KUALA LUMPUR, Thu.:
About 8,000 of the 70,000 war veterans from the Commonwealth countries who had served in the country during the fight against the communists between 1957 and 1966 have received the Pingat Jasa Malaysia (PJM) since last year.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said the medals were bestowed in recognition of their service and sacrifices in fighting the communists during the emergency and the confrontation with Indonesia to help the government maintain peace in the country.

“Some have received their medals from the Malaysian high commissioners in their respective countries,” Australia and Britain,” he told reporters after presenting the PJM to 56 war veterans from Australia, New Zealand and Britain here today.

He said the number of recipients was based on the records kept by the armed forces and governments of the countries concerned.

“We don’t keep the records, so we hope that their governments will give their names to us so that we can bestow the medals on them,” he said.
Among today’s recipients were Collin Jeffrey and Vernon Clive Bechaz of Australia, Alan Gillian Hay, Anthony John Gould and Clive Stuard Alan Howells of the United Kingdom.

Earlier in his address, Najib thanked the war veterans for their contributions in upholding the sovereignty of the federation of Malaya, or Malaysia, which paved the way for the country to enjoy, peace and stability.

“Malaysia’s progress and development that we witness today can be partly attributed to this. Your heroism and courage therefore deserve the deepest respect and honour,” he said.

Gould, 69 and his wife Eileen Joy Gould, 71, said they were very happy to receive the appreciation from the Malaysian government for their service in Malaya 50 years ago.

“We are very glad that we could come back here after leaving the country in 1960,” Gould said.

Both of them were deployed at the British Military Kinrara Hospital, Kuala Lumpur.

Some of the recipients will also be joining the Merdeka parade tomorrow to commemorate Malaysia’s 50th Independence Day.


http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Thursday/NewsBreak/20070830180335/Article/index_html


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

John Feltham wrote:

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said the medals were bestowed in recognition of their service and sacrifices in fighting the communists during the emergency and the confrontation with Indonesia to help the government maintain peace in the country.

“Some have received their medals from the Malaysian high commissioners in their respective countries,” Australia and Britain,” he told reporters after presenting the PJM to 56 war veterans from Australia, New Zealand and Britain here today.

He said the number of recipients was based on the records kept by the armed forces and governments of the countries concerned.

“We don’t keep the records, so we hope that their governments will give their names to us so that we can bestow the medals on them,” he said.

http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Thursday/NewsBreak/20070830180335/Article/index_html

Welcome to the Veterans UK website who tells us “The Ministry of Defence does not have lists of veterans who served in Malaya/Borneo between August 1957 and August 1966,
http://www.veterans-uk.info/medals/pingat.html

Who is telling the lies, the Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia or the UK Ministry of Defence?

So why the big MOD lie about not having records or lists of Malay Borneo veterans, when they have records and lists of WW1, WW2, Falklands War and Gulf War veterans? Does the MOD believe 70,000 Malay Borneo veterans are totally naive?

http://www.veterans-uk.info/service_records/service_records.html

There used to be a rumour that to become a top civil servant at whitehall one had to qualify with a grade (A) on a TALKING OUT OF BOTH SIDES OF ONE'S MOUTH COURSE. Now I know its true.