this joint-exercise are to develop professional engagement and interoperability; to develop the planning and the conduct of offensive operation in built-up area setting in Malaysia; and to enhance knowledge related to information operation in a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive environment (CBRNE),” Major-General Dato’ Mohd Ramli bin Jaafar, General Officer Commanding 2nd Malaysian Infantry Division said during the launch.
The command-and-control exercise was conducted in three phases namely, cross training, battalion-staff-orientation training and command post exercise using the Battle Tech IV System. Unlike previous years where counterinsurgency warfare took precedence, urban warfare training was the emphasis this year to tap on the experiences of the recent Battle of Marawi and the Sauk incident. The exercise scenario was on fighting in built-up area (FIBUA) in urban and residential areas north of Sungai Siput, Perak.
A total of 80 officers and personnel from 23rd Battalion Royal Malay Regiment and 40 Philippines counterparts (35 Officers and 5 Other Ranks) took part in the field exercise.
“Exercise Land Malphi is an engagement with a very long history. We’ve undergone 19 exercises thus far which we host alternately. We share experience in terms of tactics, techniques and procedures. We wish to thank the Philippines Army for their cooperation. Their commander will talk on the Battle of Marawi when he comes for the closing ceremony,” Mohd Ramli added during the press conference.
“I was here in 1999 when the first Malphi joint-exercise was held in Kota Kinabalu. I’m happy to be back after 19 years. Before I was just a participant now I’m heading the delegation. One can see the strong bonding of Malaysia and Philippines,” recalled Major General Robert Musni Arevalo, Vice Commander of Philippines Army.
“Our dealings and training activities have also evolved. We started out with tactics, techniques and procedures in simple patrolling. Then, as we are situated in the same region sharing the same threat and climate change, we engaged more on humanitarian assistance and disaster-response training. With a new security threat in the region namely, terrorism by Islamic State operatives and coupled with our involvement in Marawi, we come to realise that this is a pressing worldwide threat. It’s timely that, aside from the usual exchange of best practices, this time we shared our first-hand experience in Marawi,” Arevalo told reporters.
