17th June 2014. This was indeed a dark day for fellow Malaysians when Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur went down over Eastern Ukraine. It was believed that the Boeing 777 was hit by a surface-to-air missile supplied to pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine. This incident which occurred in the same year as the mysterious disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 that claimed the lives of 298 passengers and crew members, of which 43 of them were Malaysians.
Time passes by really quickly and it’s now the 7th anniversary of this unfortunate incident! This year, we find #MH17 trending on Twitter as users of the popular social media application, commiserate this deadly airliner shoot-down incident. Despite the minimal coverage of the 7th anniversary of the shooting of MH17, many Malaysians took to social media sites to express their sadness and grief. It’s just frustrating that justice has yet to be served towards the perpetrators!
Remembering #MH17 today.
7 years ago, MH17 frm AMS to KUL was shot down over Ukraine. 283 passengers, 15 crew were killed.
The Netherlands, Australia hve memorials honouring those who lost their lives tht day. The Malaysian govt has barely done anything.
Our plane. Our ppl. pic.twitter.com/ORIdEWQ4bt
— Azrul Mohd Khalib (@azrulmohdkhalib) July 17, 2021
Just today, the foreign ministers of Australia, Belgium, Malaysia, the Netherlands and Ukraine issued a joint ministerial statement stating, “Our thoughts remain with those who perished on board, their families and loved ones. While nothing can bring back those who lost their lives or diminish the anguish and grief suffered by the family members, it is imperative that we remain steadfast in our commitment to pursuing truth, justice and accountability.”
These countries comprise the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) on the incident. Adding on, they acknowledged the cooperation of their respective investigative agencies and reiterated their full support on the efforts to establish the truth on what happened — having full confidence in the independent, open and impartial criminal proceedings against the alleged perpetrators.
On the 7th anniversary of the downing of #MH17 in Ukraine, we remember those who died – including the 38 victims who called Australia home. We remain steadfast & committed to pursuing truth, justice & accountability for the 298 victims on board & their loved ones. 🇦🇺🇧🇪🇲🇾🇳🇱🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/UAWqkyw5LG
— Marise Payne (@MarisePayne) July 17, 2021
On this day, family members are still coming to terms with the loss of their loved ones as a result of this incident. According to Free Malaysia Today, MH17’s first officer Ahmad Hakimi Hanapi’s sister, Husna has never stopped thinking about him.
Reminiscing her moments with her brother, Husna said, “My family and I are still in shock and sad about MH17. The feeling is still the same as on the day it happened. Nothing has changed. We are still trying our best to continue our lives as a family. I will always remember him as a good brother. Although he is the third oldest in the family, he would act as a big brother to all of us. He took care of everything for my parents. We miss him so much.”
When asked by Free Malaysia Today on one memory of Hakimi she would always cherish, she fought back tears and said there were too many. “I can’t pinpoint any. All I can say is he was a very responsible brother and son to our family. He also loved his wife and son so much. Every time he had an off day, he would stay at home and take care of Abderrahman.”
Hakimi’s son, Abderrahman, according to Husna, is going to be eight this year and he’s doing very well in school. Often curious of his father, having lost him when he was just 8 months old, Abderrahman would always ask about him and this includes simple questions such as his favourite food.
Nevertheless, the loss of those on board MH17 is indeed devastating. Let’s just hope justice would be served.
Source: Free Malaysia Today, The Star
