Gurkha Reserve Unit

The Gurkha Reserve Unit (GRU) (Malay: Unit Simpanan Gurkha / Pasukan Simpanan Gurkha (PSG) ) is a Nepalese special elite guard force in the Sultanate of Brunei. It was formed in 1974 and maintains approximately 2,000 Gurkhas.[1]

Gurkha Reserve Unit
Department overview
Formed25 February 1974
JurisdictionBrunei
HeadquartersSungai Akar Camp, Sungai Akar
Department executives
  • Lieutenant Colonel Pengiran Haji Mohd Sufri bin Pengiran Haji Rosli, Commandant Gurkha Reserve Unit
  • Major Madan Kumar Gurung, Deputy Commandant Gurkha Reserve Unit
Parent departmentBrunei Ministry of Home Affairs

Unit members are all British Army veterans who function primarily as a praetorian guard to protect the sultan, the Royal Family, and major oil installations. They also work as a special forces unit directly under the command of the Sultan, as well as alongside the Special Forces Regiment and Special Combat Squadron of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces.

History
See also: British Indian Army, History of Gorkha regiments, Brigade of Gurkhas history, Royal Gurkha Rifles history, and Gurkhas

In 1947, the Britain–India–Nepal Tripartite Agreement was signed between India, United Kingdom and Nepal.[2] except that this agreement does not apply to Gurkhas employed in the Nepalese Army. Under the agreement, four Gurkha regiments of British Army were transferred to British Army and six joined the Indian army.[3] As of 2020, India has 39 Gorkha battalions serving in seven Gorkha regiments.[3] Those transferred to the British Army were posted to other remaining British colonies. In Malaya and Singapore, their presence was required in the Malayan Emergency, and they were to replace the Sikh unit in Singapore which reverted to the Indian Army on Indian independence. Those units in Malaya (Malaysia and Brunei) and Singapore, after these British colonies gained independence, are still part of Brunei's and Singapore's armed forces respectively.

Present status

It is subordinate to the Security and Defence Section of the Brunei Ministry of Home Affairs.

Units
  • Guard Unit (GD UNIT)
  • Support Unit (SP UNIT)
  • K-9 Unit (K-9 UNIT)

See also

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Library of Congress Country Studies website http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/.

  1. Brunei Darussalam, Encyclopedia of the Nations
  2. https://web.archive.org/web/20051102065812/http://www.singapore21.org.sg/art_talent.html
  3. Gurkha recruitment legacy of past, says Nepal; calls 1947 tripartite agreement 'redundant', Times of India, 31 July 2020.


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