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My Letter to Margaret Beckett M.P
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Thought you might like site of my letter that I have just forwarded to Margaret Beckett, MP, Just hope I have got my facts right.
Kind Regards
Terry...



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Excellent letter and thank you for taking the time to write.
This is just the sort of thing we need.

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revellt wrote:
Thought you might like site of my letter that I have just forwarded to Margaret Beckett, MP, Just hope I have got my facts right.


Great letter revellt - as Paul says, we need more such letters at this critical time. I think yours wil inspire others to write - I certainly hope so.

Barry


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

That is brilliant, thanks a lot!

For all you guys (and gals) that were in this theatre of operations if you haven't done so please contact Ms Beckett, this is really important as it is ONLY her department that can overturn this injustice and she has sitting on her desk a Rebuttal from our team, it really is that important.


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Herewith one I have in it's envelope ready for mailing in the a.m.....and just so's he won't feel left out I modified it to send Denis Brennan a copy too...

Anyone who might care to...please feel free to 'cut & paste' from it, or modify it to suit your own tastes...but send Mrs Beckett LOTS of letters.....Now please?

Rt. Hon. Margaret Beckett MP,
The Foreign Secretary,
FCO, King Charles Street,
London SW1A 2AH
England. UK.

August 11, 2006. Pingat Jasa Malaysia (PJM)

Dear Mrs. Beckett,

I am reliably advised that you are the recipient of both, a copy of a Petition to Her Majesty regarding the Pingat Jasa Malaysia and a recently produced Rebuttal to the Written Ministerial Statement of 31st January 2006.

Being myself a Party and Signatory to both of the aforementioned documents, representing the interests of many ex-patriate veterans qualified by their service to receive the PJM, and now resident in North America, I too have been provided with a copy of Her Majesty’s response and I am writing to you again today in an attempt to highlight the importance of certain aspects of that Petition and Rebuttal.

In particular, the so called ‘Five Year Rule’, (extensively covered in Section 16 of the aforementioned ‘Rebuttal’) does not appear to be supported by documentary proof of ever having been signed into law by Parliamentary action, neither does it ever seem to have been approved for use by our Monarch’s signature. It appears, in fact, to be little more than a convenient myth.

Would you therefore advise me by return mail: By what right does the FCO mandate the actions of civilian veterans regarding the wearing of a foreign decoration via this ‘rule’ when no demonstrable proof of its legality can be produced?
*NB. Many concerned civilian veterans have requested ‘validation’ on multiple occasions…to be summarily told by a Civil Servant that ‘'There is no right of appeal. It is not a matter of Law or your Statutory Rights'.

I reject such a response as unacceptable in a democratic society and would appreciate your thoughtful consideration of the matter.

Yours sincerely,



John Gordon Fenton
(ex-Royal Corps of Signals & 17th Gurkha Division)


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Paroi...Rasah...Batu Signals Troop.
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My letter to Margaret Beckett and many many others.

I realize with what is going on in the world today that you must be extremely busy and the rights of 35,000 British Veterans must at times be at best a nuisance.
But nuisance or not these rights will not go away and must be addresses sooner or later.

We are informed that you are now in procession of the Petition which was sent to Her Majesty the Queen and also the Rebuttal.
May I draw your attention to the so called five year rule, in reality it does not exist in the context that it is being used, one senior Civil Servant in the MoD has already admitted that the five year rule is a myth and only exists in folklore, he also went as far to say that if I had any papers on this subject would I be so kind as to let him have a copy.
My research has so far shown that this ruling was first discussed in the 1950s and was only meant to apply to WW2 Operational Medals, sadly HM King George VI died before it could be ratified and I can find no evidence of HM the Queen having ever signed such a document also I can find no evidence of this ruling being put to Parliament.
Should you have evidence to the contrary could you please let me have a copy.

I thank you for your time and look forward to hearing from you.

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Should have placed this here (digit trouble!)

The Rt Hon Margaret Beckett MP

The Pingat Jasa Malaysia Medal

Dear Margaret

You are the only person that can overturn the insensitive ruling that The Honours and Decorations Committee decided upon and your departments announcement on January 31st 2006 regarding the Non Wearing Rule by recipients.

Whilst I am pleased that the HD Committee accepted its presentation I am disgusted on The Non Wear Issue when:

1> My fellow Veterans in Australia and New Zealand have The Unrestricted Right to Wear, how naff that we have been victimised in Britain as if to rub salt into already sore rules. Our Empiric rules are just that lost in the mist of time.
2> The Pingat Jasa Malaysia has been referred by a top Civil Servant as a Souvenir or Keepsake, never in my 67 years have I heard such a demeaning and derogatory statement as this to 519 comrades that did not return from this conflict.
3> I have been informed (again by a top Civil Servant) that there is no right of appeal or that I have any statutory rights regarding the Unrestricted Wear Rule
4> I have asked many UK Government Departments to provide documentary evidence on ‘the rules’ as laid down by the HD Committee no one has found these rules or even replied to who ‘invented’ them
5> One is the Five Year Rule and the other The Double Medalling Rule
6> I am one of the Signatories to the Rebuttal and Petition to Her Majesty that is currently sitting on your desk, I urge you ma’am to see reason where I have the right to two PJMs one for myself and a posthumous one for my father where we both served in the Malaysian Area at the same time. Whom do I show the greatest discourtesy to by wearing the PJMs Her Majesty The Queen or not to wear my fathers PJM, can I just ask you to ponder the latter as to what your thoughts would be Margaret if you had to make the choice between being a very proud and loyal subject or a very proud next of kin (in my case eldest son)?

Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to read this

Yours sincerely

John Cooper


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This is my letter to FCO
valentine wrote:


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valentine wrote:


A great letter! Just what we need at this pivotal time.

Many thanks for writing it and going to the trouble of posting it where it will inspire others to write.

Barry


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George F wrote:
Rt Hon Margaret Beckett MP/


Brilliant letter, George.

Telling points made. Reinforces our Rebuttal that is being considered by her and the FCO.

Focuses her mind on the papers on her desk - Margaret Beckett can change all this. She can ask for a review. She can ask for us to have the right to wear the PJM.

Barry


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My letter to Margaret Beckett has been posted today - as below

19 Starkey Street
Palmwoods
Sunshine Coast
Queensland
Australia

13 August 2006


Rt. Hon. Margaret Beckett MP,
The Foreign Secretary,
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
King Charles Street,
London SW1A 2AH
UK

Re: Pingat Jasa Malaysia (PJM)

Dear Madam Foreign Secretary

As a Malay Borneo veteran I feel compelled to write to you regarding the grave injustice regarding the refusal to grant permission for British veterans to formally wear the PJM medal. I understand that a copy of a petition to Her Majesty regarding the PJM and a recently produced Rebuttal to the Written Ministerial Statement of 31st January 2006 has been sent to you. As you are in receipt of these documents I will not take up your valuable time in repeating the issues. I would however like to present some important points for your perusal in order for the government to do the honourable thing and rescind this unfair decision.

One of your senior public servants has described the PJM as a mere “trinket”. This is an insult to the Malaysian people as well as the 35000 Borneo and Malay veterans who defeated the spread of communism through the Malay Peninsula. I served two tours of duty in the Royal Navy and being at the front line of operations witnessed the atrocious conditions that members of all services had to contend with. I myself was medically evacuated back to the UK with career limiting injuries. I witnessed many men with bullet wounds, terrible jungle ulcers and other tropical conditions. Many did not make it back to their homeland and families.

I ask you madam, can you understand that when a generous Commonwealth country wants to reward these hardships and sacrifices, the response is to treat it as a trinket.

I am a resident of Australia and the British Cabinet Office has said that in Australia I can wear the PJM unrestricted without being discourteous to her Majesty. I cannot believe that this discrimination against British veterans has been allowed to happen.

Discussions with my Australian ex service colleagues indicate they are unable to comprehend how this could be allowed to happen in a just society. As you know Australia graciously accepted the PJM for unrestricted wear and the Governor General was the first to receive his PJM. Australia withdrew from the British Honours system and with respect Madam it would enhance the Government’s standing to urgently review the decision on the PJM and review the whole honours system. Hopefully this would enable it to represent the views of the community, not just those of some senior public servants.

At a time when the world is facing many difficulties, what a splendid gesture it would be to review this grossly unfair decision


Yours sincerely,



Ivor Rich
Ex Royal Navy Malay/Borneo Veteran


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That Ivor is an excellent letter, congratulations. TRINKET should set the cat among the pigeons

John Wink


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Ivor,
To say I like your letter is an understatement, thank you for your support.

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IvorJ wrote:
My letter to Margaret Beckett has been posted today


Wonderful letter, Ivor.

Letters like this will make a diiference. I hope it will inspire others to write.

Thanks,

Barry


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