Gordon Brown is demonstrating more broken promises. Consequently he is under sever political pressure.

Now is the time to write to him direct and via your MP. Remind him of his pledge to change things where a clear injustice has happened, particularly where an injustice has been inflicted on ordinary men and women. He said anything is changeable - and where he can he will change it. He hasn't. Why not?

He solemnly promised Don Touhig in the Commons that he would look into the PJM. I have a letter saying that at the time of writing he has broken that promise. Why has he?

Will this Prime Minister go down in history as the great "I'll look into it but I never do anything" con merchant (as is being said in the and around the Commons) or will he demonstrate that he means what he says?

He's brilliant at nicking other people's ideas - send him yours for how the PJM injustice can be rectified.

Helpful Hint: The PM only needs to nudge his mate Mr David Miliband who in turn needs to blow the dust off his Royal Prerogative in respect of Foreign Decorations and then in turn nudge the HD Committee to amend the infamous Ministerial Statement they concocted (HD Committee? They are the unelected civil servants who in practice are exercising that Royal Prerogative outside of Parliament scrutiny – and shouldn’t be!).

Send us a copy of your letter. Post it here or send a copy to pmbrown@fight4thepjm.org. If you can't send us a copy, email us and tell us you have written to Mr Brown (via your MP as well).

Remember - our Star Letter Competition is still open! Every letter/email you send will be included as an entry - and there are some fantastic prizes on offer!

Thank you for your continuing support.
[/b]


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

My email to the PM

To the Rt Hon Gordon Brown,
In the House of Commons some weeks back you promised Don Touhig at PMQs that you would look into the issue of the Pingat Jasa Malaysia Medal (PJM); have you? If not why not?
Remembrance Day is fast approaching and if this debacle is not sorted out soon hundreds of veterans will be marching past the Cenotaph in front of Her Majesty the Queen wearing their PJM’s in defiance of Civil Servants who say we cannot wear this honourable medal, in fact at every remembrance parade throughout the UK Malay/Borneo veterans will wear their PJM.
What headline do you wish to see in the National Newspapers on Monday 12th November “Veterans Mutiny in front of Queen” or “Veterans wearing their medals with pride”, your choice because as sure as eggs are eggs someone will tip the press off.
I look forward to your reply.

Paul Alders
Fight4thepjm
Pingat Kami - Hak Kami

Being a mere 'Colonial' and therefore having no UK MP, I have cobbled together (shamelessly plagiarising Barry's 'helpful hints') the following generic letter....should any reader care to use the following as a template and modify it to send to their individual MP with a CC: to the Prime Minister...Please be my guest!!
Let me remind you to add your own name and postal address to any communication to your MP, in order that your status as a constituent may be verified.

=====================================================================


Dear (insert name) MP,

As your constituent I request that you write in my name, to the Prime Minister Gordon Brown, reminding him of his solemn promise to Don Touhig MP in the house of Commons, that he would look into the matter of the Pingat Jasa Malaysia.

To date no action has followed that promise and although Mr Brown has often repeated his mantra that "Anything is changeable - and where he can he will change it".... in the case of the PJM and the thousands of veterans that the denial of this medal affects, he hasn't. Why not?

The perception of the Prime Minister's readiness to agree to "look into it" but then to fail provide any resolution, or change in policy direction, is popularly seem to be undermining his (already shaky?) credibility.

Perhaps the most aggravating aspect of the PJM situation is that changing the ludicrous decision rendered by the HD Committee would cost the Government absolutely nothing! All that is necessary, is to encourage Mr Miliband to exercise his Royal Prerogative in respect of Foreign Decorations and suggest that the HD Committee amend the infamous Ministerial Statement.

Let me additionally point out that the HD Committee is actually the 'rubber stamp' for unelected civil servants, who in practice, are exercising that Royal Prerogative outside of Parliament scrutiny – and shouldn’t be!

I remain, your deeply concerned constituent, eagerly awaiting both, the Prime Minister's and your own anticpated response.

Sincerely.

(Your name and postal address here)


CC: Rt Hon Gordon Brown MP.
Prime Minister
10 Downing Street
London
SW1A 2AA
email: Browng@parliament.uk


For contact info regarding your own MP, should you not already have it, please see the listings at:
http://www.fight4thepjm.org/lobby_mp_2.htm


_________________
...................'Jock'
Paroi...Rasah...Batu Signals Troop.

Thanlks Jock.
Just done it.
I think my local MP, Mr Twigg MP, will be getting a bit cheesed off by now.
If I get no joy from this letter I will be attending one of his surgeries in person
Phredd

I have done the same to my MP Sir Michael Lord, on similar lines, he cannot be seen to support EDM's as he is a Deputy Speaker and precluded from doing so, but I do know he has every sympathy with our cause


_________________
--------------------------------------------------------------
HD Committee: Amateurs in a Professional World
---------------------------------------------------------------

phredd wrote:

Thanlks Jock.
Just done it.
I think my local MP, Mr Twigg MP, will be getting a bit cheesed off by now.
If I get no joy from this letter I will be attending one of his surgeries in person
Phredd

Phredd,

You have as your MP one of the major obstacles to reversing the PJM injustice. Word has it in and around the corridors of power that Mr Twigg was brought in as the third Veterans Ministers in almost as many months after his two predecessors were seen to be too understanding of Veterans' issues - including the honourable Don Touhig who was in office at the time of the confused and contemptuous PJM recommendation but has now changed his mind and supports us (his EDM and Commons statements demonstrate his support for PJMers).

Do remind Mr Twigg that his colleague Ian Pearson, the Foreign Office Minister responsible for presenting the flawed PJM Ministerial Statement to Parliament (via the back door so it would not be debated) has stated that his Statement was misguided and he is campaigning to have it amended so that the PJM can be proclaimed, formally, as being wearable by British citizens.

Mr Twigg won't listen, perhaps. Listening isn't his strong suit. He may turn his back on his two predecessors and his Ministerial colleague, and hundreds of other MPs, but constituents such as yourself have a unique opportunity to let him know that the PJM issue may well serve to haunt Labour through the next election. The SNP have thrashed Labour in Scotland in part because of Labour's non-listening mode and their protective attitude to civil servants (and, we would say, and the imperial 'honours' system), and Alex Salmond reckons the PJM should become an election issue because it impacts so unjustly on ordinary men and women.

Thanks very much for your ongoing support - against all odds.

Barry


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

Sent to my MP in response to yet another broken promise about the PJM.

Dear Mr. Bayley, MP,

Further to our continuing communications on the matter of the Pingat Jasa Malaysia medal, and your support for our case particularly by signing the EDM earlier this year, I am saddened to report that very little progress has resulted, despite the support of yourself and a considerable number of your colleagues.

As your constituent I request that you write in my name, to the Prime Minister Gordon Brown, reminding him of his solemn promise to Don Touhig MP in the house of Commons, that he would look into the matter of the Pingat Jasa Malaysia.

To date no action has followed that promise and although Mr Brown has often repeated that "Anything is changeable - and where he can he will change it".... in the case of the PJM and the thousands of veterans that the denial of this medal affects, he hasn't. Why not?

The perception of the Prime Minister's readiness to agree to "look into it" but then to fail provide any resolution, or change in policy direction, is popularly seem to be undermining his credibility.

Perhaps the most aggravating aspect of the PJM situation is that changing the unfathomable decision rendered by the HD Committee would cost the Government absolutely nothing! All that is necessary, is to encourage Mr. Miliband to exercise his Royal Prerogative in respect of Foreign Decorations and suggest that the HD Committee amend the infamous Ministerial Statement.

May I additionally point out that the HD Committee is actually the 'rubber stamp' for unelected civil servants, who in practice, are exercising that Royal Prerogative outside of Parliament scrutiny – and shouldn’t be!

I remain, your deeply concerned constituent, eagerly awaiting both, the Prime Minister's and your own anticipated response.

Sincerely.

John Rushton,


CC: Rt Hon Gordon Brown MP.
Prime Minister
10 Downing Street
London
SW1A 2AA
email: Browng@parliament.uk


_________________
Pingat Kami - Hak Kami
651 Signal Troop,
Semengo Camp,
Kuching.

Barry,

have you heard anything from Sandra Gidley MP to follow up her original apparent keeness to help us? And what about Radio Solent - what happened there ??


_________________
Veni vidi vinci

Meg Munn MP (Labour) is the FCO Trade and Industry Minister with responsibility for Malaysia and her website shows the following -


Malaysia’s 50th Birthday

Friday, September 07, 2007


As the Foreign Office Minister responsible for South East Asia, Meg attended a reception at Lancaster House in London to celebrate Malaysia’s 50th Independence Anniversary. Throughout this year there have been a number of events to commemorate this anniversary. In Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the Duke of York represented the Queen at celebrations to mark the 50th anniversary of Malaysia’s independence on 31st August 2007.



This year is also the 50th anniversary of bilateral relations between the UK and Malaysia. To mark this, the UK has undertaken a year-long public diplomacy campaign under the strapline ’Malaysia & UK: Forward Together’. The campaign has focused on three key pillars of bilateral relations of the past, present and future: education, science and innovation.


Associated Photograph :


Meg is pictured with the Malaysian High Commissioner to Britain, His Excellency Datuk Abdul Aziz Mohamed

MALAYSIA AND UK - Forward together when they have insulted the PJM, insulted the veterans of the emergency and confrontation, and insulted the Agong and people of Malaysia with their juvenile refusal to permit the PJM to be worn (sometimes) by British citizens. The PJM, 'no you can't have it; oh well, you can have it but you can't wear it; oh well, you can wear it temporarily in Malaysia; and NO you cannot wear it'. It is only a commemorative medal, or The Queen has granted permission for British citizens to accept the medal, but as a souvenir or keepsake only and not for wear (R. Coney MOD).

Perhaps it should be Malaysia and UK - Forward provided you play by British rules only. If it is to
be a year long public diplomacy campaign then what better time for Meg Munn and her cohorts to show that they are genuine by cancelling the 'non wear rule' on the PJM and proving to the Malaysians that her government listens to others, particularly British citizens.

Barry,

Just to say that I have sent an email letter to Celia Barlow and a c.c. to Gordon Brown re the wearing of the PJM.

I hope that it will go to help the cause. I will wear my medal at Rememberance regardless of what they say!!!

Mrs L Brookes wrote:

Barry,

Just to say that I have sent an email letter to Celia Barlow and a c.c. to Gordon Brown re the wearing of the PJM.

I hope that it will go to help the cause. I will wear my medal at Rememberance regardless of what they say!!!

Thanks very much, Lennie. Your support is very important to all PJMers, and we are grateful to you.

Barry


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

Barry., It looks like the Don,got my e-mail in time for the Defence Debate in the commons. I've sent him a big thank- you........Rob

robmorris wrote:

Barry., It looks like the Don,got my e-mail in time for the Defence Debate in the commons. I've sent him a big thank- you........Rob

That was a critical email you sent Rob. The result is that The Don was able to fight our cause again in the Commons - and to question the HD Committee's agenda.

He's a great supporter of British veterans and I've written to him to say so.

Thanks to you, a constituent of The Don's, our campaign has received another nudge forward.

Barry


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

Barry
Is there a given length of time to wait before you chase up a reply to correspondence sent to your MP ??

Phredd

phredd wrote:

Barry
Is there a given length of time to wait before you chase up a reply to correspondence sent to your MP ??

Phredd

Hi Phredd,

No. I email his office if there is an unusual delay say after a month (the period of time he suggested). For urgent stuff, I email after a couple of weeks.

Speaking of which ... he owes me a reply to my questions about Tory plans to sort out the Foreign Decorations mess ... I'll call now.

Thanks for the reminder!

Barry


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