Coming home

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Malaysia flag flying at half-mast in St. Xavier's Institution during National Mourning Day.

Story by Chan Lilian

TEARS flow freely as Penang state leaders, Members of Parliament, civil servants and the people stood solemnly at the ground floor of Komtar on Aug 22.
Dressed mostly in black, they were in solidarity with the grief of the families who lost their loved ones in the MH 17 tragedy on July 17 when the plane was shot down over Ukraine.

Telecast live from KL International Airport, the nation observed a minute of silence around 10.50 am when all the 17 coffins and three urns were transferred to the waiting hearse for the final journey home for the victims.

In the tragedy, 298 passengers and crew members, including three babies perished and 43 of them are Malaysians.
Several of them are from Penang.
Only one passenger, Loh Yan Hwa, 54, has been identified while her elderly mother, Tan Siew Poh, and her Hong Kong husband Fan Shun Po have yet to be identified. Yan Hwa’s sister, Loh Ean Tin, and other family members were at Komtar with Buddhist Tzu Chi members.
Yan Hwa’s body is still in Amsterdam, awaiting the remains of her mother and husband before they are flown back.

Ean Tin was stoic as she delivered a thank you speech at the ceremony in Komtar. Holding her tears, she said: “My family appreciates the support given by our friends in our time of sadness. You have provided us the strength to keep waiting and to face this tragedy.”

Meanwhile, five more people were identified as Penangites.
They are Captain Eugene Choo, Nor Shazana Mohd Salleh, Sanjid Singh Sandhu, Azrina Yaakob and Elaine Teoh.
It is understood that they will be laid to rest in the states they resided.

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng condemned strongly the violent and inhumane act of shooting down of MH17.
He also thanked the people for the prayers and blessings for the grieving families.
“I hope the world will take this as a lesson that there must be peace and not to wrestle for power,” he said.

“Today, we have proven that we can come together as a nation – in one heart, one soul as Malaysians,” Lim said in closing.

While some of these families are able to carry out the proper burial and lay to rest their loved ones in Malaysia, many are still waiting for news.
It was very heart-breaking when the body of Sanjid, a crew member on the flight, has not been identified.
His parents, Mr. and Mrs. Jijar Singh, who reside in Bukit Mertajam, have expressed their high hopes of finding closure when they can see their only beloved son returning to Malaysia.
According to Bukit Gelugor MP Ramkarpal Singh, who called on the parents recently, they remain positive and strong and are awaiting news every day.