KUALA LUMPUR: After 10 years, the families of those who died on board Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 finally learnt of the heroism of the 12 men who put their lives on the line to bring the remains of their loved ones home.
Noriah Daud, mother of MH17 First Officer Ahmad Hakimi Hanafi, broke down and cried as the team — dubbed "The Dozen Persons" — recounted their mission to bring home the victims so that their families could have some semblance of closure, and to recover the critical black boxes that would be instrumental in piecing together the tragedy, and bring the killers to justice.
The team members and the victims' families were brought together recently at an event organised by the 'New Straits Times' to remember the fallen.
Led by Colonel (Rtd) Sakri Hussain, the team took on the daunting challenge of going into the war-ravaged region of Donetsk to negotiate with separatist leader Alexander Borodai for the remains of the passengers, and the black boxes.
Noriah expressed her gratitude to the team for bringing back her son home to her.
She also felt a profound sense of relief, knowing that her son's remains were respectfully handled, in accordance with Islamic tradition.
"Alhamdulillah, after 10 years, we are thankful to finally know what really happened there (in Ukraine)... what the team went through for the families, and how the remains were handled.
"Today, we finally have the privilege of learning firsthand what happened there, directly from the team," she said.
Hakimi was her only son.
Asked how the family was coping after 10 years, Noriah said she had accepted her son's passing as fate, decreed by God.
Hakimi is survived by his widow, Syarifah Asmaa Aljuned, and a son, who was then, just nine months old.
Flight MH17, which was en route to Kuala Lumpur from Amsterdam, was shot down in eastern Ukraine on July 17, 2014, killing 298 people, 43 of whom were Malaysians.
Malaysia then mobilised over 130 personnel to Ukraine to assist in a search and recovery mission. 'The Dozen Persons' were among them.
Meanwhile, Wan Yusuf Irfan, the son of MH17 pilot Wan Amran Wan Hussin, said he felt emotional after hearing that "The Dozen Persons" had gone in to recover the remains and the black boxes in an area devastated by war, with little to no regard for their own lives.
"I am grateful to those involved in recovering the bodies... even though it was a war zone at that time, they still went in. I am very grateful to them," he said.
Wan Yusuf said his family lost their only source of income after losing their father, who was the sole breadwinner. Wan Amran is survived by his widow, Mariam Yusoff, and two sons.
Meanwhile, Danisha, daughter of cabin crew member Shaikh Mohd Noor Mahmood, said this was the first time she had heard the real story of the incident, especially when she was only 11, when it happened.
"I was still very young when it happened, and I wasn't exposed to the (news) coverage that much.
"My brother did, but I did not. I didn't go to Amsterdam, so I didn't know what happened, or what the experience was like.
"Listening to those who went there made me realise, that this actually happened," she said, adding that she still misses her father.
Meanwhile, Patrick Sivagnanam, brother of Paul Rajasingam, expressed sadness upon learning that "The Dozen Persons" had not received recognition from the government, despite risking their lives.
"That is very sad to hear. We are very grateful for what they did for the families.
The higher-ups should do something and give them the recognition they deserve," he said.