'I don't want to go cycling with you anymore', - Captain Eugene's last words to buddy
Bernama
September 2, 2014 20:10 MYT
September 2, 2014 20:10 MYT
Choo's friend, Azrin Shala never thought the banter would become reality until the July 17 crash. - Bernama Photo
"I don't want to go cycling with you anymore," the late MH17 co-pilot, Captain Eugene Choo Jin Leong had jokingly said to cycling buddy Azrin Shala during a group outing, one month before the downing of the
Malaysia Airlines' MH17 flight in eastern Ukraine.
Azrin Shala, 44, a technical staff and also a member of the MAS Cycling Club, never thought that Choo's words would become a reality until the July 17 air crash which killed the co-pilot and all the other 297 people on board.
Azrin was met with about 20 members of the club who came to the late Capt. Choo's residence, here, to pay him their last respects.
"At that time, we were having breakfast together after a cycling outing, and Choo said he did not want to cycle with me anymore during our banter...I did not expect those words to be prophetic," he said.
Azrin described Choo as very caring towards his friends and loved sporting activities like cycling and riding motorbike.
"We all have been very close in the club, regardless of our race and religion. We've been holding activities and always eating out together," said Azrin, as she held back tears.
Shahril Irwan Mohamad, 38, also a MAS staff and a member of the Kelab Pencinta Motosikal Berkuasa Tinggi MAS (MAS High-Powered Motorcycle Loving Club), said Choo had joined the club six years ago and was actively riding a super-bike, especially during the weekends.
"If he wasn't flying or was free on weekends, he would contact us through WhatsApp to go out riding and have breakfast together.
"We would always use shortened word 'motoroti' for the combination of the words 'motor' and 'roti', for roti canai, which was Capt. Choo's favourite for breakfast," Shahril Irwan recalled.
Choo's ashes contained in an urn arrived at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport from Amsterdam this morning together with the remains of eight other MH17 passengers and crew members.
Choo leaves a wife, Ivy Loi, 42, and two sons, Melvic Choo, 13, and Scott Choo, 10.