KUCHING: Chief Minister Tan Sri Datuk Amar Adenan Satem is expected to call a special cabinet meeting very soon to discuss the downed MH17 flight.
According to Minister of Land Development Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Jemut Masing, among the points which will be given priority during the discussion are the types of assistance to be provided by the state government to the victims’ families.
“They (families) really deserve some form of assistance in this matter,” said Masing to The Borneo Post during his ministry’s breaking of fast at the Imperial Hotel here on Sunday.
He also noted that there were seven Sarawakians aboard MH17 which was en-route to Kuala Lumpur from Amsterdam, comprising a family of six from Kuching and a scaffolding worker from Bintulu.
Those in the family were Tambi Jiee, 49, his wife Ariza Ghazalee, 47 and their four children Alif, 19, Afzal, 17, Marsha, 15, and Afruz, 13.
According to reports, the family was transiting at Amsterdam from Kazakhstan.
Another Sarawakian passenger was Meling Mula, 48, from Sungai Plan, Bintulu who was travelling back to Malaysia after an assignment in Curacao in the Caribbean.
“It is very unfortunate for Malaysia to suffer two airplane incidents (MH370 and MH17) in a matter of six months,” said Masing, who is also Baleh assemblyman.
He also said it was a mystery why MH17 was singled out even though 16 other airlines were plying the same route.
“Why are we so unlucky when we are in fact free from natural disasters such as typhoons, earthquakes and tsunamis,” he asked.
He also said Russian president Vladimir Putin should act immediately and allow international investigators and experts to enter the crash site.