MH17 Chinese victims to be cremated in the Netherlands - Liow

Most of the families of the 12 Malaysian Chinese victims have given their consents, Liow was quoted in The Star, Monday.

“We don’t know when the remains can be sent to Malaysia but we will coordinate with the Dutch authorities to ensure they can be returned as soon as possible,” Liow was quoted saying after attending the Nirvana Memorial Garden’s Enlightenment Ceremony in Semenyih.

Liow, who heads the committee to oversee the last rites for the victims, said only two Malaysians have so far been identified in the on-going post-mortem in the Netherlands.

Post-mortem is expected to be completed by next week.

He added that the date for a national day of mourning over the incident would be fixed once all the bodies had been identified.

Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein on Sunday suggested that the entire nation observe a minute's silence when the remains of MH17 victims arrive in the country.

He said it was the best way to pay their last respects and share the grief faced by the families and extend condolences to the families who were part of the 298 passengers and crew of Flight MH17 which went down in eastern Ukraine.

"If the proposal received a positive response, all Malaysians, no matter what colour or race they are, rich or poor, can offer their condolences and pay their last respects when the remains of the victims arrive in Malaysia,” he said.

Flight MH17 crashed in eastern Ukraine on July 17, as it was flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur with 283 passengers and 15 crew on board.

The Boeing 777-200 aircraft is believed to have been shot down over the troubled country.