A woman walking past a graffiti of Malaysia Airlines MH370 in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. — Bernama photo
KUALA LUMPUR: Days before the first anniversary of the mysterious disappearance of Malaysia Airlines (MAS) Flight MH370, the carrier said it remains hopeful that the search and investigation will find the answers everybody longs for.
MAS will observe the anniversary with a private remembrance on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur with the next-of-kin of the MH370 crew and MAS staff.
“We mark the occasion to remember our dear colleagues and friends on the ill-fated flight … the families of the crew members have expressed a wish that any remembrance they participate in would be a private occasion.
“We’ll use the occasion to remind ourselves and the relevant authorities of the obligations – duty and moral obligations – to pursue the search for answers to a final conclusion,” the airline said in a statement.
The MAS Boeing 777 was carrying 239 people when it vanished en route to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur on March 8, 2014. MAS lost 12 crew members as well as a MASkargo staff.
On Jan 29, the Malaysian government officially declared it an accident under international aviation rules, and that all 239 people aboard were presumed to have lost their lives.
In making that announcement, the Malaysian government also stressed that the search for the plane remained a priority.
Knowing that not every employee would be able to attend Sunday’s private get-together, MAS said it would distribute a batik pin to its employees as a symbol of their remembrance of the friends they lost.
“We’ll also produce a digital badge of the same design and the hashtag ‘Always in my heart’,” said the carrier which is currently undertaking a recovery plan to revive its fortunes. — Bernama