Rohani (second right) and her deputy Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun (second left) together with ministry officials waving the Jalur Gemilang while singing the ‘Bahtera Merdeka’ song. — Bernama photo
PUTRAJAYA: The remains of 24 Malaysian victims of the MH17 tragedy have been brought back to the country so far, said Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Rohani Abdul Karim.
They included the remains of two victims whose identities were not revealed to the public at the request of their families, she added.
Rohani said 20 of the remains arrived in Malaysia on Friday, one on Saturday day and three on Sunday.
The remains of the 20 victims which arrived on Friday were accorded military honours at the Bunga Raya Complex of the KL International Airport in Sepang. The ceremony was repeated on Sunday for two of the three victims whose remains were brought back.
The identity of the victim whose remains were brought back on Saturday as well as that of the third victim brought back on Sunday were kept confidential at the request of their families.
Speaking at a press conference after she had attended the ministry’s monthly assembly here yesterday, Rohani said the government had to respect the wishes of the families who did not want to divulge the identities of their next-of-kin and when their remains were brought back.
“We are thankful that the ceremony as well as the funeral of the victims went well and we got the full cooperation from all parties, especially the family members,” she said.
Rohani said most of the family members adhered to the advice to not open the coffins.
Earlier, in addressing the assembly, Rohani said that as members of a ministry responsible for the management of families, the staff should know how to handle a situation.
Rohani said the Health Ministry, with the cooperation of the National Registration Department, had issued the death certificates of the crew and passengers of flight MH17 whose remains had been brought back to Malaysia.
Flight MH17 crashed in eastern Ukraine on July 17 as it was flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur with 283 passengers and 15 crew on board.
The Boeing 777-200 aircraft is believed to have been shot down over the troubled country. — Bernama