Wan Junaidi explains eligibility for gallantry award

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KUCHING: The Pingat Jasa Pahlawan Negara (PJPN) gallantry award will only be given to ex-armed forces who assisted the police during the state of emergency.

Deputy Home Minister Datuk Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar clarified this in response to queries from some army veterans on the matter.

“PJPN is for police personnel and army personnel, civilian officers and civilian persons who assisted the police during emergencies.

“However, ex-army personnel who served during emergencies may apply for Pingat Jasa Malaysia (PJM), which is under the Ministry of Defence,” he told The Borneo Post yesterday.

Wan Junaidi, who is Santubong MP, recently announced that the government had agreed to bestow medals on security

forces and civilians for their heroic acts when assisting the police during emergencies between 1948 and 1960 as well as 1960 and 1989 in Peninsular Malaysia and from 1962 to 1990 in Sarawak.

Based on the list with his ministry, he said there were 146,888 nationwide eligible to receive the medals, but there could be more.

Wan Junaidi said PJPN is in recognition and appreciation of the recipients’ heroic acts in safeguarding the country and would be given out in stages.

For the first batch, 10,000 medals would be handed out nationwide, with 1,000 for Sarawak to be presented by Head of State Tun Datuk Patinggi Abang Muhammad Salahuddin Abang Barieng some time this month.