‘We are hanging in there’ says MH370 victim next-of-kin
KUALA LUMPUR: A sombre mood filled the air at the third MH370 remembrance event held by Voice370, a support group for the ill fated flight victims’ nextof-kin.
According to Jacquita Gonzales, wife of MH370 inflight supervisor Patrick Gomes, yesterday was a celebration of her husband’s life in spite of the gloomy weather.
“We are hanging in there. There will be sadness, of course, on March 8.
“But then again, I want to celebrate my husband’s life as well because he had four wonderful children and I believe he had a good life,” she told Bernama after the event.
When asked about her thoughts on the suspension of the search for the airplane, Gonzales said she felt exasperated when she heard the news.
“Of course we got frustrated when we heard about the suspension, but then again, it was inevitable. However, they did say if they have more credible evidence, they will start the search again.
“I am praying that something pops up and they will start searching again,” she added.
On Jan 17, it was reported that underwater search for MH370 has been suspended, according to a communique from Malaysia, Australia and China.
It said the last search vessel for the operation left the 120,000sq km search area in the southern Indian Ocean.
For Wan Afrina Sofea, the youngest daughter of MH370’s senior flight attendant, Wan Swaid Wan Ismail, she just wanted her daddy to come home.
“I miss daddy so much and I want him to come home to us,” she said.
The 11-year-old said she and her two brothers alongside their mother, had come to terms with what had happened, but they were still hoping for closure and truth to prevail.
About 100 members of the public and family members of MH370 victims filled up the outdoor space of a well-known shopping mall here, yesterday.
Also present at the event were Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai and Department of Civil Aviation director-general Datuk Seri Azharuddin Abdul Rahman.
Themed ‘Search On 3.0: MH370 Is Not History. It’s The Future. Fly Safely’, the event was held to commemorate the fateful flight and to promote the global cause of aviation safety.
At the event, there was also an art exhibition by 20 Malaysian artists, who presented their interpretations of the next-ofkins’ experiences. — Bernama