the Malays were a martial race in view of the widespread desertions among Malay Volunteer troops leading to most of the remaining Malay Volunteers being disarmed before they entered Johor and were ordered home. A small core of well trained and loyal Malay Volunteer officers and NCOs fought to the end in the defence of Singapore. Reconstruction during the British Military Administration By mid 1946, the idea of a multi-racial Malay Regiment, raised after the war, had been dropped due to opposition from state rules and governments. The all-Malay Malay Regiment would become part of a Federation Army of divisional strength thereby freeing up British regiments for other more strategic duties. The British plan to develop a strategic reserve of three brigades held in Britain would require the raising of more local regimental strength. The Overseas Defence Committee thereafter endorsed a gradual expansion of the Malay Regiment to six battalions by 1950 whereby the Malay Regiment would be used mainly for internal security, with multi-racial formations in the supporting arms. But in fact by 1954 it reached seven battalions at the height of The Emergency. The Malayan Emergency By 1948, the British Army had seven partially reformed Gurkha battalions in Malaya, in addition to two battalions of the Malay Regiment. By mid 1948, only three British battalions remained in Malaya to provide security to the Federation. The Malay Regiment also played a major role against the communist guerrillas of the Malayan National Liberation Army (MNLA) when an eventual seven battalions served during the Emergency, with the 3rd battalion, which was raised in 1948. During the campaigns privates carried a No.4 and No.5 .303 service rifle in sporting guise to hide it for jungle warfare. A sling swivel on the side of the butt was one feature. Another was the flash eliminator on the muzzle designed to mask firing with a bayonet to affix. The regiment gained the 'royal' prefix in 1960 when many of its officers were still trained at RMA Sandhurst. It became the Royal Malay Regiment and by 1961 had a strength of 11 battalions. The Sovereign's Colours were received in 1963, seven years after Malaysia became an independent country. Indonesian confrontation During the confrontation, the Royal Malay Regiment were also deployed in Sabah and Sarawak. During this deployment, the Kalabakan incident occurred on 29 December 1963. An outpost in Kalabakan in Tawau, established and manned by members