Anwar Remembers Pilot Killed In Sarawak Helicopter Crash, Calls Him A Friend

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim remembers Captain Zainol Afiq Bee Sham as a friend, telling the pilot’s father that his son was very well-mannered.

Anwar Ibrahim/Threads/Facebook

In Brief

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim offered condolences and pledged assistance to bring Captain Zainol Afiq's remains home to Negeri Sembilan.
Anwar shared that the late pilot had flown him during the 15th General Election campaign, calling it a very heavy loss.
The BO-105 helicopter crashed near Long Lellang STOL airport, killing all five on board, including medical personnel.

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Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has conveyed his condolences, together with his wife, to the family of Captain Zainol Afiq Bee Sham, 31, who was killed in a helicopter crash in Sarawak yesterday.

During a telephone conversation with the pilot’s father, Bee Sham Ahmad, Anwar also pledged that the Madani government will provide whatever assistance he could to help the families of all the pilot and the other four victims.

“Pray that, God willing, his soul will be blessed by Allah SWT. He was a good person, he helped us a lot and we will remember his services and contributions,” Anwar said during the conversation.

In a post on Threads, Anwar also shared that the late pilot had flown him during the 15th General Election campaign.

“It is a very heavy loss, especially for the family and his young children who are still small,” the Prime Minister said in the post.

Anwar also shared a snippet of his phone call with Bee Sham, in which he was heard telling the pilot’s father that his was nice and well-mannered.

“I was affected, I remember when they sent me the photo (of the pilot), I was even more affected, so I sent it to Azizah and the family, they all prayed (for him) and were sad (about what happened),” Anwar said.

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The BO-105 helicopter crash, which occurred on Tuesday (Sept 8), claimed the lives of all five people on board, including the pilot, a medical officer, an assistant medical officer and two nurses.

The helicopter, which had departed from Miri for a Flying Doctor Service mission, crashed near the Long Lellang Short Take-Off and Landing (STOL) airport in Ulu Baram, Sarawak. The Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) said the crash was reported at 3.58pm.

The Air Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) under the Transport Ministry will investigate the crash in accordance with Part XXVI of the Civil Aviation Regulations 2016.

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