SEPANG: The first body to be unloaded from the special aircraft transporting 20 Malaysians who perished in the MH17 tragedy will be that of lead stewardess Mastura Mustafa.
Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein revealed this today after he released the list of names of those whose remains will arrive home today (please refer to graphic).
He said the 20 bodies were those of 11 Muslims and nine from various other faiths.
“In total, 11 passengers and nine crew are coming home tomorrow in 17 coffins and three urns. The three urns contain the remains of Elisabeth Ng Lye Ti (passenger); Lee Hui Pin (crew) and Angeline Premila Rajandaran (crew),” he said in a joint press conference.
Present were Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai; Regional and Rural Development Minister Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal; Communication and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek and Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Rohani Karim.
Based on the time clocked to unload all 20 remains during today's full rehearsal to receive the remains that were flown in from Amsterdam, it will take between 30 and 45 minutes to complete the task.
Hishammuddin said 13 remains would be transported to their final resting places in hearses and seven would be flown to their respective states using Royal Malaysian Air Force Hercules C-130 transport aircraft and EC725 helicopters.
Two One C-130 will fly the remains of three people to Ipoh, while another will fly two bodies to Kuching.
Two other bodies would be flown by helicopter to Pagoh and Segamat.
Rohani said Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin was scheduled to accompany Mohd Ali Md Salim's body to Pagoh.
“The two bodies (Ariza Ghazalee and Muhammad Afif Tambi) to be flown back to Kuching will be accompanied by myself and Works Minister Datuk Fadillah Yusof,” she said.
In the same press conference, Shafie released the routes that would be used to transport the 20 remains (please refer to graphic) and urged the public to stand along the routes to pay respect to the MH17 victims.
Meanwhile, Liow said the bodies of two more Malaysians had been identified in the Netherlands, making the total 30 so far.
MH17 was believed to have been shot down by missiles and crashed in eastern Ukraine on July 17, killing all 298 passengers and crew.
Malaysia lost 43 of its citizens on that day.
Shabery reiterated his call to Malaysians to listen in to radio stations for the announcement to observe the minute of silence.
Malaysians, he added, should stop whatever they are doing, wherever they are, to observe the moment of silence to honour the MH17 victims.
Earlier, Muhyiddin and several ministers attended the full rehearsal of the ceremony to receive the first batch of remains that would arrive home today.
Meanwhile, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said the force’s flag, the Sang Saka Biru, would be flown at half mast nationwide alongside the Jalur Gemilang.
He said policemen had also been ordered to observe the minute of silence and recite prayers for the victims.
“We want to join other Malaysians in expressing our sadness over the incident. We also want the next-of-kin to know that our thoughts and prayers are with them,” he told the New Straits Times today.
“On behalf of the police force, let me express our deepest condolences and profound sympathy to the families of those aboard the Malaysian plane.”
Meanwhile the Japanese flag will fly at half-mast at the Chancellery and the residence of the Japanese ambassador to Malaysia.
The Embassy of Japan said that on behalf of the government and people of Japan, the mission expressed its profound condolences to the government and people of Malaysia, in particular the families of those aboard the Malaysian plane.
"Our hearts and minds always stay with the government and people of Malaysia in this agonising time, and we would be ready to render any possible support if needed," it said in a statement yesterday.
Mosques nationwide, meanwhile, will be performing solat jenazah (prayer for the dead) and solat jenazah ghaib (funeral prayers in the absence of the remains of the deceased) simultaneously tomorrow.
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom said the solat jenazah would be done as soon as Friday prayers end at mosques where the remains of victims are received.
“All other mosques are asked to do a solat jenazah ghaib followed by a tahlil prayer as soon as they are done with Friday prayers," he said, adding that a national level solat jenazah ghaib would also be held at Putra Mosque where two of the remains of victims will be received.
He added that the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim) as well as all State Islamic Departments would despatch their personnel throughout the country to provide assistance for everything from the solat jenazah to the burial process itself.
In Kuantan and various other parts of Pahang, people of various backgrounds will observe the minute of silence at various locations.
The state government will hold the programme at Dataran Setia, Wisma Sri Pahang at 10.30am while other government agencies and private companies will hold similar initiatives at their premises from 8am.
M.S. Garden Hotel assistant manager (corporate and marketing communications) Noor Adzilah Abidin said the hotel management would place a big screen at the lobby to allow its staff and guests to watch the live telecast of the special ceremony.
“Our staff will wear black attire tomorrow and they will also observe the minute of silence once it is announced on television,” he said.
Universiti Malaysia Pahang public relations and media officer Mimi Rabita Abdul Wahit said they had cancelled all programmes, except meetings, tomorrow and would organise "Yasin" recital after Maghrib prayers.
In Malacca, most hotels and entertainment outlets have obliged the call by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to postpone all entertainment activities in conjunction with the National Day of Mourning today.
Major hotels in the state have cancelled entertainment and live performances.
Hatten Group's senior executive, group corporate communications, Teri Tong said to respect the victims of MH17, all televisions in the hotel will put up condolences message at Hatten hotel's lobby, guestrooms and food and beverages outlets from 8am till 10pm tomorrow.
“The outdoor bar, Alto Sky Lounge which usually have a group band performing 50's and 80's rock and roll songs would be softened to play classical light jazz music in respecting the families and friends of the MH17 victims,” she said.
An Equatorial Hotel spokesman said no entertainment activities would be carried out tomorrow to mourn for the victims.
Jonker Walk's famous Hard Rock Cafe which has nightly live performances from 10.30pm to 1am has cancelled its live performance tomorrow.
In Kota Kinabalu, Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) will holding a ceremony to pay last respects to lecturer J.C. Ng Shi Ing.
The ceremony is scheduled to start at 9.30am at the mini auditorium of the varsity's Faculty of Psychology and Education.
The Muar-born UMS lecturer, her year-old son Ben and sister Elisabeth were among the passengers on board MH17.
Ng was returning from an international conference in the Netherlands.
Meanwhile, hotels and resorts in the state capital are expected to observe the minute of silence to pay tribute to MH17 victims, who are flown home.
Promenade hotels in Sabah and Sarawak will observe a minute of silence among its staff and patrons today.
Its group marketing communications director Anita Chung said they had printed plaques in regards to the national mourning day of 20 bodies of MH17 flown to Malaysia.
Sutera Harbour Resort's Communication Manager Tracy Lim also said there would be a moment of silence among the resort staff.
"Although we do not have special ceremony, we encourage our guests to do the same. The flags will be flown at half-mast."
A Tafakur prayer is also scheduled to be carried out near Hyatt Hotel between 10.45am and 11.15am.
Meanwhile, Bernama reported that major cinema chains TGV Cinemas Sdn Bhd and Golden Screen Cinemas would observe the minute of silence today and had instructed its staff to wear dark coloured clothes.
A GSC spokesman said advertising screened at its cineplexes would be in black and white as a mark of respect.
Bernama also reported that all stage performances at the ongoing Borneo Cultural Festival in Sibu Town Square have also been cancelled, though the food fair and trade exhibition will continue as usual.
Additional reporting by Atiqa Hazellah, Zafira Anwar, Iskandar Tajuddin, Eddy Osman, Kelly Koh, Avila Geraldine and Olivia Miwil