MH370 families slam Charlie Hebdo cartoon

KUALA LUMPUR: The eldest child of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 chief steward Andrew Nari could hardly contain her grief over a distasteful cartoon of the wrecked aircraft depicted in a French magazine.

Maira Elizabeth Nari, 18, who is pursuing a diploma in mass communications at a college in Subang Jaya, described the Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine’s cartoon as “dim-witted and repellent”.

“It is unethical of the magazine and disgusting as it (cartoon) humiliates everyone and everything.

“I cannot believe that such a company or people (behind the magazine) still exist!” she fumed.

No stranger to international controversy, the magazine in its recent publication mocked the discovery of a flaperon found on Reunion Island which international experts confirmed was from MH370.

This drew criticism and disgust from the public, especially relatives and friends of the 239 passengers and crew who were on board MH370.

The Boeing 777 aircraft went missing while en route to Beijing on March 8 last year.

Kelvin Shim, 39, the husband of MH370 stewardess Tan Ser Kuin, said he was browsing the Internet for an update of the vanished aircraft when he saw the cartoon.

“If their popularity and sales increased from this publication, it is because of people who enjoy this kind of humour.

“They probably don’t understand how it feels when families go missing or are involved in a terrible tragedy and no remains are found,” he added.

The father of two said that he needed to be extra vigilant in monitoring his children’s Internet surfing just in case they came across the cartoon.

Shim has a nine-year-old son and a seven-year-old daughter. – Bernama