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John Feltham
Posted on 23 Feb 2006 6:06 am
23rd February 2006.
Letters to The Editor.
The AUSTRALIAN Newspaper
Melbourne
Australia
Dear Sir,
Subject: The Poms are at it Again.
Recently (30 January 2006), His Excellency Major General Michael Jeffery AC CVO MC., Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, was invested with the Pinjat Jasa Malaysia. (PJM). A medal struck by the Agong and Government of Malaysia to commemorate and recognise all those who served with the Armed Forces of the UK, Australia, New Zealand and Fiji, in North Borneo, Sarawak, Brunei and Malaysia during the Confontasi (Confrontation), with Indonesia during the early 1960s.
The day after the GG was invested with his PJM in Canberra, by Datuk Ilyas Bin Haji Din RMN., representing the Agong and Government of Malaysia, the UK Government released a Statement which I paraphrase :- The British Government has advised Her Majesty to allow veterans to accept the medal, but they will be forbidden to wear it.
This is contrary to the advice given by the Australian and New Zealand Governments who advised the same Queen to authorise UNRESTRICTED acceptance. So far the UK Government has refused to satisfactorily justify, their disgraceful decision.
Sir, 35,000 ex-members of the UK Armed Forces have been insulted by this silly, silly, statement.
Not only the veterans, but the Agong and Government of Malaysia must feel aggrieved at this decision? You can have it, but not wear it? Why would the Agong and Government of Malaysia offer this medal, if it was not meant to be worn?
I am an Australian citizen who served in the RAF in all of these theatres. When I march in the annual Anzac Day March in 2007, will I be marching alongside a digger proudly wearing his PJM while I have my PJM in my pocket.
You may ask why Anzac Day 2007. It took the UK Government nearly a year to make this disgraceful decision, so I cannot see them being able to distribute this award until 2007, by which time a lot of my compatriots will be dead. Perhaps that is the Grand Strategy?
I ask all ex-servicemen of the UK to join in the protest that is being raised at a web site created for just this aim, at
www.fight4thepjm.org
Australia