PM, DPM pay last respects to Noriah at Sarawak General Hospital

KUCHING: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak and wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor paid their last respects to Plantation Industries and Commodities Deputy Minister Datuk Noriah Kasnon at the Sarawak General Hospital here today.
Noriah was killed in a helicopter crash in Sebuyau yesterday. The fate of the pilot and four others who were on board is still unkown.
Najib and Rosmah also extended their condolences to her family members.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Rohani Abdul Karim also paid their last respects at the hospital.
Noriah's body was brought by helicopter from the crash site to the Sarawak police headquarters here this afternoon before being transferred to the hospital.
Besides Noriah, also onboard the ill-fated helicopter were her husband Asmuni Abdullah and Kuala Kangsar MP Datuk Wan Mohammad Khair-il Anuar Wan Ahmad, who is also the chairman of the Malaysian Palm Oil Board.
Also on board were Plantation Industries and Commodities Ministry secretary-general Datuk Dr Sundaran Annamalai, Noriah's bodyguard Ahmad Sobri Harun and Filipino pilot Rudolf Rex Ragas.
The Eurocopter AS350 helicopter was on a flight from Betong to Kuching when it vanished from radar screens at 4.12pm yesterday.
Pieces of the helicopter were found near the Batang Lupar river in Sebuyau around 9am today. At noon rescuers retrieved the body of Noriah where the debris were found.
Noriah was in Betong on ministerial duties. — Bernama