IPOH: As Noor Rahimmah Mohd Noor’s coffin was lowered into her grave at the Muslim cemetery in Masjid Lama, Tambun here, her son Johan Tournier Hippolyte, 26, remained at the family home thousands of kilometres away, struggling to come to terms with his mother’s death.
Johan’s sister, Anne Rahimah, 29, said her brother who had been trying hard to cope with the family’s loss, chose to remain in Switzerland.
“My brother is not with us here today (yesterday). He still cannot take it (news of our mother’s death) and decided to stay back.”
There was sadness in her soft voice but in it was a tinge of gratitude ... thankful that her mother was finally laid to rest 37 days after her death.
“Mum is finally buried well ... although it took some time,” said Anne Rahimah who also thanked those who offered sup port to the family as they were grieving. It was Noor Rahimmah wish to be buried here.
It began to drizzle as soon as she was buried and the talqkin (final rites) was recited.
Anne Rahimah and her father, Hippolyte Tournier, earlier accompanied Noor Rahimah coffin that was flown from the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) to the Sultan Azlan Shah Airport (LTSAS) here, for a brief ceremony to honour victims of flight MH17 tragedy.
In the aircraft was also the casket which lay the remains of stewardess Chong Yee Pheng.
As soon as the Hercules C130 touched down at LTSAS, Sultan of Perak Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah and Raja DiHilir Raja Iskandar Dzulkarnain boarded the aircraft to extend their condolences to the families.
They were accompanied by Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir.
Sultan Nazrin Shah then led hundreds of Perakians to recite the al-Fatihah and observe a minute of silence in show of respect for the two victims after their caskets were transferred by pallbearers from the Second Infantry Brigade, to their re spective hearses.
Chong’s casket was then taken to her family home in First Garden, here, accompanied by her family members and state executive councillor Datuk Dr Mah Hang Soon.
The sealed casket was carried into the house by eight pall bearers with the song Amazing Grace playing in the back ground.
Dr Mah represented the state government in paying his respects to Chong, 40, and later handed the Jalur Gemilang, which draped Chong’s coffin, to her father, Chong Yuk Sang, 74.
A short service was held before her coffin by a pastor from the Lutheran Church.
Chong will be buried at the Paradise Memorial Park in Tanjung Rambutan at 1pm tomorrow (Sunday).
Meanwhile, a Eurocopter carrying the remains of MAS chief stewardess Azrina Yakob, touched down at the Tekah Airport in Taiping.
Present to pay his last respects was Raja Muda of Perak Raja Jaafar Raja Muda Musa.
Some 500 people came to pay their last respects as as Azrina, 41, was laid to rest at the Masjid Al-Hidayah Muslim cemetery at Jalan Muzaffar Shah in Asam Kumbang.