Pingat Jasa Malaysia

Pingat Jasa Malaysia: In 2004, the Malaysian government offered Australia the Pingat Jasa Malaysia medal to commemorate Australian Defence Force personnel who served to uphold the sovereignty of Malaysia during the Malayan Emergency and the Indonesian Confrontation between 31 August 1957 and 31 December 1966. The Australian government accepted the offer and has issued over 8,000 medals.

The Malaysian Government has set the following eligibility guidelines:

• Awarded to Australian Defence personnel, who served in the prescribed areas from 31 August 1957 to 12 August 1966, or to 9 August 1965 for service in Singapore (the point at which it separated from the Federation of Malaysia);
• Service until 31 December 1966 will also qualify for those personnel who were posted to Malaysia for service prior to 12 August 1966, but failed to qualify for the medal before that date;
• Awards will also be made to those whose service was cut short as a result of death or injury as a result of service in these areas;
• Around 40 former members of the Australian Army who were recruited by the Government of the Federation of Malaya to serve as Lieutenants in the Malaysian Police Force are also eligible for the award; and
• The Department of Defence will receive applications, verify the service and eligibility and facilitate the approval to wear the award in accordance with guidelines for foreign awards.

The qualifying period for the medal is 90 days for those personnel posted to units in direct support of operations in the prescribed areas. Those posted to units in indirect support are required to serve for 180 days in the prescribed areas.

The start date for the medal is 31 August 1957, because this is the date that Malaya/Malaysia became an independent nation and can be translated as ‘The Malaysian Service Medal.’

The medal is a circular silver finished medal 36 millimetres in diameter. The obverse has the Malaysian national crest over the inscription ‘JASA MALAYSIA.’ The reverse has a map of Malaysia over the initial letters ‘P.J.M’. The medal is connected to a decorated suspension bar by two crossed ‘palas’ palm fronds.

The ribbon has a central red stripe that symbolises chivalry and gallantry, flanked by blue stripes representing the contribution made by supporting forces during the campaigns and the appreciation of the Malaysian people, edged by yellow stripes representing the sovereignty of Malaysia.