New Zealanders eligible for Malaysian military medal
Prime Minister Helen Clark announced today that the Queen has given her approval for eligible New Zealanders who served in Malaya / Malaysia to wear the Pingat Jasa Malaysia (PJM) medal.
Helen Clark said the Malaysian government wishes to award the PJM medal to those who served in Malaya / Malaysia for at least 90 days, between 31 August 1957 and 31 December 1966. This also includes service in Singapore up to 9 August 1965.
"New Zealand and Malaysia enjoy a long-standing and valuable defence relationship. The Malaysian government's offer of the PJM medal is an acknowledgement of the contribution made by New Zealanders to the security of Malaysia, and the region," Helen Clark said.
Defence Minister Mark Burton said while the PJM medal is a foreign award, it would be administered by the New Zealand Defence Force. The medal recognises certain service in Malaya, Borneo, and Singapore between 1957 and 1966.
"The NZDF will act as the agent for the Malaysian government in the administration of the PJM award. However, in all possible circumstances, senior representatives from the Malaysian government will present medals in person to recipients, including the next of kin in the case of posthumous awards," Mark Burton said.
Application forms should be sent to: Medals Office, Headquarters New Zealand Defence Force, Private Bag 905, Upper Hutt, New Zealand.
Once the applications have been verified, they will be forwarded to the High Commission of Malaysia, in Wellington, which will undertake the approval and presentation of the PJM medal to eligible veterans.
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ELIGIBILITY
Two categories of eligibility will be assessed by Headquarters New Zealand Defence Force for the award of the Pingat Jasa Malaysia medal.
Category One:
a. Those members of the New Zealand Armed Forces who were on the posted strength of a unit or formation, and who served in the prescribed operational area of Malaysia and Singapore, in direct support of operations in Malaysia, for 90 days or more, in the aggregate, as follows:
(1) Malaysia during the period 31 August 1957 to 31 December 1966 inclusive; and / or
(2) Singapore during the period 31 August 1957 to 9 August 1965 inclusive.
Service between 12 August 1966 and 31 December 1966 will only be aggregated as qualifying service if a member was posted for operations to Malaya or Malaysia on or before 12 August 1966.
The prescribed operational area of Malaysia and Singapore is the landmass of East Malaysia (that is: the States of Sabah and Sarawak on the Island of Borneo), the Malay Peninsula, and the Island of Singapore. The prescribed operational area also includes the sea area of Malaysia.
b. Those members of the New Zealand Armed Forces who were on the posted strength of a unit or formation outside of the prescribed operational area detailed in paragraph a. above, but who served in a secondary role in indirect support of operations in Malaysia for 180 days or more, in the aggregate, during the period 31 August 1957 to 31 December 1966 inclusive.
The secondary role is in respect of service with RNZN ships patrolling outside of the prescribed operational area whilst allocated to the Commonwealth Far East Strategic Reserve.
Service between 12 August 1966 and 31 December 1966 will only be aggregated as qualifying service if a member was serving on a RNZN ship allocated to the Commonwealth Far East Strategic Reserve on or before 12 August 1966.
c. Those New Zealand citizens who served in a civilian law enforcement capacity (police, home guard or security services) in the prescribed operational area of Malaysia only, in direct support of operations in Malaysia, for 90 days or more, in the aggregate, during the period 31 August 1957 to 31 December 1966 inclusive.
Service between 12 August 1966 and 31 December 1966 will only be aggregated as qualifying service if a person was posted for operations to Malaya or Malaysia on or before 12 August 1966.
Notes:
1. Sorties from bases outside of the operational area as prescribed at paragraph a. above do not count as qualifying service towards the award of the PJM medal. Only service by those on the posted strength of bases located in Malaysia and Singapore, and in cases where the sorties have been mounted from those bases, will be counted as qualifying service towards the award of the PJM medal. Only the first sortie from inside the prescribed operational area on any one day will be counted as qualifying service.
2. Service may be aggregated in relation to paragraphs a. and b. above. This is calculated on the basis that:
a. Service of one day in the operational area counts as one day towards qualification for the medal.
b. Service of two days in the secondary role is calculated as one day.
c. All service counts towards an aggregate of 90 days.
For example, a person who has 10 days' service in the operational area, and 160 days' service in the secondary role, will qualify for the medal on the basis of 10 + (160 ÷ 2) = 90.
Category Two:
Those members of the New Zealand Armed Forces, or those New Zealand citizens, who had their period of service in the operational area terminated by death, or by evacuation due to illness or injury or other disability due to that service, during the period 31 August 1957 to 31 December 1966 inclusive, and before the completion of the period of qualifying service prescribed in Category One.
General:
There will only be one award of the medal to a person unless otherwise advised. Should the medal be lost or destroyed, it will not be replaced at public expense.
Individual applications made directly to the Government of Malaysia for an award of the medal will be referred to Headquarters New Zealand Defence Force, for the assessment and verification of the individual's service.
The start date for the medal is 31 August 1957, because this is the date that Malaya / Malaysia became an independent nation.
ORDER OF WEAR
The PJM shall be worn immediately after the Korean issued War Service Medal and ahead of the INTERFET Medal if either is already held. If not it shall be worn as a foreign award
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RNZN deployments eligible for the PJM medal
The following 16 RNZN deployments are eligible for the PJM medal:
HMNZS Royalist 31 August 1957 to 18 June 1958
HMNZS Rotoiti 22 May 1958 to 11 March 1959
HMNZS Pukaki 6 June 1959 to 15 March 1960
HMNZS Rotoiti 17 April 1960 to 15 February 1961
HMNZS Royalist 22 February 1961 to 12 July 1961
HMNZS Pukaki 9 July 1961 to 23 May 1962
HMNZS Taranaki 18 May 1962 to 12 March 1963
HMNZS Otago 5 June 1963 to 25 November 1963
HMNZS Taranaki 15 December 1963 to 20 August 1964
HMNZS Otago 15 October 1964 to 10 May 1965
HMNZS Royalist 20 May 1965 to 29 October 1965
HMNZS Santon 10 April 1965 to 25 November 1965
HMNZS Hickleton 12 April 1965 to 27 November 1965
HMNZS Taranaki 3 November 1965 to 23 April 1966
HMNZS Santon 26 November 1965 to 20 May 1966
HMNZS Hickleton 28 November 1965 to 30 July 1966
Personnel who served on two or more of the following five RNZN deployments may be eligible for the PJM medal, if their total number of days of qualifying service (as indicated in barracks) is 90 days or more:
HMNZS Royalist 25 March 1959 to 10 June 1959 (53.5 days' qualifying service)
HMNZS Otago 23 February 1962 to 26 March 1962 (27 days' qualifying service)
HMNZS Royalist 14 March 1963 to 26 June 1963 (75.5 days' qualifying service)
HMNZS Royalist 19 May 1964 to 17 July 1964 (33 days' qualifying service)
HMNZS Otago 29 April 1966 to 2 September 1966 (67.5 days' qualifying service)
