Penang Govt ready for return of two MH17 victims' ashes

The Penang state government was prepared to receive the return of ashes belonging to two Flight MH17 crash victims, Loh Yan Hwa of Green Lane and Sanjid Singh Sandhu of Bukit Mertajam on Sept 2.

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said all state leaders would be at the Penang International Airport (PIA) and in Bukit Mertajam to be with the families to receive the ashes of their loved ones.

"We are still in contact with Malaysia Airlines (MAS) and the Transport Ministry for the latest information on the arrival of the ashes.

"The state government will also decide on the landing site of the helicopter carrying Sanjid's ashes in Bukit Mertajam," he told reporters at a media conference here Friday.

He said on Sept 3, Sanjid's ashes would be scattered in the sea in Penang while the ashes of Loh would be kept at the Kwan Yin temple in Jalan Burmah on Sept 2.

Sanjid, 41, was one of the crew members killed in the MH17 plane crash near Grabove village in eastern Ukraine while Loh was a passenger in the ill-fated flight.

Loh and her husband Fan Shun Po, who operated a restaurant in the Netherlands, was accompanying her mother Tan Siew Poh home to Malaysia. There were 289 passengers including three babies on board the jetliner.

In respect of victims of MH17 tragedy, he added, the state government had reduced a number of entertainment activities in conjunction with the 57th Merdeka celebration, which would be more on celebrating Independence.