A heartache no one can heal

The first arrival: Army personnel carrying the coffin containing the remains of leading stewardess Mastura Mustafa from the special aircraft during the ceremony at the Bunga Raya Complex in KLIA.

PETALING JAYA: It was a sad, sad moment. And it was an historic moment as the nation came together to mourn the deaths of 43 civilians who had fallen victim to a war fought far, far away.

There were many who did it their own way. Tears flowed freely as people everywhere – not just the airline crew and the passengers’ families – wept. Cars and motorcycles stopped. Even in Penang’s cross-channel ferry, passengers stood silent for a minute.

And there were kind deeds. Two people handed out sandwiches to all who had come to KLIA to pay their respects to the Malaysian dead.

MAS stewardess Teng Siew Eng handed over handwritten notes of condolences to the families. Each note bore the drawing of two red hearts with a profound message: “Your departure leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal. We miss you. From MH families.”

Malaysians living abroad – in Saudi Arabia, Britain and Indonesia, among others – also stopped to pay their respects.

Malaysians mourned a senseless loss.

• Click here for more stories