We have support from some Labour (inluding the Veterans Minister at the time), from the SNP and other smaller parties in the Commons, and from MSPs in Scotland. But where does the Conservative Party stand? I intend finding out. Message sent today to key Conservative Party members:
I am fighting two battles - one for the PJM and one for the Conservative Party. I was told by a usually reliable source that the Conservative Party knew the discredited FCO Ministerial Statement was built on sand, was faulted, and led to the Queen discriminating against her British subjects on a vast scale, but preferred to let us tackle and embarrass the Government. I was told that it was not an issue in the party.
Unhappily for our party, those who took that view got it seriously wrong and we now see that the Government did treat our arguments seriously and they accepted the wearing of the PJM as an issue. We received numerous calls from Ministers and from civil servants in their departments to clarify our submissions. The Conservative Party was not awake to any of this. I think they did not understand the importance of the issue - nor the importance attached to it by the Government.
We have now been officially told that double-medalling (one of the two objections against the wear of the PJM) was never seriously considered to be a true objection across the board by either the HD Committee or the FCO - we can only assume it was raised by the MoD to provide some respectability to what is otherwise a shameful recommendation. Rear Admiral Wilkinson (MoD and HD Committee) could not have been so stupid as to mislead the HD Committee - or could he?
I had a meeting with my own MP last week. He asked me "Why don't you just wear it? - you've been given ‘a nod and a wink’ so to do”. We have not - and even if we had, we are told that if an ex-serviceman was to wear the PJM it would be a "grave discourtesy to the Queen".
What has happened here is that the PJM should have either "not been entertained" because it acknowledged service more than 5 years ago (Foreign Decorations Rule) or it should have been recommended for unrestricted acceptance, i.e. to be worn 'in line'. The confused hotchpot of disinformation used to camouflage the emerging mean-minded recommendation did not provide a compromise nor did it resolve anything.
If the Conservatives want to make headway in Scotland, they should start asking questions about the PJM in London. There is deep-rooted disquiet up there about the hypocrisy of yet another decision that adversely affects issues the Scots hold dear to their hearts. There, we have 100% support from the SNP, and 100% support from the MSPs that we have contacted. Not to mention those like David Mundell who has been unflagging in his support from the day he understood the justice in our case.
The 317 year history of the KOSB's loyal service has been chucked out of the window in London, and those who were Malaya-Borneo veterans (they did sterling service in Malaysia) will not even be able to take home a wearable PJM medal.
When we go to KOSB parades over the mext month or so to pay our respects to a great Regiment, we want to be able to quote support from the Conservative Party not because we support the party (we are apolitical), but because the party understands the fundamental injustice that has been perpetrated on this country's veterans by an outdated Imperials Honours System ... which was improperly and inappropriately applied!
As a result, the Queen, having already granted permission to my Australian and New Zealand ex-comrades in arms in the Commonwealth Brigade to wear their PJM with pride, has been instructed to deny me that same right. I am only allowed to have "a souvenir" that I must not wear! Not to mention (but I shall) the stinging insult to the Malaysian King and People.
My question is a simple one - Does the Conservative Party recognise the iniquity of that discrimination, or does it not? Does it recognise how mean-minded and shameful the recommendation is to civilians who are veterans who served Malaysia well? What is at stake? Not precedent - that is hogwash and the Government and the HD Committee now know that. What is at stake is the integrity of our system and those that operate it - a system that has been used to create anomalies not avoid them. Oh yes - and a little bit of pride and joy to some ageing veterans. It's our medal, and we should be able to wear it.
We're up for the fight for our rights - are you?
Last edited by BarryF on Mon May 08, 2006 12:32 pm; edited 2 times in total
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BarryF, who fought for the Right to Wear the Pingat Jasa Malaysia
