KUALA LUMPUR, March 8 — The wife and two daughters of Modal Perdana Group chairman Datuk Mohamed Ramli Abbas (pic), who is former Celcom chief executive officer, were among the 239 passengers onboard the Malaysia Airlines (MAS) MH370 reported missing early today.
Mohamed Ramli’s sister-in-law, Salmy Hashim said Mohamed Ramli’s wife, Datin Biby Nazli Mohd Hassim and daughters, Maria and Dina, had boarded the aircraft bound for Beijing.
Salmy, a part-time journalist with Bernama in Washington, told Bernama that accompanying Biby and her daughters on the trip were their sister, Noorida.
The MH370 aircraft went off the radar after departing from KLIA at 12.41am for Beijing, China. It was scheduled to arrive in Beijing at 6.30am.
Nur Afizan Ayob, 30, whose brother in law Junaidi Mohd Kassim, 37, was a MAS crew member on the flight, said the latter had been working with the airline for 15 years and had two children aged 11 and nine years with her sister Nur Azlinda.
“My brother in law can be unrelenting but yesterday when I met the family at Kelana Jaya, he mentioned about returning to Malaysia on Monday and depositing money into his mother-in-law’s Haj Fund,” she told reporters when met at the KLIA lobby where families of passengers had gathered.
Housewife Kesumawati Nordin when contacted by Bernama, said her cousin Norli Akmar Hamid was also on the flight to Beijing for a holiday with her husband of one year, Muhammad Razahan Zamani.
Norli’s employer who declined to be named, said she was very hardworking and had taken two weeks’ leave since Feb 27 to take some rest.
Lorry driver P. Siva Subramanian, 33, said his uncle S. Puspanathan, 34, had boarded the flight on a working assignment.
“My uncle worked for Petronas and boarded the MAS plane at 12.40 am today. I was shocked upon being informed by my family. I hope he is safe and can see him again,” he said when met by reporters.
Siva Subramanian said his uncle had a wife and two sons aged four and nine years. Meanwhile, Selangor state exco Ronnie Liu Tian Khiew said his schoolmate Wong Sai Sang, 53, was among the passengers on the flight.
“I had just wished him ‘happy birthday’ on facebook yesterday,” he said. Meanwhile, Ambrose Nari said his brother Andrew Nari,49, the chief steward, was a very dedicated employee who rarely took leave.
“He would go to work even when he was ill,” he said. Andrew has served MAS for 24 years.
Ambrose said Andrew’s wife, Melanie Antonio, 40s, his daughter,17, and son, 13, are saddened by the incident and are patiently waiting for more information from authorities.
“I and other family members are gathered at his home in Puchong waiting for any new information regarding this incident.
“We hope and pray that nothing bad has happened. However, we accept whatever happened.” Ambrose last contacted his brother two days ago.
-BERNAMA
