Written question asked by Jon Trickett (Labour) on Friday, 2 February 2007, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 6 February 2007. It was answered by Baroness Beckett (Labour) on Monday, 26 February 2007 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Malaysia: Military Decorations

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many people have applied for the Pingat Jasa Malaysia Medal; how many Pingat Jasa Malaysia Medals have been awarded; what the average timeframe was from application to issuance of the medal since its introduction; and if she will make a statement.

Answer: The Pingat Jasa Malaysia (PJM) is a commemorative medal issued by the Malaysian Government for service between August 1957 and August 1966. Records of the numbers of applications, numbers of medals issued, and the average timeframe from application to issue are not held by the Government.The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is responsible for administering the policy relating to the acceptance and wear of non-British awards by British citizens. However, the Ministry of Defence has agreed to endorse applications for the PJM from veterans and to pass them on to the Malaysian high commission. Several thousand have been passed on, but no record of their numbers has been kept. Veterans who wish to check the progress of their applications should write to the Malaysian high commission.

Secondary information