KOTA BARU: It has been 10 years but the grandparents of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 First Officer Ahmad Hakimi Hanapi will never forget the good memories they had with him.
Describing Hakimi as a good and kind person, his grandfather Daud Abdul Kadir said he and his wife Zaleha Bawal Khan would continue to pray for his soul to being placed among the pious.
"The family has accepted Hakimi's passing as fate but we will not forget every single memory that we had with him.
"He was a good grandson and never disobeyed us as well as his parents.
"My 83-year-old wife still dreams of him. These dreams come often in the past 10 years," said the 83-year-old when met at his home this evening.
Daud said his grandson would buy him gifts every time he returned to Kelantan.
"The last gift that he bought me was a watch valued at about RM200. He bought it several months before the tragedy.
"Of course, both of us really miss Hakimi but we are grateful that we can release some of our longing by calling Hakimi's son Abderrahman who now lives in the United States," he added.
Meanwhile, Hakimi's uncle Amran Daud said he hopes that Malaysia Airlines would show more concern about the welfare of the families and next of kin of the MH17 victims.
"We did not ask for a big favour or money but at least hope that Malaysia Airlines can show its concern to those who have lost family members," he said without elaborating.
Wednesday marked the 10th anniversary of the tragedy.
Hakimi is survived by his widow, Syarifah Asmaa Aljuned, and his 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.