A moment of silence was observed for one minute in Dewan Rakyat today to for Plantations Industries and Commodities and Deputy Minister Datuk Noriah Kasnon and Kuala Kangsar MP Datuk Wan Mohammad Khairil Anwar Wan Ahmad who perished in the Sarawak helicopter crash, recently.

A huge loss to the country, Dewan Rakyat speaker, Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia expressed deep grief over their sudden deaths.

“The passing of Noriah and Wan Mohammad are a huge loss to the country. On behalf of Dewan Rakyat and Parliament members, I wished to express our condolences to the family of Datuk Noriah Kasnon and to Datuk Wan Mohammad Khair-il Anuar’s family, my deepest condolence to his wife, Datin Mastura Yazid.

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“I hope the whole family of Datuk Noriah Kasnon and Datuk Wan Mohammad Khair-il Anuar will be patient in facing the situation. May Allah give blessings on their souls and may their souls rest among the pious,” said Pandikar Amin during his opening speech of the Second Term of 13th Parliament Session (2016) at Dewan Rakyat here today.

In the May 5 tragedy, Eurocopter AS350 helicopter en route to Kuching from Sebuyau, Kuching went missing from radar 20 minutes after it took off at 4.12pm.

The helicopter was carrying a pilot and five others including Plantation Industries and Commodities Ministry secretary-general Datuk Dr Sundaran Annamalai, Datuk Noriah's personal bodyguard Ahmad Sobri Harun and Filipino pilot, Captain Rudolf Rex Ragas.