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SHAH ALAM – Retired 69 Commando sub-inspector Mohd Dalila Mansor, the first person in Asia to be recognised as an Instructor Examiner by the Rebreather Association of International Divers (RAID), has died.
It is learnt that he died at 6.45pm on Oct 5 in Pulau Perhentian, Terengganu.
In a tribute post, Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said Dalila died just days after completing 40 years of service with the Royal Malaysia Police on Oct 1.
Dalila served with the 69 Commando unit, also known as Very Able Troopers 69 (VAT 69). He was also part of the Special Tactical Intelligence Narcotics Group (STING), an elite tactical unit under the federal police Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department, which was disbanded in 2019.
Just before retiring, he completed his service with the 19th Battalion of the General Operations Force (PGA) in Cheras.
Saifuddin said Dalila's diving expertise was recognised internationally when RAID appointed him an Instructor and Instructor Examiner.
"He was the ninth RAID Instructor Examiner in the world and the first in Asia," he said in the post.
An Instructor Examiner holds the highest credential in scuba diving, one few people have achieved. The holder is qualified to evaluate dive instructors worldwide who wish to upgrade their competency level.
Saifuddin said Dalila's service, expertise and sacrifices represented an important contribution to national security and would be remembered.
He thanked Dalila for his service to the police force and the country, and extended his condolences to the family.
"May Allah SWT shower His mercy upon him, forgive his sins and place him among His faithful servants and grant him rewards for all his contributions to the country," he said.
Dalila was born in Kampung Sungai Raya, Jelebu, Negeri Sembilan. In an earlier interview in 2021, he said he joined the police partly to help support his family in the village.
His postings included the General Operations Force Training School (SLPGA) for two years, 22 years with the 69 Commando unit, the Integrity and Standards Compliance Department (JIPS), Selangor police headquarters for six months and nine years with the Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department at the federal police.
He took up scuba diving at 20 while with 69 Commando, which had no combat diving unit at the time. He and five other personnel paid for their own training at Sea Venture Dive Centre in Ipoh, Perak and qualified as instructors.
The 69 Commando combat diving unit was established in 1990, with Dalila and his colleagues teaching police officers and personnel proper diving techniques.
RAID recognised him as an instructor trainer in 2012, making him the first Malay to receive the accreditation internationally. He was later certified by the Sweden-based body to approve and certify students who completed their training.
He also wrote a book, Penyelaman Perairan 20 Meter (Diving in 20-Metre Waters), published in 2015 to share his experience and serve as a guide for diving enthusiasts.
When contacted, his daughter Nur Amalina, 34, said Dalila had planned to spend his retirement going on holidays with his family.
She said one of her best memories with her father was being trained by him in swimming and diving.
"He trained me in swimming and diving," she told Sinar Daily.
Amalina said her younger brother, Muhammad Nur Amir Mohd Dalila who is also a RAID instructor hopes to follow in their father's footsteps.
Nur Amalina said the family had chosen to keep details of her father's work private because he had previously served in a special unit and had always reminded them to keep a low profile about his job.
"I keep secret on his job because he was in a special unit before and my dad reminded us to always keep a low profile about his job," she said.