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News from The Star in Malaysia
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Thanks to JohnF in Australia, we have been pointed to this article:

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/8/31/nation/6951868&&sec=nation

I have sent the editor a Billy Doo as follows:

"To: The Editor, The Star Online
Re: Your Article '20 honoured for defending Malaysia', 31 Aug 2010

Sir,

We in the UK read your newspaper online and I was very interested to read this article. I served in the Commonwealth Brigade in Malacca with New Zealanders and Australians. Queen Elizabeth II has formally approved the Pingat Jasa Medal to be worn by everyone except us British. She was advised by civil servants who said that the Malaysian medal did not meet a British standard! We do not agree and have been fighting for five years to reverse this shameful decision. We are backed by Parliament. We are very proud of our service to Malaysia and with our Malaysian friends, and it is time for British civil servants to recognise what Malaysia has achieved and our small part in helping Malaysia protect its newly won Independence. Your readers can know more by visiting our web site at www.fight4thepjm.org.

I attended the Malaysian High Commission in London last Friday accompanying a man who was presented with his father's posthumous PJM - but the family is banned from wearing it in memory of their relative even though the deceased father had served in the Malay Regiment for 10 years and conducted the Orchestra at the Merdeka Celebrations in August 1957.

Barry Fleming etc"

I very much hope others will write to the editor at editor@thestar.com.my.


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

I have just sent the following to the Editor at The Star -

The Editor,

Dear Sir,

I read with interest your story on 31st August, 2010, headed ’20 Honoured for Defending Malaysia’. I served in the British army in Malaya and then Malaysia from 1956 to 1958 and I am the proud holder of the Pingat Jasa Malaysia awarded to me by the Yang di Pertuan Agong of Malaysia.

Unfortunately, and unlike my fellow veterans in Australia, New Zealand and Malaysia who are allowed to wear the PJM, I have been told that I do not have permission to wear it because of British rules made up by the Honours and Decorations Committee and implemented, changed, altered and abused in any way or manner in which they, the HD Committee, deem necessary. They say The Queen has authorised this non-wear of the PJM but they, the HD Committee, act in secret and refuse to co-operate even with our elected parliament.

I am the Chairman of the Fight4thePJM Association and we have been campaigning to have this draconian rule changed and British veterans allowed to wear the honourable PJM alongside our fellow veterans from the Commonwealth. We have petitioned Her Majesty the Queen, Petitioned the Scottish Parliament, had the matter raised in the House of Commons, it was discussed in Westminster Hall and a Ten Minute Rule Bill introduced to our parliament. Most politicians agree that the rule banning the wear of the PJM is inconsistent and wrong and that British civilians cannot be legally enforced from wearing this medal in public. Unfortunately the eight civil service members of the HD Committee have refused to admit their mistake and are refusing to listen to reason.

In Malaysia and all over the world, veterans are treated with respect and compassion but this is not the case in the United Kingdom. We will keep fighting for the non-wear rule of the PJM to be changed and British veterans to be treated properly by an establishment which still thinks itself to be a Colonial power in the Victorian era.

Pingat Kami, Hak Kami.

Andrew Nicoll, Chairman of the Fight4thePJM Association, (address supplied).

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To The Editor
Malaysia Star Editor

Sirs

I have read your article regarding The Pingat Jasa Malaysia

It is gratifying to know that there are many more supporters in the UK in favour of us wearing The Pingat Jasa Malaysia who served in Malaysia than those who oppose us wearing it including our own very Head of State Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, how embarrassing is that?

I have my own PJM, I also have a posthumous PJM in my fathers name where we served in Malaysia at the same time, it is beyond comprehension that we are not formally permitted to wear this honourable medal

Best wishes

John Cooper
Suffolk
England


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HD Committee: Amateurs in a Professional World
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Dear Editor
I spent two and a half years in your wonderful country (Jan 1963-July 1965) and was proud to return with my wife to KL in August 2007; we British Veterans will wear our PJM even though the unelected British Civil Servants in Whitehall say we cannot.
The campaign to change the disgraceful decision made by Whitehall pen pushes will carry on until justice for all is achived.
I thank you for my PJM and will always wear it with pride.

Paul Alders
Pingat Kami - Hak Kami
England UK

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Well done guys. In today's Sundays Star:

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/9/5/focus/6985178&sec=focus

Tunku Mahmood pointed this out to me and is very surprised that this issue has not been resolved yet. He sends his regards to all involved the campaign. Keep up the good work he says.



Last edited by LaurieB on Sun Sep 05, 2010 9:06 am; edited 1 time in total
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Thanks for the heads up Laurie, our regards to TMS as always


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LaurieB wrote:
Well done guys. In today's Sundays Star:

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/9/5/focus/6985178&sec=focus

Tunku Mahmood pointed this out to me and is very surprised that this issue has not been resolved yet. He sends his regards to all involved the campaign. Keep up the good work he says.


Thanks for this pointer, Laurie.

The problem we have is that we do not have visible support in Malaysia. I can understand why, and I am not suggesting any criticism here. But in my view the British civil servants would return the honour to the Malaysian medal that they have taken from the award if they thought that Malaysia cared sufficiently. At the moment they are saying it is simply a group of "disgruntled [British] veterans" and they must not be seen to prevail.

Malaysia will recall that the British HD Committee stated that the Malaysian medal did not meet a British standard in terms of what it represented - and that to allow it to be worn on a British medal bar would undermine British medals. That also view of theirs also specifically suggests that Australia and New Zealand are prepared to sport sub-standard medals on sub-standard medal bars. If I were a Malaysian, Australian, or New Zealander, I would be well miffed to read that. But that is how the world reads the British PJM recommendation!

But they are dignified peoples who would not behave the way our Honours System has behaved and so I understand why it is difficult for them to support us overtly.

Barry


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BarryF, who fought for the Right to Wear the Pingat Jasa Malaysia
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In short Barry, it is us veterans who are once again fighting in Malaysia's corner. I for one have no difficulty with that, especially since in doing so this time we are helping to rid our own shameless Honours system of a GREAT WRONG.


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