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DUMBARTON VETERAN WEARS MALAYSIAN MEDAL WITH PRIDE, WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM HER MP
When Dumbarton RAF veteran Moira Murray went to her MP last summer about the medal she had been awarded but wasn’t allowed to wear, she didn’t hold out much hope of getting a result. But six months later, after Gemma Doyle MP took the campaign to Parliament, Moira can now proudly wear her Pingat Jasa Malaysia (PJM) Medal, awarded for service during the Malayan Conflict in the late 1950s, along with all other holders.
The PJM Medal was awarded to serving personnel during the Malayan Conflict in the 1950s by the Malaysian Government in recognition of the work undertaken by Commonwealth forces. British recipients were, until recently, unable to officially wear the PJM Medal as it was awarded by a foreign state.
Miss Murray, a veteran of the RAF, served during the Malayan Conflict, departing for Singapore on 13th June 1958, arriving 6 days later despite an estimated journey time of 3 days. In her time in the RAF, Miss Murray travelled extensively throughout south east Asia and Australia. She has continued to pursue her interest in travel since leaving the RAF in 1962.
Gemma Doyle led the debate in Parliament last year at the Despatch Box for veterans to be allowed to wear the medal, and, despite the Government voting down the proposal, the Honours and Decorations Committee, which oversees the regulations on medals, decided shortly after the debate that the medal could be worn.
West Dunbartonshire MP Gemma Doyle said,
“I am delighted that Miss Murray and her fellow veterans of the Malaysian conflict can now wear their medal in public with pride.
“Miss Murray first came to see me about this last summer at one of my coffee mornings. I promised her I would raise it but we didn’t get our hopes up. The issue came to the fore during Parliamentary debate on the Armed Forces Bill where a number of Lords and MPs argued that PJM holders should be allowed to wear their medal. By coincidence I was leading on the Armed Forces Bill for the opposition as the Shadow Minister for Veterans and Welfare and was delighted to get the chance to argue the case from the Despatch Box.
“It was lovely to hear all about Miss Murray’s experiences in Malaysia and all the people she has kept in touch with since. I’m just happy to we got a result in this case.”
For more information on the Pingat Jasa Malaysia medal visit the website here.
Gemma Doyle's speech can be read in full here.