"I don't want to go cycling with you anymore," the late MH17 co-pilot, Captain Eugene Choo Jin Leong had jokingly said to cycling buddy Azrin Shala during a group outing, one month before the downing of the
Malaysia Airlines' MH17 flight in eastern Ukraine.
Azrin Shala, 44, a technical staff and also a member of the MAS Cycling Club, never thought that Choo's words would become a reality until the July 17 air crash which killed the co-pilot and all the other 297 people on board.
Azrin was met with about 20 members of the club who came to the late Capt. Choo's residence, here, to pay him their last respects.
"At that time, we were having breakfast together after a cycling outing, and Choo said he did not want to cycle with me anymore during our banter...I did not expect those words to be prophetic," he said.
Azrin described Choo as very caring towards his friends and loved sporting activities like cycling and riding motorbike.
"We all have been very close in the club, regardless of our race and religion. We've been holding activities and always eating out together," said Azrin, as she held back tears.
Shahril Irwan Mohamad, 38, also a MAS staff and a member of the Kelab Pencinta Motosikal Berkuasa Tinggi MAS (MAS High-Powered Motorcycle Loving Club), said Choo had joined the club six years ago and was actively riding a super-bike, especially during the weekends.
"If he wasn't flying or was free on weekends, he would contact us through WhatsApp to go out riding and have breakfast together.
"We would always use shortened word 'motoroti' for the combination of the words 'motor' and 'roti', for roti canai, which was Capt. Choo's favourite for breakfast," Shahril Irwan recalled.
Choo's ashes contained in an urn arrived at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport from Amsterdam this morning together with the remains of eight other MH17 passengers and crew members.
Choo leaves a wife, Ivy Loi, 42, and two sons, Melvic Choo, 13, and Scott Choo, 10.
Bernama
Tue Sep 02 2014
Choo's friend, Azrin Shala never thought the banter would become reality until the July 17 crash. - Bernama Photo
AWANI Ringkas: Taktik baharu scammer
Ikuti rangkuman berita utama yang menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari di Astro AWANI menerusi AWANI Ringkas.
AWANI 7:45 [20/04/2024] - Noktahkan kemiskinan Sabah | Belum tahu jumlah peruntukan pembangkang | Freedom Flotilla to Gaza | Thailand terima 10.72 juta pelancong asing
#AWANI745 malam ini bersama Dzulfitri Yusof;
1. Noktahkan kemiskinan tegar Sabah, kata PM
2. PN masih tunggu butiran MOU, peruntukan pembangkang
3. Freedom Flotilla jalani latihan anti keganasan sebelum ke Gaza
4. 1.3 juta pelancong Malaysia ke Thailand
1. Noktahkan kemiskinan tegar Sabah, kata PM
2. PN masih tunggu butiran MOU, peruntukan pembangkang
3. Freedom Flotilla jalani latihan anti keganasan sebelum ke Gaza
4. 1.3 juta pelancong Malaysia ke Thailand
Dua polis BSI ditahan bantu siasatan kes pemerasan
Dua anggota polis yang berkhidmat di Bangunan Sultan Iskandar (BSI) ditahan semalam, bagi membantu siasatan kes pemerasan melibatkan seorang lelaki tempatan yang bekerja di Singapura.
Malaysia-Thailand tingkat kerjasama atasi jenayah
Malaysia dan Thailand setuju tingkat kerjasama untuk membanteras jenayah rentas sempadan.
#AWANI745
#AWANI745
MCMC lapor polis terhadap Papagomo, Che Gu Bard dan Salim Iskandar
MCMC menegaskan pihaknya melaksanakan tugas dan tanggungjawabnya berpandukan Akta Komunikasi dan Multimedia 1998, dan kesemua undang-undang subsidiari yang terkandung di dalamnya.
#AWANI745
#AWANI745
Kursus Perdana Haji peringkat Wilayah Persekutuan
Hari ini bermula Kursus Haji Perdana secara berperingkat yang dianjurkan oleh Lembaga Tabung Haji.
Ini adalah persediaan terakhir kepada bakal Haji Malaysia untuk mempersiapkan diri sebagai tetamu Allah di tanah suci nanti.
#AWANI745
Ini adalah persediaan terakhir kepada bakal Haji Malaysia untuk mempersiapkan diri sebagai tetamu Allah di tanah suci nanti.
#AWANI745
1.39 juta pelancong Malaysia ke Thailand
Thailand terima ketibaan 10.72 juta pelancong asing termasuk 1.39 juta dari Malaysia.
#AWANI745
#AWANI745
Delegasi Malaysia jalani latihan anti keganasan
Latihan ini bagi mempersiapkan peserta dalam mendepani segala kenungkinan dan provokasi yang mungkin berlaku semasa pelayaran menghantar bantuan ke Gaza berlangsung.
Syaff Shukri di Istanbul, Turki ada perinciannya.
#AWANI745
Syaff Shukri di Istanbul, Turki ada perinciannya.
#AWANI745
Bekas tokoh Bersih lancar Projek SAMA, tingkat akauntabiliti
Tujuh bekas BERSIH pada Sabtu melancarkan sebuah organisasi yang memperjuangkan reformasi institusi dikenali sebagai Projek SAMA.
#AWANI745
#AWANI745
[TERKINI] Dua polis bsi ditahan bantu siasatan kes pemerasan
Dua anggota polis yang berkhidmat di Bangunan Sultan Iskandar di Johor Bahru ditahan bagi membantu siasatan kes pemerasan membabitkan seorang lelaki tempatan yang bekerja di Singapura.