Victory! You will be able to wear your PJM ..News from UK.

[1938 Observer]

Victory! You will be able to wear your PJM



I am delighted to report that the Fight4thePJM Campiagn has succeeded. Our Campaign Has Won Its Case!

Today, in the House of Lords, the British Government stated that the HD Committee will effectively be instructed to advise the Queen that the PJM will have Unrestricted Permission for wear on all occasions, effective from this Remembrance Day, 11th November 2011.

Furthermore, we have been promised that there will be a fundamental review of the HD Committee. That signals that it should never again be possible for ex-servicemen and women to be treated as shabbily as PJMers have been [url]treated.
This is a victory for common sense, for justice, for British ex-servicemen and women who served in Malaysia, and for Malaysia.

I cannot adequately express the deep sense of gratitude we at Fight4thePJM have for your unstinting support.

What a wonderful, historic, day.

We are now taking stock of the situation but would like to take this opportunity to thank all our thousands of supporters throughout the world. Meanwhile a pause for thought - for all those who fought with us but are no longer with us to witness this momentous occasion, men like my friends 'Jock' Fenton and Tony Davies.

From our Joint-Chairmen: John Feltham (Australia), Hamish Waters (Australia), Paul Alders (UK), John Cooper (UK), John Ireland (UK), Gerry Law (UK) ...

... and from me, Barry Fleming, it doesn't seem 61/2 years since I opened this website and wrote the first words which are still on our Home Page at www.fight4thePJM.org/home.htm. I cannot begin to tell you the humility I feel today. Our friends in Australia need not have fought this fight, but they did. I am not going to name names for specific lobbying work, but I have to mention that the support from Oz was fundamental to our achieving this outcome. I, for one, will never forget that support, nor the support from the leaders of the UK effort who stuck it out to the end. Without their dedication this campaign would never have survived.



Last edited by BarryF on Thu Oct 27, 2011 3:27 pm; edited 2 times in total
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BarryF, who fought for the Right to Wear the Pingat Jasa Malaysia



Courtesy of "Fight4thePJM Forum. here is the link http://www.fight4thepjm.org/forum/vi...?p=20127#20127


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For those who were unaware of this lengthy campaign and the story behind it the link above will give you all the background.



There is also a full topic in the "Armed Services" section of this Forum [Electricscotland] where other details are available.

http://www.electricscotland.org/show...Service-Medal)

[1938 Observer]

From..........."The Star online........Malaysia" Friday October 28, 2011



Ex-soldiers can now wear PJM in Britain after a six-year campaign


By CHOI TUCK WO
twchoi@thestar.com.my


GEORGE TOWN: Some 35,000 British war veterans in the United Kingdom can finally wear the Pingat Jasa Malaysia (PJM) following a six-year campaign to overturn a ruling.

According to the UK-based Fight4thePJM campaign, the British Government has agreed to reverse the Honours and Decorations (HD) Committee's “accept but not formally wear” decision.

Describing it as a historic day, campaign founding chairman Barry Fleming said the landmark decision was made in the House of Lords yesterday.

He said the HD Committee would be instructed to advise the Queen that the PJM would have “unrestricted permission” for wear on all occasions.

“The decision would take effect from Remembrance Day on Nov 11,” he added.

Fleming said they had also been promised a fundamental review of the HD Committee, a signal that “it should never again be possible for ex-servicemen and women to be treated as shabbily as PJMers have been treated.”

“This is a victory for common sense, for justice, for the British ex-servicemen and women who had served in Malaysia but above all, it is a victory for the people of Malaysia,” he said in an e-mail to The Star.

The controversy erupted after the old warriors, many in their 70s, were barred from wearing the PJM by the HD Committee in 2005 based on what campaigners regard as an “antiquated and inconsistent” imperial honours system.

The rule states that when a British award has already been given for the same service, another cannot be accepted.


Old warriors: Committee members (from left) Gerald Law, Paul Alders and chairman Fleming wearing their campaign lapel badges outside Buckingham Palace in this file picture. se photograph at the link
There is also the five-year rule preventing the acceptance and wearing of non-British awards for events or services that took place more than five years ago.

PJM supporters even produced specially-designed lapel badges with the motto “Pingat Kami Hak Kami (Our Medal Our Right)” to promote their cause.

The campaign has attracted support from all five continents, ranging from a Private right up to a Field Marshal including two holders of the Victoria Cross, Britain's highest award for gallantry.



http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp...312&sec=nation

[1938 Observer]

War vets to don medals for parade


By CHOI TUCK WO
twchoi@thestar.com.my
"The Star online" Malaysia
Saturday October 29, 2011



Saturday October 29, 2011
War vets to don medals for parade
By CHOI TUCK WO
twchoi@thestar.com.my


GEORGE TOWN: Fresh from their victory over the Pingat Jasa Malaysia (PJM) controversy, British war veterans are getting set to display their medals with pride this Remembrance Day.

Fight4thePJM campaign chairman Barry Fleming said the veterans had been lobbying for former British servicemen and women to officially wear their medals during every Remembrance Day parade over the past six years.

He said this year's marchpast would take place on Nov 13, the Sunday nearest to Remembrance Day on Nov 11, adding that Queen Elizabeth II would lay a wreath at the Cenotaph in Whitehall.

“We shall remember all those we left behind in Malaysia, and the public display of the PJM is an important symbol in that remembrance,” he said in an e-mail interview from London.

The Star reported yesterday that some 35,000 British war veterans in Britain could finally wear the PJM following a six-year relentless campaign to overturn a ruling by the Honours and Decorations Committee.

The decision was announced in the House of Lords on Wednesday by the Under Secretary of State for Defence, Lord Astor of Hever, who is himself a recipient of the PJM.

The British Government had agreed to reverse the committee's “accept but not formally wear” decision, during which the committee would be instructed to advise the Queen that the PJM would have “unrestricted permission” for wear on all occasions.

The long-running saga erupted after the old warriors, many in their 70s, were barred from wearing the PJM by the committee in 2005 based on what campaigners regard as an “antiquated and inconsistent” imperial honours system.

The double-medalling rule states that when a British award has already been given for the same service, another cannot be accepted.

There is also a five-year rule preventing the acceptance and wearing of non-British awards for events or service that took place more than five years ago.

Fleming said they were at first stunned by the victory but later felt a sense of great humility with the support they had received over the last six-and-a-half years from many countries, including Malaysia.

“Also we had the support of distinguished officers such as Lords Bramall, Craig and Ramsbotham (who will now be able to wear his PJM) and decorated officers such as Major-Gen Coran Purdon,” he added.

He said they had been fighting the battle first for the Government and people of Malaysia as they wanted to acknowledge the service they had provided, working beside Malaysians to protect the country's independence.

“We had then fought for British ex-servicemen and women who, alone in the Commonwealth, were not allowed to wear their Malaysian medal.

“The Malaysian people and British veterans have succeeded against all odds,” he said.

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp...438&sec=nation