The PJM campaign has reached a critical stage. We need your help now.

We need you to write to, or email, your MP with a very simple message with words like (you should use your own) "Dear MP, I am a constituent of yours and I have been denied the right to wear the Pingat Jasa Malaysia. The full story is on display at www.fight4thepjm.org. The campaign has cross party support and from key people like the Rt Hon Sir Menzies Campbell CBE QC MP, the Rt Hon Michael Ancram QC, the Veterans Minister Tom Watson MP, Lord Healey and many more. The Foreign Secretary has the power to correct this injustice. I am contacting you to ask you to write to Mrs Beckett to ask her to support my request for formal permission to wear the medal I have earned. I would ask that you do this as a matter of urgency because the civil servants are still trying to deny me my rights. Thank you."

When contacting your MP you must include your full address and postcode (and, we suggest, your telephone number).

Too busy? Or unsure about how or where to contact your MP? Send us your postcode to enable us to identify your MP and we'll send you a pack that does it all, including the letter or email.

Click here and we'll help you to help us win this case. But we must do it now. Please. supporters@fight4thePJM.org

If you live abroad and do not have representation in the UK (despite being denied the right to wear the PJM by the British Government in the same way as UK based PJMers), please contact us at supporters@fight4thePJM.org and we'll help you register your claim in the UK.

This is the time. This is your time. You can make the difference. Now. It is critical. Questions will be raised in the Commons when they reconvene in October - we need Mrs Beckett to have heard from as many MPs as possible.

Thank you,

Fight4thePJM Team

PS: Does anybody live in Tony Blair's (Sedgefield) or Margaret Beckett's constituency (Derby South)? If so, please contact Barry Fleming at barry@fight4thePJM.org.


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

BarryF wrote:

The PJM campaign has reached a critical stage. We need your help now.

Here is an example of the support we need. Dennis wrote to his MP and she, a cabinet member, has contacted the Veterans Minister Tom Watson (who supports our campaign). A great result Dennis - and thanks for forwarding the letter for our archives.




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

Have just posted, via snailmail (air), the following letter to Margaret Becket, copied to Denis Brennan and emailed to Chris Edge:



Right Honourable Margaret M. Beckett MP,
Foreign Secretary,
Foreign and Commonwealth Office,
King Charles Street,
London,
SW1A 2AH 12 September 2006


Dear Mrs Beckett,

I am writing to you in the hope that you may be able to right an unjustifiable wrong that has been inflicted upon several tens of thousands of British servicemen and women who served their country with honour in Malaya/Malaysia during the period 31st August 1957 until 12th August 1966.

During that period, Malaya/Malaysia, having just gained independence, was struggling to emerge as a nation. It was a period that first saw the defeat of the Communist threat from within and, later, the thwarting of the armed aggression of its much larger neighbour, Indonesia. Commonwealth forces, under British command, played a very large part in the final outcome of these campaigns.

Recently, in order to express the grateful thanks of a now thriving country, the Yang De Pertuan Agong and government of Malaysia expressed a wish to bestow a medal, the Pingat Jasa Malaysia, on all those Commonwealth servicemen and women who had served in Malaya/Malaysia during the period mentioned earlier.

Other Commonwealth countries, recognising the generosity and gratefulness behind this gracious offer, have accepted it in the spirit in which it was intended. The former servicemen and women of Australia and New Zealand are now able to wear their awards with the pride it so richly deserves. Can the veterans of the United Kingdom’s armed forces do the same? No! This begs the question: Why?

All that has been received in answer to questions regarding the UK’s decision about this award seems to the proverbial ‘spin’, the tenor of which differs dependant upon which Whitehall department dealt with the query.

I believe that you have before you at the moment a petition that members of the campaign Fight4thePJM, of which I am part, submitted to Her Majesty the Queen recently. I also believe that you have two other supporting documents, The Rebuttal Statement and an update to that statement, outlining our case to have the decision taken by the Committee on the grants of Honours, Decorations and Medals reviewed.

Can you assure me that when you are considering these documents; the Petition, the Rebuttal Statement and the update to that statement, you will take into account the views of two ex-government ministers (both of whom supported our cause whilst in post), many other MPs, Privy Councellors, Barristers at Law and many other distinguished persons who support our cause.

Is it not time now to reconsider the HD Committee’s unjustifiable decision regarding the PJM? Within the context of the award, this should be treated as a Commonwealth award made by a Commonwealth country to Commonwealth forces. All faced the same hardships during the conflicts that the medal recognises. Should they all not be treated it the same way when it comes to being able to wear that honour bestowed upon them by a grateful nation, Malaysia?

Yours sincerely,


Laurence M Bean.
Contact details supplied.

Copy to:

Mr. Denis Brennan
Ceremonial Officer
Secretary to the HD Committee (Military Medals)
35 Great Smith Street
London
SW1P 3BQ

Email copy to: chris.edge@fco.gov.uk

LaurieB wrote:

Have just posted, via snailmail (air), the following letter to Margaret Becket, copied to Denis Brennan and emailed to Chris Edge:

Brilliant letter Laurie!

Thanks for taking the time and trouble to write to the three people who can influence this PJM situtaion.

And I hope your letter will inspire others to write or email.

Barry


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

Well done Laurie....that's the stuff to give 'em!


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

Laurie

Re Barry's and Jock's replies to yours, a great letter I wonder what the replies will be, mmmmmmmmmm ................. wouldn't be something like 'we are considering the rebuttal, rebuttal update and petition but would advise we need to go through the many queries raised, which is time consuming'...............

Odds on the above?


Strange isn't it really that our rebuttal has to ask the questions WHY? as you have stated in your brilliant letter Laurie, they would not have had to spend all this time, effort and money if the right decision was given in the first place. By the way which 'banana boat' did you come over on? Mine was the mv Banker!


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HD Committee: Amateurs in a Professional World
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Laurie,

Nice letter.

You'll get the same response, which is why in Australia, Politicians are placed one position higher on the ladder, than second hand sales men.

And that, is an insult to second hand car salesmen.


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

One more for the bag:



Dear Mr Streeter,

I am a constituent of yours and have contacted you in the past relating to the mean spirited, unjust decision made by the HD committee to deny myself and thousands of other veterans the right to wear the Pingat Jasa Malaysia (PJM) The full story is on display at www.fight4thepjm.org. The campaign has cross party support and from key people like Rt. Hon. Sir Menzeis Cambell CBE QC. The Rt. Hon Michael Ancram QC (I have written to him personally) Lord Healey and many more.

The foreign Secretary has the power to correct this injustice. I am contacting you to ask you to write to Mrs Beckett to ask her to support my request for formal permission to wear the medal which I, like so many, earned in the Malaysian jungle forty years ago. I would also ask that positive consideration be given to the petition to the Queen and the rebuttal which has been sent to her by the Queen also the update to the rebuttal.

I would ask that you do this as a matter of urgency please because the civil servants are trying to deny me my rights through a malicious campaign of deceit, and spin.

Thank you.


Yours sincerely





Robert Bryant.

Bob, the way to go, thanks mate, more please.........!


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HD Committee: Amateurs in a Professional World
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bob_bryant wrote:

One more for the bag:

And one I like muchly!

In fact it's a scorcher.

Thanks Bob.


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

As a citizen of Oz and not having an MP in the UK I have wrote to Tony Blair at his electoral office. The letter is very much in the same vein as the one I wrote to Margaret Beckett pointing out the injustice that exists in the PJM decision. While I don't have a lot of confidence in getting an intelligent response at least it adds to the growing dissatisfaction and disgust not only with the PJM decision but the whole manner in which the government does business. The Guardian article on the awards system has quite clearly identified many of the problems we are coming up against when dealing with senior public servants.


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All that is required for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing

IvorJ wrote:

The Guardian article on the awards system has quite clearly identified many of the problems we are coming up against when dealing with senior public servants.

Ivor,

Can you point readers to that the Guardian article to which you refer?

Thanks,

Barry


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

The article was posted by John Cooper on 11th Feb on the forum index "facts you should know". Although it was written in 2003 it is so relevant today and exposes a lot of the difficulties we are facing with public servants. Hope this is helpful.
Ivor


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All that is required for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing

IvorJ wrote:

The article was posted by John Cooper on 11th Feb on the forum index "facts you should know". Although it was written in 2003 it is so relevant today and exposes a lot of the difficulties we are facing with public servants. Hope this is helpful.

Thanks Ivor.

I've found the link and it is copied here:

http://politics.guardian.co.uk/whitehall/story/0,9061,1112122,00.html


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

BarryF wrote:

IvorJ wrote:

The article was posted by John Cooper on 11th Feb on the forum index "facts you should know". Although it was written in 2003 it is so relevant today and exposes a lot of the difficulties we are facing with public servants. Hope this is helpful.

Thanks Ivor.

I've found the link and it is copied here:

http://politics.guardian.co.uk/whitehall/story/0,9061,1112122,00.html

Actually I posted this yesterday morning Ivor here http://www.fight4thepjm.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=751 The February date was my join the forum date

Its only small info but it all makes up the larger picture, we have so much ammunition now that its hard to know what to hit the SUITS with first, anyway for the time being the powder is being kept high and dry!


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HD Committee: Amateurs in a Professional World
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