MH370: A tribute to all the Leftenan Fairuls out there

"We all realise that the responsibility we are shouldering is a heavy one. So I would like to plead to Malaysians, the families of the passengers and our own families, to please pray for our safety and that we can at least find a sign of MH370."

Those are the words of Lieutenant Fairul Sham Suhardi Zailis, the Navigational Officer of the Royal Malaysian Navy vessel KD Lekiu, which is now docked at the Royal Australian Navy base HMAS Stirling and ready to leave for the search area of the ill-fated flight MH370 in the Indian Ocean on Thursday.

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Lieutenant Fairul Sham Suhardi Zailis, Navigational Officer manning his station on the bridge of KD Lekiu

As much as we feel for and emphatise with the families of the passengers of the ill-fated flight MH370, it is almost impossible for any of us who are not experiencing it to even imagine how it feels like.

And neither can we know the feeling of the families whose loved ones have been assigned to the search and rescue (SAR) efforts and are away in dangerous situations looking for the aircraft.

Leftenan Fairul's wife, Nur Mawarni, an Astro AWANI viewer, contacted our newsdesk to express how she and her children miss Lieutenant Fairul very much since he has been away for the past 25 days since the aircraft went missing. She also said that they are extremely proud of him for doing what he is doing.

So we at Astro AWANI felt that we owed it Lieutenant Fairul and also the thousands of personnel from the different countries who are out there in treacherous conditions working towards locating MH370 to pass on the message.

As the Navigational Officer of KD Lekiu, Lieutenant Fairul holds the vital role of charting a course for the vessel so it arrives at the search area and able to comb the designated area safely. It is a duty that requires detailed and precise studying of ocean charts, weather reports and coordination with the Australian Maritime Security Authority (AMSA). And he does it confidently, knowing he has the support of his family back home.

"We have a lot of challenges. Dealing with such a large such area is one thing, but when you are out there in the ocean, the harsh conditions can tame the wildest of beasts. The waves can be tens of metres high and even the most seasoned sailor will feel weak in the stomach. And the cold is unbearable. But that is what we have to do," he said.

There are many Lieutenant Fairuls out in the Indian Ocean, on the water and in the air. They come from many countries who have voluntered their services to help in searching for the Malaysian flag-bearing aircraft.

Lieutenant Fairul isn't the special one among the many. He is as special as the many.

"To my family, I would like to say to them - please be patient. Most importantly, please pray for the families whose loved ones are missing. At the end of the day, my family will greet me when I return. All the families of the passengers want is a sign and that is what we want to find," he concluded.