'...DI ATAS SIFAT....'

Pagi tadi, saya bersembang dengan seorang rakan, x-anggota TUDM daripada Cawangan Trafik Udara. Saya bertanyakan sama ada beliau telah mendapat PJM. Beliau memaklumkan yang beliau tidak berminat dengan pingat tersebut walau pun rakan sejawatnya pernah mencadangkan agar memohon semasa pingat itu mula diperkenalkan. Itu hak beliau...Tiada masalah kalau tak mahu. Saya memberitahu beliau bahawa saya mahukan PJM dan setelah 1 tahun menunggu, akhir tersemat juga di dada kiri pada April 2011. Saya berbangga dengan '...DI ATAS SIFAT KEPERWIRAAN, KEBERANIAN, PENGORBANAN DAN KESETIAAN DALAM MEMPERTAHANKAN KEDAULATAN NEGARA SEMASA TEMPOH DARURAT' 

Untuk makluman, isu pemakaian PJM telah dibincang oleh penggubal undang-undang di Parlimen England. Perkara ini dibangkitkan kerana kerajaan London 'melarang' pemakaian pingat berkenaan sempena 'Rememberance Sunday', 13 November setiap tahun. Penerima-penerimanya tidak berpuas hati dengan larangan tersebut dan mereka melobi Ahli-Ahli Parlimen untuk membincangkan perkara ini. Akhirnya, kerajaan akur dengan desakan veteran darurat Malaysia.

Perkara ini dimaklumkan oleh Lt Kol Idris Hassan melalui e-mel berikut....

From: Douglas Fox 
To: Idris Hassan 
Sent: Saturday, October 29, 2011 1:39 AM
Subject: THE RIGHT TO WEAR THE PINGAT JASA MALAYSIA

Dear Idris,

I am pleased and proud to forward this email and the Hansard extract to you. It is good to see Parliamentary debate in its most positive form (Hansard makes good reading).

I have to mention, of course, that the British veterans holding the PJM and living in Malaysia have proudly worn the medal notwithstanding the previous (incongruous if not just downright silly) rules. As one senior British retired general remarked while visiting Malaysia during the 50th Merdeka celebrations, wearing the PJM, "they can't lock us all up in the Tower!".

Kind regards,

Douglas

Dear Members,

This is a day for champagne corks to pop!  We have at last won the right to wear our PJM medal and will be able to do so by Remembrance Sunday this year and thereafter without restriction.  This has been a long campaign by many Associations, not just ours, and particularly the ‘Fight4thePJM’ campaign.  But you have all played your part magnificently in lobbying our members of Parliament, Commons and Lords, and others, for this right and we have spent many hours doing so.

I attach above the Hansard extract that will show you the full debate in the House of Lords last night.  In summary:

1.      The debate was led by Lord Astor of Hever, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Defence, who opened by recognizing the various debates on the subject of medals are further evidence of the strength of feeling in both Houses on this important matter and acknowledged the conviction with which a number of noble Lords have pursued their concerns about the PJM.

2.      The debate moved was that the Lords do not insist on its Amendment 6 to which the Commons disagreed.  (This was an Amendment which, amongst other things proposed that we should wear the PJM without restriction but the Commons felt it went too far and when they rejected it the PJM proposal was rejected as part of that package).

3.      Lord Astor recognized the concern in particular about whether, in advising Her Majesty on the acceptance and wearing of the PJM, the HD Committee made the right recommendation.  He went on to make it clear what the Government will do in response to these concerns.

·        First, there will be a fresh independent review of the rules governing the award of military medals.

·        Then, on the question of the PJM, he the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, has already commissioned a an urgent HD paper recommending that holders of the medal be able to wear it with the approval of Her Majesty.  He is confident to resolve the issue and to progress the matter swiftly so that the PJM can be worn on Remembrance Sunday this year [13 November 2011] and thereafter without restriction.  This therefore is our green light.

The debate continued, focusing on practice and procedure and raising some issues that will interest many of you, but raising nothing that would jeopardize the Governments intention at 3 above.  Read it for yourselves on the web also at this link:

http://www.theyworkforyou.com/lords/?id=2011-10-26a.856.2&m=100026

Please do disseminate this message to all your Members as soon as possible in whatever way you deem fit.  I will send a note to His Excellency the High Commissioner of Malaysia who will, I know, be delighted with this outcome.

I, and I am sure all of our Members, will toast this success this evening at dinner!

Yours aye

Tex Pemberton

Lieutenant Colonel Tex Pemberton OBE

Chairman

National Malaya and Borneo Veterans Association

Apakah nilai PJM pada saya? Sungguh tinggi!!  Mana tidaknya apabila melihat gambar dalam akhbar yang menunjukkan arwah Jeneral Tun Ibrahim bin Ismail (sebelum kembali ke rahmatullah) sanggup datang ke majlis penyampaian PJM oleh YB Menteri Pertahanan walau pun terpaksa datang dengan ambulan dan berkerusi roda. Inilah nilai PJM kepada seorang bergelar Tun, Jeneral & mantan PAT!!  Bukankah sekurang-kurangnya ada juga satu  persamaan di antara arwah Tun dengan mejer pencen ini...PJM. (Sayang sekali keratan akhbar tersebut telah hilang. Sesiapa yang ada menyimpan keratan tersebut, harap sudi e-melkan kepada saya). 

Lt Kol Idris Hassan (B)....Terima kasih.

SELAMAT HARI RAYA AIDILADHA

06 November...Terkini...

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