[1] The peacekeeping contingent traced its history as the successor of the former Malayan Special Forces (MSF) of the Federation of Malaya, which had been involved in the United Nations Operation in the Congo (UNOC) from 1960 until 1963.

[6][7] Through the Cambodian conflicts in the 1990s, MALBATT was first deployed with only two personnel for the United Nations Advance Mission in Cambodia (UNAMIC);[2][8] to oversee a ceasefire in the country before further additional MALBATT troops, consisting of 2,119 personnel for the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC), were deployed to maintain law and order and rebuild essential Cambodian infrastructure during the transitional period.

[2] In 1991, MALBATT was dispatched as part of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) to observe the implementation of ceasefire between the Polisario Front and Moroccan troops.

[6] From 1993, four MALBATT officers were sent for the United Nations Military Liaison Team (UNMLT), which was established for a single period of six months to maintain close liaison with the government of Cambodia and report to the UN Secretary-General on matters affecting security in the country and assist the government in dealing with residual military matters related to the Paris Peace Agreements.

[18] Both Malaysia and its neighbour of Indonesia (Garuda Contingent) were the only two countries from Southeast Asia that contributing both of their military and police personnel to the UN forces for the mission.

[6] From May–June 1994, MALBATT observers drawn from the mission of MINURSO were deployed to the United Nations Aouzou Strip Observer Group (UNASOG); led by Colonel B. Mazlan where they meet with the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya authorities to supervise the withdrawal process of Libyan forces from the Aozou Strip as a result of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) decision on the Libya–Chad Territorial Dispute case.

[28] From September 2003, MALBATT troops deployed for the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) to support the implementation of the ceasefire and the subsequent peace process of Second Liberian Civil War, including the disarmament, demobilisation, reintegration and repatriation (DDRR) of combatants.

[35][36] The contingent involved in providing assistance in human resource development activities through various training programs in East Timor efforts to rebuild their country.