New Straits Times

Families grateful for naming of suspects

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KUALA LUMPUR: Family members of victims of the Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 voiced their gratitude following a report on Wednesday that revealed four suspects in the shooting down of the plane in July 2014 over rebelheld eastern Ukraine.

A cousin of victim Ariza Ghazalee, Zurisdi Mohd Zol, 51, from Kuching, said the long wait for the family to see justice served for victims of the flight would come to an end finally.

“We have been patient for five years. We never stopped praying that justice will be on the side of the victims.

“The incident was clearly an internatio­nal ‘murder’ and we hope that the suspects will be tried soon,” he said yesterday.

MH17 was flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur when it was shot down over Ukraine, 40km from the Russian border, on July 17, 2014. All the 298 people in the flight, including the 15 crew, were killed.

Normi Abdullah, 59, widow of chief steward Mohd Ghafar Abu Bakar, from Ampang, said she was glad the suspects responsibl­e for the downing of MH17 had been identified to face justice.

“I am grateful that the suspects have been identified. At least, we have got something five years after the incident.

“Whatever it is, I am leaving it to the authoritie­s for what needs to be done,” she said, expressing hope that Malaysia would act firmly against the criminals.

Shahrom Bee Md Ibrahim, 62, mother of victim Nur Shazana Mohamed Salleh, from Bayan Lepas, Penang, said the announceme­nt would not bring her daughter back.

“I am very sad, but what can I do? It will not bring Nur Shazana back. The time taken (for the investigat­ion) is too long,” she said.

Shahrom Bee, however, said she wanted to know why innocent people were killed.

 ?? PIC BY MOHD RADZI BUJANG ?? Zamzuri Ghazalee and Madzlina Ghazalee, relatives of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 victim Ariza Ghazalee, watching the Joint Investigat­ion Team’s announceme­nt in Kuching on Wednesday.
PIC BY MOHD RADZI BUJANG Zamzuri Ghazalee and Madzlina Ghazalee, relatives of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 victim Ariza Ghazalee, watching the Joint Investigat­ion Team’s announceme­nt in Kuching on Wednesday.

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