Flight MH17 memorial service held in Malaysia as anniversary of plane crash approaches
A memorial service has taken place in Kuala Lumpur to remember those who were killed when Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crashed in the Ukraine.
July 17 will mark one year since the aircraft was shot down over Ukraine, killing aall 298 passengers and crew. Families of those killed demanded justice at the emotional and sombre memorial ceremony at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, attended by the country's prime minister Najib Razak.
Anger and frustration over the handling of the tragedy continued with relatives wanting answers.
The wife of one of the pilots, Captain Eugene Choo, attended the service with her two sons and relatives.
"We want to find out who shot down the plane. We must find out," Ivy Loi said, wiping away tears.
"We're just trying to cope."
The Boeing 777 passenger jet was on its way from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur when it was shot from the sky in eastern Ukraine on July 17.
At the time, intense fighting was taking place between Ukraine's government forces and pro-Russian separatists. Suspicion immediately fell on the separatists, who may have used a surface-to-air missile supplied by Russia to shoot down the plane.
But Moscow has flatly denied it was involved and instead, pointed the finger at Ukraine's military.
Among the dead were 38 Australian citizens and residents. The majority of passengers were Dutch.
Speaking at the memorial, Mr Najib said the international criminal investigation into the shooting down of the plane was continuing but could be over by year's end.
"Detailed investigations are still continuing ... and they are expected to be finished by the end of 2015 at least," he said.
'It's Ramadan and we feel the sadness'
The service was held one week earlier than the anniversary due to Islam's largest festival, Eid al-Fitr and the end of the fasting month of Ramadan, usually a time for joyful family gatherings.
The timing of the anniversary is therefore especially painful for mostly Muslim Malaysians.
"It's Ramadan and we feel the sadness," Shahadat Bey, whose aunt died in the crash, said.
"Everyone is just pointing fingers, but it's very important that we get some closure and justice because everybody needs to know what happened."
Madzalina Ghazalee, whose sister was killed in the crash, said the past weeks had been a difficult time.
"For Ramadan, we're sad because we're so used to having all the family members around during this period, but now its not the same," she said.
Rita Phang, whose cousin died in the crash, said: "I know it's almost a year, but we still feel sad, even though we know we have to accept the way things are.
"But action needs to be taken. I want justice to be served." A minute's silence was observed during the memorial service. Many attending cried and became emotional as passengers' names scrolled across screens in a tribute to the dead.
Malaysia looking to UN for justice
Transport minister Liow Tiong Lai insisted the Malaysian government was doing all it could.
"Malaysia is single-minded in making sure we find out who the people responsible for this tragedy are," he said.
Malaysia's ambassador to the UN, Ramlan Ibrahim, told the 15-member Security Council in early July that a UN court would "provide the highest degree of legitimacy for the trial".
However, Russia this week said it would oppose the resolution.
Australia is working with Malaysia, Belgium, the Netherlands and Ukraine — all members of the Joint Investigation Team — on setting up an international tribunal.
A draft UN resolution has called for establishing the tribunal under Chapter 7 of the UN charter, meaning the court's efforts to prosecute those responsible could be enforced by sanctions.
Just four months prior to the MH17 incident, Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 vanished without a trace with 239 people on board after its communications systems were apparently deliberately shut off, becoming one of aviation's enduring mysteries.
