'Study hard for your STPM,' said MH17 passenger to his daughter

Sabah-born Meling anak Muda was one of the passengers on the ill-fated Malaysia Airlines jetliner MH17, was a father who cared about his children’s education.

The scaffolding worker for a Malaysia-based oil and gas company, Meling was posted to Venuezula not too long ago.

“Study hard for your STPM Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia),” was the final words he uttered to his daughter, Maryline Sindun who will be sitting for her exams in November.

“He always made me smile, he really cared about my education,” said Sindun as she held back tears to suppress her sadness.

Meling, was on board the MAS jetliner MH17 which took off from Amsterdam at 12.15pm (Amsterdam local time) and was estimated to arrive in KLIA, Sepang at 6.10am (Malaysian local time) on Friday. Sadly, he never made it home.

A dark cloud has descended over the Anak Muda household. The family who now resides at Flat Sungai Pelan, Tanjung Kidurong where Meling’s wife, Simbut Kedit, 39, and their three children, Maryline Sindun, 18, Benedict Bana, 15, and Gabriel 8 now anxiously wait for more news the MH17 tragedy.

Simbut said she never realised that the last time she saw her husband in April would be their final moment together.

“Meling should have come back to Bintulu on that aircraft (MH17),” she said.

“I did not think my husband would be one of the victims of the tragedy. He was a good husband and a good man who always took care of his family,” said Simbut, matter-of-factly.

She added that her husband would contact the family regularly each time he was away. Earlier this month, Meling promised the family he would return to Bintulu to see his family.

“He promised that he would take us on vacation,” she said.