This ribbon bar belonged to Choong Kim Siew, a Leading Seaman with the Royal Malaysian Navy, and represent the three medals that he was awarded. The Pingat Perkhidmatan Am and the Pingat Khidmat Berbakti are awarded for service in the armed forces, while the Pingat Peringatan Malaysia was awarded to individuals who had provided services to the formation of Malaysia in 1963. In 1957, Choong joined what was then known as the Royal Malayan Navy. The navy was responsible for the maritime defence of the newly-independent Malaya and was heavily involved in conflicts such as the Malayan Emergency and Konfrontasi. The Royal Malayan Navy was renamed in 1963 to reflect the formation of Malaysia.