KUALA LUMPUR: The remains of another two Malaysians killed in the MH17 tragedy will be brought home tomorrow, said Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.
The Government, he said, was also waiting for the authorities in the Netherlands to release the remains of another Malaysian.
“The second batch of remains will arrive on Sunday. Hopefully, there will be three bodies, but we can only announce more details on Saturday. Certain documentation needs to be completed,” said Liow, adding that he hoped to have the remains of the third Malaysian secured in time to be flown back together with the other two.
“Once confirmed, we will give you the details. We are teleconferencing with our embassy in Amsterdam and they are coordinating all the work going on in the Netherlands and Ukraine.”
The remains, said Liow, would most likely arrive early in the morning, adding that more details would be disclosed today, including their names and burial grounds.
He also refuted claims that the authorities in the Netherlands were holding on to the remains of one Malaysian originally intended to be flown back yesterday for investigation purposes.
“That is not true. We confirmed very early that the remains of 20 Malaysians were being brought back. There is no delay on the part of the Dutch or Malaysian governments,” said Liow.
He said that while the remains of 30 Malaysians had been identified so far, not all had been released yet.
“It is not accurate to say that the bodies are being detained. They will be released by the Dutch authorities in batches once the identification and investigations are completed,” said Liow, adding that the remains that arrived yesterday had gone through the post-mortem and investigation process.
Earlier, Liow urged Malaysians to keep in mind those who had yet to receive the remains of their family members killed in the tragedy.
“We will redouble our efforts and continue to work closely with our partners, particularly the government of the Netherlands, to ensure that the remaining victims are soon brought back to their families,” he said.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong said the remains that would arrive tomorrow were those of a Muslim and a non-Muslim.
“The third set of remains is that of a non-Muslim,” Dr Wee said, declining to disclose the gender.
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