People hold flags at a memorial to victims of the Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 plane crash during a ceremony marking the 10th anniversary of the accident, near the village of Hrabove (Grabovo) in the Donetsk region, Russian-controlled Ukraine, July 17, 2024. REUTERS/Alexander Ermochenko
KUALA LUMPUR: Feelings of deep longing and sorrow persistently envelop the families of victims on board the ill-fated Malaysia Airlines MH17 flight, which was tragically shot down over a conflict zone in eastern Ukraine.
Ten years on, the impact of that shocking incident remains ever-present in their hearts.
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Sharom Bee Md Ibrahi, the 67-year-old mother of Nur Shazana Mohamed Salleh, fondly recalls her eldest daughter as warm and sociable, with her memory still vivid and cherished in her heart.
She said the sadness and longing were especially strong during the Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebrations, Bernama reported.
While Muslims welcome Ramadan with gratitude, Sharom Bee’s heart is filled with anguish, especially since the tragedy occurred during the fasting month.
“If you ask me, there is not a single moment or anything about Shazana that I’ve forgotten... It’s sad, terribly sad.
“Our family still visits her grave in Putrajaya. I always ask my other children to take me there to relieve my longing for her,” Sharom Bee said.
Nur Shazana was one of the 15 crew members on MH17, with 298 people from 17 countries on board, including 80 children.
Among them, 198 victims were from the Netherlands, followed by 43 from Malaysia, 38 from Australia and 10 from the United Kingdom.
Sharom Bee, who lives in Bayan Baru, Penang, said that she suffers from insomnia, frequently waking at night upon hearing airplanes from the nearby Penang International Airport, haunted by the lasting trauma of the incident.“Every time I see and hear an airplane, I am reminded of her.
“To this day, I am still traumatised by the sound of planes. I’ve also decided to move away because I have trouble sleeping due to the sound,” she said.
Reminiscing her time with Nur Shazana, aged 31 when she passed away, Sharom Bee said all the memories with her late daughter remain etched in her heart.She shared that the plane crash near Bandar Elmina, Shah Alam, Selangor in August last year also affected her deeply, as one of the victims, the late Mohammad Taufiq Mohd Zaki, 37, was her nephew.
Meanwhile, Habibah Ismail, 75, the mother of chief stewardess Azrina Yakob, 41, continues to seek justice for her daughter and stays updated on all the developments.
Even after a decade has passed, there is not a single day where Habibah does not miss her daughter.
“The longing is always there, strong as ever.
“She was busy with her career and family yet she always kept in touch with me.”
