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Dr M: Don’t be so quick to point fingers over MH17

Former Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad said today he hopes that no parties will point fingers at each other over the crash of Malaysia Airlines (MAS) Flight MH17 until the investigations are completed.

"I am disappointed that even before the completion of the probe, the United States and Europe have started to impose sanctions on Russia and use the tragedy for political purposes," he said.

Mahathir said this to reporters after attending the Aidilfitri reception for dignitaries at the Istana Negara hosted by Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah and Raja Permaisuri Agong Tuanku Hajah Haminah.

He said the incident should not have happened to a commercial flight. "The MH17 incident is a crime, whether planned or otherwise," he said.  

Mahathir congratulated Prime Minister Najib Razak for negotiating with pro-Russian separatist leader Alexander Borodai to deal with the tragedy.

He said Najib's efforts showed that Malaysia was ready to cooperate with all parties.

Meanwhile, Najib and his wife Rosmah Mansor today met with the families of the Malaysian passengers and crew of the two MAS) air tragedies at Seri Perdana.

Najib and Rosmah took the opportunity of Aidilfitri to give them assurances and advised them to be courageous in this trying time.

The two tragedies occurred within the space of five months this year.

Flight MH370 dropped off radar on March 8 as it flew from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 227 passengers and 12 crew on board. The Boeing 777 aircraft has yet to be found, even after an exhaustive search in the southern Indian Ocean where it is believed to have gone down after veering off course.

Flight MH17 crashed in eastern Ukraine on July 17 as it was flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur with 283 passengers and 15 crew on board. The Boeing 777 aircraft is believed to have been shot down over the troubled country.

Tedious process for bring remains home

Fatimah Ibrahim, 62, mother of Flight MH17 co-pilot Muhamad Firdaus Abdul Rahim, said she felt relieved after the meeting.

"At the meeting, the prime minister gave us words of encouragement and advised us to be bold in facing the situation," she said at the Seri Perdana Complex.

Azman Ibrahim, 50, an uncle of Muhamad Firdaus, said Najib had promised that the Malaysian government would do its best to have the bodies brought to Malaysia as soon as possible.

"The prime minister informed us the process (of bringing over the bodies) would take time as it involved international parties and there were many procedures to adhere to," he said.

Madiani Mahdi, 42, wife of Flight MH17 steward Shaikh Mohd Noor Mahmood, 42, said the meeting with the prime minister had raised her spirits to have greater patience in her moment of grief.

She said she and her two children, aged 13 and two, had accepted the loss of Shaikh Mohd Noor as the will of God.

- Bernama

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