That this House welcomes the announcement by the Malaysian Government that it wishes to award the Pingat Jasa Malaysia medal to all Commonwealth ex-service personnel who served in either the emergency or the confrontation in that country between 1957 and 1966; recalls that a number of British Army regiments, including the Royal Ulster Rifles, served in Borneo during that period together with other elements of the United Kingdom Armed Forces; notes that the Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister has discussed the award of the medal with the Right honourable Member for Blackburn, the Foreign Secretary; and calls on the Government to permit British ex-service personnel to receive this medal as recognition of their valiant service to the Crown and the people of Malaysia.

This is a posting I found on a website that was posted on the 9th September 2004.

United Kingdom Parliament  (11 Jan 2005)

Service Medals

Lord Chadlington asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether present or former eligible members of Her Majesty's forces will be entitled to wear the medal recently awarded by the government of Malaysia to all Commonwealth ex-servicemen who served in either the emergency or the confrontation between 1957 and 1966. [HL582]

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: No. HMG's rules on the acceptance and wearing of foreign awards preclude the acceptance of medals for events in the distant past or more than five years previously. In addition, the rules do not allow for a foreign award to be accepted if a British award has been given for the same service. Eligible veterans of the Emergency or Confrontation in Malaya should already have received the Malaya Bar to their General Service Medal.

All British citizens require permission from HMG to accept and wear foreign state awards. HMG have to date, received no request from the Malaysian Government for this medal to be presented to British ex-servicemen who are veterans of the Emergency or Confrontation in Malaya.

THOSE WISHING TO MAKE YOU FEELINGS FELT SHOULD WRITE TO 

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean  
House of Lords, London, SW1A OAA

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE TO ADD AS ONE MEMBER HAS ALREADY STATED 

If what she says is true about foreign awards not being allowed when a British serviceman has already been given an award (or campaign GSM) I would like to ask her to explain why did HMG allow British servicemen accept the Kuwait and Saudi Arabia (FOREIGN) medals on top of the medal awarded by HMG for services in the 1991 Iraq war?