Three helicopter crash victims buried in their home towns

Full police ceremony for deputy minister's bodyguard, royal reception for Kuala Kangsar MP's remains.

PETALING JAYA: The husband of a deputy minister, her bodyguard, and a fellow MP, all of whom died in a helicopter crash in Sarawak, were buried in their home towns today. Their bodies were brought back to the peninsula by the Air Force.

Asmuni Abdullah, 52, husband of Noriah Kasnon, deputy minister for plantation industries and commodities, was buried near Noriah’s grave in Sungai Burong, Selangor.

Noriah was buried early on Friday morning. Her body was the first to be found after the Hornbill Skyways helicopter, carrying six people, crashed while en route from Betong to Kuching.

Her husband’s funeral ceremony was attended by nearly 100 people, comprising family members, relatives, friends and village residents.

Noriah’s police bodyguard, Lance Corporal Ahmad Sobri Harun, 26, was given a full ceremonial police funeral at his family home in Kampung Bukit Cempaka, near Kuala Nerus, Terengganu.

Ahmad Sobri was the fourth of five children of Fauziah Musa and Harun Muda. The parents and three of their children accompanied Ahmad Sobri’s body on the flight back to Terengganu.

Terengganu Menteri Besar Razif Abdul Rahman and police chief Rosli Ab Rahman were among those who attended the funeral.

Ahmad Sobri had served with Bukit Aman’s bodyguard unit for the past three years after completing his police training.

The fifth victim, Kuala Kangsar MP Wan Mohammad Khair-il Anuar Wan Ahmad was buried today at the Perak Royal Mausoleum in Bukit Chandan, Kuala Kangsar, after prayers at Ubudiah Mosque, attended by 1,500 people.

The Raja Muda of Perak, Raja Jaafar Raja Muda Musa, and the Raja Puan Besar of Perak, Raja Nor Mahani Raja Shahar Shah, and the Raja Di-Hilir Perak, Raja Iskandar Dzulkarnain, also paid their last respects.

Also present were education minister Mahdzir Khalid and rural and regional development minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

Wan Mohammad Khair-il Anuar’s wife, Mastura Yazid, and their four children, Wan Emir Astar, Wan Muhammad Amar, Wan Imar Izzat and Wan Emir Iskandar, had accompanied the remains from Kuching.

The Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Shah, and the Raja Permaisuri of Perak, Tuanku Zara Salim, were at the airport, together with Perak Menteri Besar Dr Zambry Abd Kadir to receive the remains. Perak Mufti Harussani Zakaria led the prayers before the remains were taken to Kuala Kangsar.

– BERNAMA