The Royal Air Force as seen by John Cooper
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The PJM Medal

 
 
Stop Press 26th October 2011 The Lords Amendment to The Armed Forces Bill was a victory for common sense, the Lords and the Government 'traded off' a deal allowing the Pingat Jasa Malaysia Medal to be worn without restriction from Remembrance Sunday [2011] and thereafter
 
 
 
March 12th 2007 The Secretariat to The Cabinet Office announced on March 12th 2007 that their original decision on barring UK Veterans from wearing the PJM is upheld, in other words they have turned down our Rebuttal and apparently totally ignored the Petition by us to Her Majesty The Queen.
 
Ironically on March 13th 2007 when we felt we had been dealt a body blow one of our researchers came across The London Gazette article of 3rd May 1968 reads thus :
 
 FOREIGN OFFICE
COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
ORDERS, DECORATIONS AND MEDALS CONFERRED
BY MEMBERS OF THE COMMONWEALTH
OF WHICH THE QUEEN IS NOT
HEAD OF STATE, AND BY FOREIGN
COUNTRIES.
 
The QUEEN has been graciously pleased to approve
that Orders, Decorations and Medals conferred with
Her Majesty's permission upon United Kingdom
citizens not being servants of the Crown by the
Heads or Governments of Commonwealth countries
as defined above, or of foreign States, may in all
cases be worn by the recipients without restriction.
 
There has never been (to our knowledge) an amendment to that order, we have now stated to Whitehall, London that unless they can show us the evidence to the contrary then we are at ease with ourselves that The Queen has given us that approval unrestricted
 
John Cooper 1st April 2007

Did you serve in Malaysia, Singapore, Borneo, Sarawak, Brunei, Kuching or Sabah from Merdeka in 1957 to 1966, the end of The Confrontation with the British Armed Forces. If so you may be able to claim your Pingat Jasa Malaysia Medal.
 
The UK Government has advised Her Majesty The Queen to allow UK citizens to receive the PJM from The King of Malaya but in turn have refused them to wear it.
 
We are fighting to overturn this unjust ruling, but we need help in doing so, the details of the PJM and the lobbying can be found here http://www.fight4thepjm.org/index.htm and be sure to visit the forum to register your complaint here http://www.fight4thepjm.org/forum/index.php
 
I will be receiving two PJM's on Sunday October 1st at Colchester Castle Park in an NMBVA Stone Laying Ceremony. One medal will be a posthumous medal on behalf of my father and one for myself whilst we served together in Malaya/Singapore in the late 1950's.
 
Upon receipt of both medals, I shall wear one on each lapel as a mark of respect to my father and those fallen comrades who never made it back to 'Blighty'
 
Lest we forget............... 
 
Thank you
John Cooper
 
Further update
 
Dedication of Memorial
Colchester Castle Park 1st October 2006
At 0945hrs Standard Bearers Briefing
1030hrs Veterans and Standards assemble
1045hrs Guests and Visitors assemble at The Memorial Site
1055hrs Principal Guests at The Memorial Site
1100hrs Service of Dedication of The Memorial
Followed by presentation of 40 PJMs (although I noticed two medals not collected)
Followed by March Past of Saluting Dais
The latter involved The Lord Lieutenant of Essex The Rt Hon Lord Petrie, Col.Razaf, Major (Retired) John Lilley RE and Bob Russell MP LibDem for Colchester
The Medal Presentation was held by Colonel Razaf Idris Defence Advisor MHC (He saluted each Veteran prior to a handshake and presenting the medal) and signed souvenir programmes prefaced by him ‘To Our Heroes’ with much joking within The Ranks.
3 Parachute Regiment provided a Bugler, The RBL Band from Harwich were in attendance together with a lone piper RSM (Retired) Jock Nicholson RMP
Memorial Chaplain Rev Tony Rose
Memorial Organiser was Russell Dick NMBVA
The Parade Marshal was WO1 Colchester Garrison Sergeant Major J J Coleman RRF (By Golly did he have us marching in step!)
I was never one for parades and such Bull but this was different, it was very tiring for being on ones feet for two hours but I felt proud being part of it. The NMBVA did a splendid job of organising the event and the rain stayed away with a little divine right from the Chaplain! The heavens opened up about an hour later.
The memorial stone was in such a position that was a very pleasing setting in a town that boasts a 2000 year history adjacent to a 1000 year old castle and in a magnificent garden. Their memory will ne’er be forgotten, I for one will make sure of that.
There were Veterans in attendance that didn’t receive a medal for one reason or another, but their presence made the event even more poignant and when it comes to your turn to receive yours I hope you hold your heads up high and that the Her Majesty’s Government hang their heads in absolute shame.
We Will Remember Them……
 

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