Yesterday was a rather special day. I accompanied a man to the Malaysian High Commission – he was to be presented with his father’s posthumous PJM.

The man was Major (Retd) Peter Lenthall, not himself a PJMer but he and his family have a long history of service to Malaysia.

Peter’s brother David and sister Jennifer were born in UK but he himself was born in the BMH at Pasir Panjang. His father, Capt Edgar Lenthall MBE ARCM was seconded from the 9th Lancers to the embryonic Malay Regiment in 1937. During the Malayan Campaign he was the IO of the 1st Bn and was captured in the final battle before the fall of Singapore. After Changi he was sent to the Burma Railway. Together with his mother, brother and sister, Peter escaped on a boat to Durban. The family was reunited in Sussex in 1945.



In 1947, Captain Edgar Lenthall returned to serve for a further 10 years with the Malay Regiment as the Director of Music. Peter has recordings his compositions.

His eldest son, David, a subaltern in the Royal Sussex Regiment, was seconded to 5th Bn Malay Regiment for his National Service, 1952-54.

Edgar Lenthall conducted the Malay Regiment Central Band at the 1957 Merdeka Celebrations in Kuala Lumpur.
Peter Lenthall was seconded from Royal Signals to Malaysian Signals 1968-9.

Edgar Lenthall’s PJM was presented to Peter (who was there on behalf of his family) by the new Malaysian Defence Adviser, Brigadier Othman Jamal who was with his assistant, Major Izwan Zainal Amran RMAF. I remembered the Brigadier; he was at the MHC when I was presented with my PJM by the then Deputy Prime Minister, now Prime Minister, Najib Tun Razak in July 2006. The Brigadier, then a major, was Tun Razak’s aide at the time.

After yesterday’s presentation, I handed both Peter Lenthall and the Malaysian Defence Adviser a Fight4thePJM Lapel Pin and explained to everyone in the room the current position of the campaign. Whilst I never invite comment from our Malaysian friends in order to avoid embarrassment, I think I detected looks of approval for our ongoing fight to have full honours restored to their medal – that air of approval grew when they read our motto on our Lapel Pin “Pingat Kami-Hak Kami”, “Our Medal-Our Right”!

I took the opportunity to explain that the 1968 London Gazette provided the Queen’s approval for eligible recipients to wear their PJM and that this was backed up by our Legal Opinion. I also explained that the Coalition Government had made a solemn pledge in their Manifesto to review the Honours System, and the PJM decision. I went on to emphasise that we at the F4 will ensure that all participators, particularly MPs who signed EDMs, are regularly reminded about their solemn pledges.

But yesterday was a day for the Lenthall family. Theirs is some history, a total of 22 years of service to Malaysia ! And the family now have their father’s PJM.



Last edited by BarryF on Tue Nov 02, 2010 7:51 am; edited 1 time in total
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BarryF, who fought for the Right to Wear the Pingat Jasa Malaysia

well done BarryF and congratulations to the Lenthall family

A very moving and uplifting story Barry. It is also good to know that our Malaysian friends have been made aware that we who proudly accepted the PJM will not rest until the "none-wear" stigma and insult is finally addressed and expunged.


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Mike Barton

Well done Barry. A most wonderful act of respect and honour by the Malaysian High Commission to the family of a man who fought bravely for his country and continued to serve in Malaysia after the war and incarceration in a Japanese Prisoner of War camp.

I am sure his son, Major Peter Lenthall, is most grateful and very proud to accept the Pingat Jasa Malaysia medal on behalf of his late father.

mcdangle wrote:

Well done Barry.

Nope. Well done, Andy McDangle. My part was easy. This would never have happened had Peter Lenthall not read your article in the Dumfries and Galloway Standard:

http://www.fight4thepjm.org/forum/viewtopic.php?p=18254&highlight=#18254

and that underlines the fundamental value of supporters continuing to keep the media aware of our just cause.

Barry


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BarryF, who fought for the Right to Wear the Pingat Jasa Malaysia

I inadvertently made some errors in my original post and these have now been corrected. My thanks to Peter Lenthall for taking the time and trouble to write to me with this update.

The story of the Lenthall family's connections with Malaysia is a of great interest to us all and I am sure you will enjoy reading the updated account which is set out in my corrected post at the beginning of this topic.

Barry


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BarryF, who fought for the Right to Wear the Pingat Jasa Malaysia

BarryF wrote:

Capt Edgar Lenthall MBE ARCM was seconded from the 9th Lancers to the embryonic Malay Regiment in 1937.

I congratulate the family of the late Capt Edgar Lenthall MBE ARCM PJM.

My grandfather served as a trooper in the 9th Queens Royal Lancers. He served in what is now Pakistan (Rawalpindi and Murree) before the first WW. And then served in South Africa. He was discharged in the rank of Sergeant, before the world WW started and then served as a Sgt.Major with the East Yorkshire Yeomanry in that war.


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