MARK McGIVERN'S excellent story in the Record about the fight for the right to wear the PJM medal covers the points of this struggle very well.

Colonel Clive Fairweather's comments regarding the insult given to the veterans and to the Malaysian people by this pettiness are well taken.

As a veteran of the Malayan Emergency, I would add that refusal to permit veterans to formally wear this medal also denigrates the sacrifice made by 519 comrades who gave their very lives in the struggle.

The army spokesman makes the fundamental error of confusing soldiers with veterans.

All recipients of the PJM are civilians in their sixties and seventies - no longer subject to military dress codes.

As for the assertion that "some soldiers are disgruntled", permit me to respectfully suggest readers access the website at www.fight4thepjm.org /index.htm and assess the level of emotion for themselves.