Minister for Trade, Investment and Foreign Affairs
Mr. Ian Pearson MP
House of Commons
London, SW1A OAA
United Kingdom


19th April 2006


Dear Minister

Pingat Jasa Malaysia (PJM)- Written Ministerial Statement 31 January 2006

I am deeply perturbed by the actions of your government as can be seen by the attached letter I sent to the Malaysian Publication, 'Malaysia Today'. This is the first time I have felt compelled to apologise publicly for the actions of the British Government.

Could you please explain why you accepted such flawed advice from the Committee on the Grant of Honours , Decorations and Medals. In particular could you clarify the following issues:

 How can double medalling occur when the scope for qualification for the PJM is quite different to that of other British medals that have been awarded. Moreover the majority of Royal Naval personnel and many Army and RAF personnel who are eligible to receive the PJM never received any British campaign medal.

 The PJM is a Commonwealth award and there are many instances of British Service personnel receiving the right to wear such medals without restriction. As a further example members of the Royal Family including the younger members wear the New Zealand 1990 Commemoration medal on formal occasions. It seems perhaps that the HD committee makes up rules as the mood takes them. Perhaps a Malaysian medal is deemed not up to scratch, or perhaps the members of the HD committee don't want to see the proletariat and other ranks getting too many gongs.

 You stated that 'Permission to wear the PJM will not, however , formally be given'. I was not aware that HMG had any jurisdiction over what elderly civilians in their sixties and seventies wear. In my case the only occasion I will wear the PJM is on every ANZAC day march in Melbourne each year with fellow veterans from Commonwealth and British units. Will this upset the British Consulate -General in Melbourne or the High Commissioner in Canberra? Luckily for me I have dual British/ Australian citizenship and the convention in Australia is that foreign awards can be worn so as not to offend the giver of the award. The Queen of Australia of course gives her consent in such matters.

The Honours Directorate consists of a body of men who are not elected and they seem to make rules and exceptions as the whim takes them. Is it not perhaps time that you have a word with Jack Straw and Tony Blair about curtailing their powers? Eminent persons such as Dame Vera Lynn, Field Marshals and Generals support the cause of veterans to wear the PJM without restrictions. I cannot see the political mileage you get by upsetting 35,000 elderly veterans and the Government of Malaysia who were very gracious in making such an award to British service personnel. I can well understand why Australia and New Zealand left the Imperial Honours system.

I look forward to your response to my letter within the pre-determined time frame your department has set out as a reasonable response time to letters from members of the public.



Yours sincerely







Hamish Waters
Borneo Veteran, British Army
http://www.fight4thepjm.org/

http://www.malaysia-today.net/Blog-s/2006/02/malaysian-service-medal-pingat-jasa.htm

Above letter faxed to hHouse of Commons Fax: 020 7219 0390