Paskal (film)

In 2018, Somali pirates hijack supertanker Laurel 11 at the Gulf of Aden one night. The Royal Malaysian Navy picks up the distress call and KA Bunga Mas Lima, bound for home after a long operation at sea, comes to aid. The pirates' refusal to negotiate prompted Commander Maznan to deploy the Navy's elite special operations unit, PASKAL, commanded by Lieutenant Commander Arman Rahmat. Two boats and a Super Lynx helicopter^[a] were deployed to capture the pirates.

The team returns to Lumut with Arman contemplating his retirement due to his mother's apparent distaste with his dangerous job and a traumatic past. Nine years earlier, when he was a sub-lieutenant, Arman was close friends with Joshua "Girang" Tee and Mohd. "Jeb" Zarif during training. His motivation to join PASKAL was to honour his father's sacrifice. The three of them were among the best in the unit and were selected to undergo advanced training course with US Navy SEALs. However, during a peacekeeping operation in Angola in 2011 to rescue Chinese Military Observer Chen Han, Joshua sacrifices himself to protect a woman from an enemy grenade. Wounded, Jeb was dishonourably discharged after brutally executing with a sidearm the surrendering rebel who killed Joshua. Joshua was given a military funeral and Arman informs Lily, Joshua's widow about the incident.

Arman takes care of Lily and Joshua's only son Joey. Despite handling his request to retire, Maznan enlists him on a reconnaissance mission in Kota Kinabalu as a "farewell party". He and his team are assigned to capture a pirate leader named Rudi Rusli Parjo, who was involved in the hijacking of MT Orkim Harmony. However, the plan was foiled after Arman spotted Jeb at a food court with Rudi, who had been recruiting ex-special forces members to his ranks in raids, and Jeb was recruited as his bodyguard.

Jeb's jealousy of Arman's achievements and apparent dislike with the Navy's system brings him at odds with Arman since training day, escalating when Jeb becomes obsessed about Lily. CCTV footage of Jeb's car shows a logo belonging to an oil rig company where Lily works, alerting Arman to a possible hijacking plot. He informs the Navy, who in turn alerted port authorities to lock down the rig. The fake security personnel team were captured by authorities, but Jeb and Rudi managed to escape. They eventually seized the oil rig, with Lily as one of the hostages.

Arman's team were recalled from leave and flown to the rendezvous point at sea before going to the rig by submarine with two back-up teams deployed aboard KD Selangor. After a change of plans, they dived towards the oil rig and secured the top to make way for reinforcements. Fighting past various traps and ambushes, Arman encounters Jeb with Lily bound to C-4 explosives. Jeb threatens to blow up the entire oil rig if Arman does not put his gun down. Arman complies, but Jeb threatens Arman with a knife, challenging him to see who is the better PASKAL. Rudi and another pirate were shot dead by Navy forces while attempting to escape through Filipino waters by boat, while Arman manages to subdue Jeb and throws him off the deck, still holding onto Jeb's hand. Refusing to accept defeat, Jeb fails to shoot Arman with his pistol, prompting him to drop Jeb overboard.

With all the hostages rescued and brought to shore, Arman's mother, finally understanding her son's sacrifice, acknowledges him and apologises, saying that his father would be proud if he was alive. Maznan awards honours to Arman and his team, and he laments about not knowing the full names of the members who he served with, to which chief petty officer Misi replies "How many kingdoms know nothing of us?" At a memorial site, Maznan reveals that Arman's father once served under him and told that his father's duty was a calling from God.

PASKAL was directed by Adrian Teh.^[8] It is based on actual events of the Royal Malaysian Navy's Special Forces Team during the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Angola in 1998, and the successful rescue of the hijacked MV Bunga Laurel trade vessel in 2011. The cost of filming was about RM10 million. The shooting was conducted at several locations within and outside of Malaysia, including Lumut, Semporna, and Istanbul, Turkey.