The Sabah Certificate of Honor Medal (Yang Di-Pertuan Negara) will be addressed in this guide.  Sabah has been a state in Borneo, Malaysia since 16 September 1963.  The Certificate of Honor Medal was instituted on 5 October 1963 under Enactment Order Number 33 and recognizes meritorious and faithful service to the State of Sabah.  It can be awarded to males and females, citizens and non-citizens.  Evidence indicates that at least two British or Commonwealth military members were presented with this award.  At least one award was made retroactive to 1962 for service during the Brunei-Sabah Rebellion.  Others were awarded for the 1966 for the Brunei-Sabah Rebellion.  In September 2005, 53 Certificate of Honor Medals were awarded (as announced in the Sabah Honours List and also published in The Gazette).  In September 2006, 56 Certificate of Honor Medals were awarded (as announced in the Sabah Honours List and also published in The Gazette). 

The Sultan of Sabah authorizes the awards based upon the recommendation of the Chief Minister (who maintains the Register of Recipients as well).  This award consists of a certificate and an accompanying medal.  The circular medal is 1.5 inches in diameter.  The obverse is highly polished with the State emblem in high relief.  The reverse is also highly polished with PERKHIDMATAN TERPUJI (Meritorious Service) in 2 lines in high relief with a field below for engraving the recipient's name and date of award.   The naming is of the same style for each recipient for each award date and has varied very little over the years.  A .5 inch suspension ring attaches the medal to the ribbon.  The 1.25 inch silk ribbon is red, white and blue with a 1/16 inch gold stripe between the red and white and a 1/16 inch green stripe between the white and blue.  It is suspected that there have been 2 different makers of this medal -or possibly 2 different sets of dies since variances in the lettering have been noted.  The award is accepted in Malaysia as an official award and is worn with uniforms. 

Sabah Certificate of Honor ribbon

The Sabah Certificate of Honor Medal very rarely enters the market.  Most are retained by the family upon the death of the recipient.  One was offered for auction in 1987 (with certificate) with a reserve bid of $500 but the final sell value was not released.  It is suspected a miniature version exist.  A length of ribbon  (approximately $2 per inch) is difficult to obtain but it is possible - which is probably as close as most collectors can hope in obtaining any form of this medal for their collection. 

Forgeries and copies of this medal are fairly rare since the penalties for a copy are quite severe in Malaysia.  Medal collecting can be very specific and the above guides are intended as an introduction to Sabah's orders, decorations, and medals.  In this particular case, the certificate and the medal should be a pair and I strongly advise you against purchasing a split set.  My best advice is:  Buy from a Malaysian speciality dealer who will offer you a 100% guarantee.  Expert advise is often needed since the guides can not address every possible question - especially about a specific medal.  Please visit my blog (http://blogs.ebay.com/tsa-li) and/or guides for further information.  Thank you for your visit!