Copter tragedy: Women ministry to give RM3,000 to victims' families, says Nancy

PUTRAJAYA: The Women, Family and Community Development Ministry through Yayasan Kebajikan Negara, will donate RM3,000 to families of the victims who perished when two helicopters crashed at the Royal Malaysian Navy base in Lumut.

Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri hoped that the aid - under the Skim Pemberian Ehsan Kepada Keluarga Mangsa - would be channelled soon to alleviate the families' burden and ease their sadness and grief.

"I will hand over the aid to the family of the victim in Sarawak while my deputy (Datuk Seri Dr Noraini Ahmad) will do the same to the families of the victims in Sabah and Lumut,” she told the media after the Yasin and Tahlil recitation for the victims of the helicopter tragedy here on Thursday (April 25).

About 200 ministry personnel members attended the recitation, which was led by the ministry Islamic affairs assistant officer Uztaz Muhammad Zaid Jumali.

Nancy said the ministry would also reach out to the families through counselling guidance by the One-Stop Social Support Centres and Social Welfare Department in providing aid support and referrals provided by the agencies under the ministry.

She said her ministry would also collaborate with the Education Ministry to provide counselling services to the victims’ families, including their school-going children.

"The ministry is always committed to helping those in need, including the next of kin of the victims who may now have no one to depend on to continue living.

"Everyone in the ministry is saddened by the incident and prays for their souls to be placed among the righteous,” she said.

The 9.32am tragedy on Tuesday (April 23) involving the Maritime Operations Helicopter (HOM-AW139) and a Fennec aircraft (M502-6) during a rehearsal for a flypast in conjunction with the 90th RMN Anniversary took the lives of 10 Navy members, including three women.- Bernama