This just sent off to the Foreign Secretary.
Dear Mr Straw

I am writing to you as you seem to be the only one of our elected representatives who has any power to influence the Honours and Decorations Committee concerning the above medal. The MoD deny any responsibility for anything connected with medals and even admit that they no longer have any records to show who served in the vari-ous aspects of the Malaya Emergency/Borneo Confrontation. The HD Committee ap-pear to be above the normal laws governing a democracy in that they meet in secret and then issue their findings through the Foreign and Commonwealth Office – your department is their mouthpiece. They then retreat back into their collective shell of secrecy and refuse to deal with those peasants whose lives they have just affected. Well, those peasants are veterans of the only war on terror to be won by the west to date. It was won because the British and their allies from Australia and New Zealand adopted the “hearts and minds” approach rather that the policy of violent and punitive attacks on innocent civilians. It is interesting to note that these tactics are now being taught at British military colleges and that the US military authorities have realised that these tactics are more effective that those taken from the Arnold Schwarzenegger school of military tactics.

Her Majesty, to whom we veterans swore an Oath half a century ago, has been ill-advised in the matter of the PJM. The HD Committee must already have been aware when they made their recommendations to Her Majesty that the Australian and New Zealand governments had recommended that their veterans be allowed unre-stricted acceptance of the PJM, yet nevertheless they recommended that the British veterans be allowed to accept but not wear the medal. At a stroke they have made second class citizens of her British veterans. They have placed Her Majesty in the un-forgivable position of having discriminated against one group of her loyal subjects. They have also diminished the service, and often the supreme sacrifice, rendered by those loyal subjects. Worst of all, from your perspective as Foreign Secretary, is the insult dealt to the Malaysian Agong, government and peoples. The Malaysians are a long-standing member of the Commonwealth and remain steadfast allies. How long they will continue to remain so when they are treated by the British Establishment as still being a Colony, is anyone’s guess.

It is accepted that rules must exist to prevent serving personnel from wearing any unauthorised medal on their uniforms but this award is made to veterans who no longer serve in uniform – we are all in our 60’s or 70’s. There are no legal barriers to civilians wearing whatsoever medals they wish, as long as they do not attempt to make pecuniary gain from so doing. So what is the point in stating that “permission will not, however, be formally given to wear”? Given that there is no legal action that can be taken against us, this caveat can only be a spiteful, mean-minded way of show-ing us that we are still the vassals of a superior caste.

The fact that such a process still exists, whereby a group of non-elected, unac-countable people can have such power over the citizens of a democratic state is as much of an anachronism as sending boys up chimneys. It is positively Dickensian in its outlook. Their decision was based on a series of lies and half-truths, which were probably supplied by the MoD whose record for integrity is hardly a fine example.

We are told that to allow the wearing of the PJM will “compromise the integ-rity of the Honours system”. With recent events in government that is really calling the kettle black. Did the award of the VC to a Gurkha in 1965 compromise that integ-rity? I think not.

And yet there is a simple solution, which will avoid causing any embarrass-ment to any of the parties involved. Next month sees the first Annual Veteran‘s Day - an admirable initiative and one which the Malaya/Borneo veterans endorse in princi-pal. August sees the 40th Anniversary of the end of the Borneo Confrontation, which saw the virtual end to hostilities in Malaysia for the first time since WWII. August also sees the 49th Anniversary of “Merdeka” – Malaysian Independence Day. What better opportunity to reverse the invidious rule that has been imposed upon us, but which lacks any power for enforcement?


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Gerald Law (ex RAF Borneo Veteran)

Great quote Gerry. Keep at 'em everyone......


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HD Committee: Amateurs in a Professional World
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Brilliant stuff Gerry!

I'm so very glad that you and I are on the same side in this fight....I'd sure hate to have you as an adversary!


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...................'Jock'
Paroi...Rasah...Batu Signals Troop.

Great letter Gerry
Hamish

Great stuff Gerry,

Bob Bryant

The more I read of these letters from various members of HMG, the more I am convinced of the right decision I made to leave the UK and go to Australia.

You guys are to be commended for staying.

We should take up the call of - MERDEKA - from these malicious people in the corridors of power - The HD Committee.


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Merdeka, Merdeka, Merdeka,
from the HD Committee and its decision.

Brilliant letter Gerry. Why not copy it to a newspaper. Like Jock I am glad we are all on the same side and I fear for Jack 'the lad' Straw and his bunch of Bureauprats trying to extract themselves from this mire of their own choosing.

From the BBC Scotland On Line

"It's not something that is policed as such. It's for the individual to decide if they wear the medal in light of the Queen's approval for them to receive it," he said.

"We appreciate how much the medals mean to the veterans and that's why a special exception was made for them to get it."



Who the hell do they think they are 'as such' what a load of bolleaux


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HD Committee: Amateurs in a Professional World
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I think its about time Pearson and Co capitulated, the hole is so damn deep that they have dug for themselves that there is no way out for them, keep at it we will be victorious AGAIN!


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HD Committee: Amateurs in a Professional World
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GerryL wrote:

This just sent off to the Foreign Secretary.
Dear Mr Straw

I am writing to you as you seem to be the only one of our elected representatives who has any power to influence the Honours and Decorations Committee concerning the above medal. The MoD deny any responsibility for anything connected with medals and even admit that they no longer have any records to show who served in the vari-ous aspects of the Malaya Emergency/Borneo Confrontation.

Hi Gerry,

Keep up the good work. As a matter of interest, I have recently received photo copies of my Army records from Glasgow and they clearly record my service in Borneo 1964/5.

Regards

John

GerryL wrote:

This just sent off to the Foreign Secretary.

I wish I'd written that.

Today was spent celebrating a granddaughter's first birthday.

I didn't think it could get much better.

Having read your letter, today's submissions and comments, and media articles, and having been interviewed by a radio station - it did. It did get better.

Today May'd My Mayday.

Now we must capitalise on it ...

Barry


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BarryF, who fought for the Right to Wear the Pingat Jasa Malaysia

John Cooper wrote:

From the BBC Scotland On Line

"It's not something that is policed as such. It's for the individual to decide if they wear the medal in light of the Queen's approval for them to receive it," he said.

"We appreciate how much the medals mean to the veterans and that's why a special exception was made for them to get it."



Who the hell do they think they are 'as such' what a load of bolleaux

They still cannot tell the truth. This is deliberate abuse of the actual truth of the matter and again is being insulting to Her Majesty the Queen by using her name in connection with 'they can wear it if they like - IN LIGHT OF THE QUEEN'S APPROVAL FOR THEM TO RECEIVE IT'. So the Queen has given approval to accept it yet no approval has been given to wear it but he is insinuating that there has been. Whoever said this should apologise to Her Majesty the Queen immediately for using her name in such a devious manner. It is not proper to involve the Queen 'the font of all honour' in such devious and untruthful statements.