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Daily Mirror report
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Post Daily Mirror report 
This is an interesting article that appeared in todays Daily Mirror but what a pity that they did not carry the story in more detail about the PJM


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Well spotted Val, I am about to send the DM editor an email to this effect

Sirs

Your article regarding HRH Prince Charles wearing his medals as 'gifts' of Foreign Governments, you then refer to 35000 Malaysian Veterans who have gratefully received their medals but who are not permitted to wear them on orders from Her Majesty The Queen.

Sir, I wear my two Pingat Jasa Malaysia [PJM] medals with pride, one presented to me on behalf of my deceased father and my own, I wore them at the recent Remembrance Service Parades and will continue to do so. This issue has been taken to Buckingham Palace and The Prime Ministers Office and whilst the latter has 'saved the world' it was those 35000 veterans who saved Malaysia from Communism.

Miffed? You bet!

http://www.fight4thepjm.org/

Very best wishes for Christmas

John Cooper
Suffolk


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HD Committee: Amateurs in a Professional World
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Post Re: Daily Mirror report 
Well spotted, Valentine!

Letter on its way to the Daily Mirror ...

Barry


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BarryF, who fought for the Right to Wear the Pingat Jasa Malaysia
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Post My email to The Mirror 
Herewith my email with the two emaill addresses I used at The Mirror. Please feel free to copy, improve etc - but the most important thing is to write/email!


11/12/2008 10:56
To: kevin.maguire@mirror.co.uk, mirrornews@mirror.co.uk

Subject: Unjust that Prince Charles can wear foreign medals and squaddies can't - Kevin Maguire - 10 December 2008 (http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/columnists/maguire/2008/12/10/unjust-that-prince-charles-can-wear-foreign-medals-and-squaddies-can-t-115875-20958935/)

I refer to Kevin Maguire's article "Unjust that Prince Charles can wear foreign medals and squaddies can't" of 10/12/2008.

How right he is! Kevin refers to the 35,000 British men and women who fought to protect Malaysia's sovereignty, were awarded a medal by Malaysia but denied the right to wear it - despite the Queen formally allowing ALL other Commonwealth forces to wear the Pingat Jasa Malaysia (PJM) for the same service.

Prince Charles wears what he calls his "chocolate box medals". None earned, all given to him by his mum. But it doesn't stop there!

The very people who make these decisions by applying their own rules to ensure the privileged can wear medals but ordinary men and women cannot, actually award themselves and their secretaries wearable foreign gongs! I refer to Sir Robin Janvrin, as he was in 2007 when he was The Queen's Private Secretary and member of the Honours and Decorations Committee, who gave himself and his friends in the HD Committee and their secretaries, his own permission to wear the Antigua and Barbuda 25th Anniversary Medal (http://www.fight4thepjm.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1499&start=0). Is that two-faced or what! One rule for the privileged and one rule for ordinary men and women.

Yes, Kevin Maguire highlights a story that is growing and growing. No wonder the Labour Minister who had to disseminate the HD Committee decision (Ian Pearson MP) has now reviewed his Ministerial Statement of January 2006 on the no-wear of the Pingat Jasa Malaysia and states that he was wrong and is campaigning with us to put an end to "this official nonsense" as he calls it (in writing to us). No wonder Don Touhig MP is campaigning in Parliament for the HD Committee to be made as accountable as the Security Services (http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200708/cmhansrd/cm080521/debtext/80521-0004.htm#column_322). No wonder in a PJM debate MPs unanimously said the treatment of ex-servicemen and women brought shame on this country.

It is time for the UK to drag this secretive and 'unaccountable' Honours and Decorations Committee into the open and with them, equally importantly, the civil servants who issue them with their opinions and their recommendations. Make them accountable and bring fairness and consistency into what is now the UK's Dis-Honoured System which is ridiculed around the world.

Give our Malaya-Borneo ex-servicemen and women, and our forces currently placing their lives on the line, the right to wear their medals.

Thank you for bringing our plight to the notice of your readers.

Barry Fleming

"Pingat Kami - Hak Kami" - "Our Medal - Our Right"

Read all about the campaign for the right to wear the PJM, with support in 30 countries around the world, at http://www.fight4thepjm.org

Barry Fleming
Stockbridge Cottage
H*********
R*** ***

Tel: 077** *** ***
Emailto:barry@fight4thepjm.org


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BarryF, who fought for the Right to Wear the Pingat Jasa Malaysia
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My email to the Mirror.

Dear Sirs;
In reference to your article about Prince Charles and foreign medals may I draw your attention to the Pingat Jasa Malaysia Medal (PJM) awarded to British & Commonwealth Veterans; now the Queen allows our Commonwealth Veterans to wear the PJM but forbids Her British Subjects the same honour. WHY?
Also Ministers have been mislead by their Senior Civil Service advisors about the rules for foreign medals WHY? Is it to allow those in high positions to accept foreign honours but to keep squaddies in their place?
May I suggest that you interview Don Touhig MP or even Derek Twigg MP the ex-Veterans Minister who both support the wearing of the PJM.
I thank you for your time and look forward to reading more about this injustice in your paper.
Regards
Paul Alders
Malay/Borneo Veteran

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Paul Alders wrote:
My email to the Mirror.


Great points, Paul. And very useful pointers (to Messrs Don Touhig and Derek Twigg).


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BarryF, who fought for the Right to Wear the Pingat Jasa Malaysia
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Post Daily Mirror. 
My email contribution to the Editor is as follows -


Dear Sir,

I refer to your article headed "Unjust that Prince Charles can wear foreign medals and squaddies can't" on 10/12/08.

The government are ruled by unelected civil servants who operate committees in secret - the Honours and Decorations Committee - who do not report to parliament. They deceive and change, alter, or ignore the rules to ensure that they retain their nepotism on the honours system.

They say British citizens have no permission to wear the PJM but they have no legal right whatsoever to make this rule, only our elected parliament can place such restrictions upon the freedom and civil liberties of British citizens. Democracy and justice are over-ruled and replaced with civil service obfuscation.

British citizens by right of a Royal Warrant issued Under the Royal Sign Manual on 3rd. May, 1968, and published in the London Gazette have the right to wear unrestricted any foreign award which has been approved by the Queen. It says any United Kingdom citizen, not being a servant of the Crown. The civil servants changed this 40 years later, apparently without reference to HM the Queen, to read United Kingdom citizens who have been in the past servants of the Crown, deliberately to prevent Malaya/Borneo veterans from wearing the PJM.

We have seen from recent events at the Houses of Parliament which were raided by the police without a warrant on a report made by, yes, none other than the Cabinet Secretary, a senior Civil Servant. We have the right to wear the PJM. We fought for our Queen and country and now expect our Queen and our parliament to fight for us to have our respect and honour in the Commonwealth restored.

name and address supplied.

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I've emailed K Maguire at The Daily Mirror, and explained to him about me being allowed to wear my PPN, but not my PJM. To give him prove of this. I've sent him a copy of the letter that I received from Bucking Palace where it gives me permission to wear my PPN .
Thanks Roy.

Ex Malay/sia Police

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mcdangle wrote:
My email contribution to the Editor is as follows -

.. They say British citizens have no permission to wear the PJM but they have no legal right whatsoever to make this rule, only our elected parliament can place such restrictions upon the freedom and civil liberties of British citizens. Democracy and justice are over-ruled and replaced with civil service obfuscation.

... British citizens by right of a Royal Warrant issued Under the Royal Sign Manual on 3rd. May, 1968, and published in the London Gazette have the right to wear unrestricted any foreign award which has been approved by the Queen.

... We have seen from recent events at the Houses of Parliament which were raided by the police without a warrant on a report made by, yes, none other than the Cabinet Secretary, a senior Civil Servant.


Great email, Andy. And we shall never forget that the Cabinet Secretary, who is the chairman of the HD Committee, refused to listen to Parliament when asked to reconsider our case about the PJM.


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Follows wrote:
I've emailed K Maguire at The Daily Mirror, and explained to him about me being allowed to wear my PPN, but not my PJM. To give him prove of this. I've sent him a copy of the letter that I received from Bucking Palace where it gives me permission to wear my PPN .
Thanks Roy.

Ex Malay/sia Police


I think your PPN/PJM case totally undermines the HD Committee's stance on the PJM. They say the medals are different. No they are not. They should read the citations! One day they will be made to. Meanwhile we have a legal opinion that says that we are right and they are wrong.

Thanks for yuor continuing support.

Barry


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BarryF wrote:
Follows wrote:
I've emailed K Maguire at The Daily Mirror, and explained to him about me being allowed to wear my PPN, but not my PJM. To give him prove of this. I've sent him a copy of the letter that I received from Bucking Palace where it gives me permission to wear my PPN .
Thanks Roy.

Ex Malay/sia Police


I think your PPN/PJM case totally undermines the HD Committee's stance on the PJM. They say the medals are different. No they are not. They should read the citations! One day they will be made to. Meanwhile we have a legal opinion that says that we are right and they are wrong.

Thanks for yuor continuing support.

Barry


Barry et all,

The new Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the FCO, Gillian Merron MP, has written to me in response to a letter I sent her through my local MP David Mundell. In this letter she says - "I cannot comment on individual cases, but I did want to respond to mention of the Pingat Pangkuan Negara. This is treated differently from the PJM because the Pingat Pangkuan Negara is not a campaign medal and is subject to different regulations".

Both awards were made by the Supreme Head of the Federation of Malaysia for meritorious service and are identical awards. I will be writing to her to ask what the different regulations are and why the PPN is not a campaign medal whilst the PJM appears to be so classed.

As she has already used the excuse 'I cannot comment on individual cases', perhaps Roy could drop her a line asking why he can wear one and not the other. She would have to respond to him but may only do so if he writes through his constituency MP. Andy.

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mcdangle wrote:
... perhaps Roy could drop her a line asking why he can wear one and not the other. She would have to respond to him but may only do so if he writes through his constituency MP. Andy.


I know Roy reads this Forum regularly but I'll drop him a line and ask him if he will write - I am sure he will because the PPN v PJM query was originally his initiative and he wants it sorted.


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