KUALA LUMPUR, July 20 – “Life is too short to be taken seriously” was a status posted by Malaysian-born Elaine Teoh, about four months ago via Facebook. She was one of the 298 people on board Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 which was believed to have been shot down over Ukraine while the aircraft was enroute to Kuala Lumpur from Amsterdam.
The 27-year-old’s Facebook page has since been flooded with condolence messages when news that she was on that fateful flight was confirmed by Australia’s Nine News via Twitter. The Twitter tweets “27-year-old Elaine Teoh a Melbourne University student is confirmed to have been on #MH17”.
Before boarding MH17, Teoh, who was on a Euro trip to Portugal and Holland, was staying in Melbourne where she studied at the University of Melbourne. According to her former classmate at a secondary school in Subang Jaya, who wanted to be remain anonymous, Teoh had a splendid and bubbly personality, and her smile always brightened the day of those beside her (Teoh).
“She is a “beauty with brains” as she has always excelled in everyting that she did, since her schooling days,” she said. It is believed Teoh’s boyfriend was also in the flight travelling to Kuala Lumpur but the information has yet to be confirmed.
Meanwhile, one of the many heartful messages posted on Teoh’s Facebook page read, “It’s terrible when life is cut short for a person with so much to live for, but you are in a better place now. In your time here, you brought happiness and joy to many people, and that is a true blessing. R.I.P”.
Another post on Facebook: “My thoughts and prayers are with you and family in this difficult time. Am sorry and sad to hear this tragic news.” Another of Teoh’s close friends, when contacted by Bernama was too distraught to be interviewed as she was in a state of shock.
– BERNAMA
