One year on, MH17 families still waiting for justice

The Malaysian aircraft was shot down over eastern Ukraine while flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur.

The investigating team has yet to bring anyone to justice.

The next-of-kin of the Malaysian victims are still hoping that those responsible for the death of their loved ones will be punished.

"I am still waiting for justice for my husband. I think I have waited too long for the outcome of the investigation on MH17," said Normi Abdullah, the widow of Flight MH17 chief steward Mohd Ghafar Abu Bakar, 54.

She said she had never stopped looking for information on the incident, including the reason for the downing of the aircraft.

"I just want justice. Don't let the death of the victims be in vain. Who shot the aircraft? I want to know and so do the family members of the others killed in the incident," she told Bernama.

Forty-four people among the passengers and crew of the Boeing 777-200 were Malaysians. The others were from the Netherlands, Australia, Indonesia, the United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium, the Philippines, Canada and New Zealand.

A national memorial service for the MH17 victims is scheduled for tomorrow the Bunga Raya Complex of the KL International Airport.

Normi recalled her last conversation with Mohd Ghafar. "He sent me a message through the phone, saying 'see you in KL'," she said.

Normi described her late husband as a good and simple man who loved to joke with their three children, Sa'imah Baizura, 29, Ammar Syarif, 25, and Afi Hazim, 14.

She said Afi, a special child, often talked about his father and recalled the times they had spent together.

Meanwhile, family members of Mohd Ali Md Salim, 30, who was a passenger on the ill-fated aircraft, have yet to recover from their loss, especially his father, Md Salim Sarmo, 65.

Mohd Ali's oldest sibling, Mohd Zaki Md Salim, 39, said Mohd Ali's sudden death was a big loss to the family and his absence was being badly felt by family members, especially now that Aidilfitri as approaching.

"He was the prime mover, getting us all to make preparations for Hari Raya. He would clean the house and change the curtains. Now that he is no more, Aidilfitri will not be the same any more," he added.

Mohd Zaki said the family hoped that those responsible for shooting down the aircraft would be brought to justice.

Mohd Ali was a final-year doctorate student in psychology at a university in Amsterdam, and was returning home on the ill-fated aircraft.