KUCHING: The remains of Ariza Ghazalee and her eldest son, Muhammad Afif Tambi, were flown back here yesterday, as the state joined the rest of the country in mourning for the Malaysian victims of MAS flight MH17.
The coffin being carried to Semariang Muslim Cemetery yesterday.
The Royal Malaysian Airforce (TUDM) Charlie C130 cargo plane that carried the remains of the two landed at the TUDM airbase at 2.17pm, where hundreds of people comprising family members, well-wishers, the media and other officials awaited since 1:30pm.
Ariza’s mother, Jamilah Noriah Abang Anuar, was seen being consoled by family members as the two caskets were being brought out by army personnel from the 4thRegiment of the Royal Armoured Corps.
Also aboard the flight were Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri RohaniKarim and Works Minister Datuk FadillahYusof.
The convoy led by traffic police later headed to Masjid Jamek for the ‘Solat Jenazah’ prayers, where hundreds of mourning citizens were seen standing by the roadside to give their last respects.
Some were seen holding the Malaysian flag and waving to the two busses carrying family and kin of the victims.
Earlier, the remains of 20 victims of the MH17 tragedy reached the Kuala Lumpur International Airport at 9.54am via special flight MH6129, which left Armsterdam yesterday.
The remains of Ariza’s husband, 49-year-old TambiJee and three other children, MohdAfzal, 19, Marsha Azmeena, 15 and MohdAfrus, 13 and another (unrelated) victim,MelingMula from Bintulu, are still being verified.