Military personnel from the Royal Malay Regiment in full uniform practise carrying coffins at the Kuala Lumnpur International Airport. — Bernama photo
SEPANG: Malaysia started to make preparations to receive the remains of Malaysian victims in the Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crash at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Bunga Raya Complex here yesterday.
During a survey by Bernama, hearses were seen on standby outside the complex while military personnel from the Royal Malay Regiment in full uniform carried the coffins before these were accorded the last respect.
Several tents were also being set up.
The remains of 43 Malaysians in the ill-fared airliner, which went down in Ukraine while flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, are expected to arrive in the country in three weeks’ time.
According to an official involved in the handling of the remains of the Malaysian victims, the early preparation was aimed at ensuring their arrival process later on would be done smoothly.
“Today is only a rehearsal to receive the remains. It is still in the planning stage and is not finalised yet. There are a few things to iron out and a meeting will be held today to discuss the matter further,” he said when met by Bernama here.
Last July 17, the Boeing 777, carrying 283 pasengers and 15 crew, was believed to be have been shot down but up till now no one had claimed responsibility.
As of now, a total of 227 coffins containing flight MH17 victims had been handed over to the authorites in the Netherlands, which is leading the international investigation team.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, who is expected to arrive in The Hague today, is scheduled to meet his Dutch counterpart Mark Rutte to discuss on the identification of the victims of the disaster and the repatriation of the remains and bringing those responsible to face justice. — Bernama