Hani writing a message on behalf of her family on the banner.
Heartfelt messages left by Andrew’s family members (signed as Dina’s family) on the GB13 banner, together with hundreds of other messages of love and support for the passengers and crew of MH370.
KUCHING: Hundreds of football supporters flocked to the Waterfront in a show of support for missing Malaysia Airlines (MAS) flight MH370 on Friday night.
They came from all walks of life from across the city to write messages of love and support, and heartfelt prayers for the 239 missing passengers and crew’s safe return on a massive 70-foot long banner in the shape of a MAS Boeing 777 airplane.
The gathering was coordinated by GB13, a group made up of the state football team supporters consisting mostly of youths.
A spokesperson from the group, Saiful Bahari, said that they planned to display the banner to face the field at the State Stadium yesterday night during the Malaysian Super league home match against Singapore’s Lions XII.
“Every home match, we will prepare a special banner to display. Most of the time we will paint it by hand, but this one is special because it had to be printed due to the short notice of time for us to get it ready, and because it is dedicated to the passengers and crew of MH370, and carries our prayers and hopes for their safe return,” he said.
Saiful added the group had posted up on their Facebook page just hours earlier on Friday, inviting members of the public to come and sign the banner, and that banner was funded by donations collected from the group’s members.
Amongst those who came was Hani Ahmad, 45, whose first cousin, Andrew Nari was the chief steward on MH370.
Her nephew had alerted her to the GB13 Facebook post and she had come to the gathering together with her son and and nephew after she had finished work at a kindergarten to sign the banner.
They left three messages on the banner, signing off as “Dina’s family” after their grandfather’s name. Hani’s father and Andrew’s father are siblings.
“I feel very touched with what has been organised today. We are here for the sake of my cousin and all the aircraft’s passengers. Hopefully, they will be safe and come back soon,” Hani told The Borneo Post when met at the gathering.
Hani, who was wearing a Sarawak football team shirt, said that football was an interest which she shared with her cousin and they both are Liverpool fans.
Fighting back tears, she told The Borneo Post that the last communication she had with her cousin was on the morning of the day he boarded the flight for Beijing.
“I had some bleeding in my eye due to a ruptured nerve and he asked me how I was. He also called me and asked me to update him about the match between Manchester and Liverpool this weekend because we are both Liverpool fans. “In case I am not in time to watch”. That was the last I heard from him.
“At first, I thought he was still in London because of his photo with Datuk Lee Chong Wei that he posted up, but I found out later that he was on the flight to China.”
Meanwhile, Hani who hails from Dalat, said that Andrew’s family members in Sarawak were constantly in close touch with family members who are in Putrajaya waiting to hear the latest developments on the missing flight. They keep each other updated through their handphones and Facebook, and also to encourage each other.
“We are continuing to pray together as a family. Even though we are of different races and religions in our family of – Indian, Muslim, Chinese – we pray according to our own religion,” she said, adding that faith was keeping them strong.