@mpkotabelud : #MH17, When tragedy struck twice

Just when I thought nothing could get any worse after MH370, it did.

The recent aviation mishaps have challenged our sanity. At the same time, they mock our ability to ascertain events around us with a clear mind and with sound judgment. 

Though it pains us a great deal to read the writing on the wall, we all know that everyday, hope fades of ever finding the survivors of flight MH370. Some believe that the ill-fated jetliner must be lying somewhere at the seabed of the cold, isolated depths of the Indian Ocean, while the rest choose to keep waiting in despair. 

Fast-forward to 131 days after MH370 catastrophe, Malaysians now have to live with the fact that another MAS jetliner, MH17, was shot down by a surface-to-air missile while cruising at an altitude of 33,000 feet. The civilian airplane then spiralled earthbound, crashing in flames somewhere in Grabovo, Ukraine, near the Russian border. This time 298 innocent lives perished, giving a false sense of victory to those who perpetrated the atrocity. 

The cabin crew and passengers onboard MH17 will never come home. The lives of their loved ones will never be the same again. 

Hold on. Shot by surface-to-air missile? How do I explain such a hostile phrase to my young children? How do I tell them that people are nice, and that this world is a safe place to live in. Don’t I first have to first convince myself of the fact? 

And how much more can we, a nation this small, endure? Issues plaguing the country – some are within our control, while some are not – seem to flow in steady succession. To name a few: our suffocating political feuds, Lahad Datu intrusion, floods, El-Nino dry spell, major bus accident, MH370 and now MH17. Our fatigue knows no bounds. Some are mentally exhausted; some are physically spent. 

But what struck me since 11:30 pm last Thursday – and the thought still lingers now – is the ephemeral nature of life: how our differences do not matter once fate intervenes. 

While calls for unity at times like these might sound cliché to some, to me it is the perfect respite to everything we have been bickering about. It is now time to let go and unite. It is now time to overcome our pain and suffering. I keep the words of Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak close to heart: “But today, regardless of nationality, we are all united in grief."

It is true that time heals all pain. However, the sorrow we have endured will leave an indelible scar in our souls. Be that as it may, despite what we have lost, despite the pain we have known, we must never forget we still have hope. Hope is the only torch that will show us the way out of the bleakness of loss. These are the best of times; these are the worst of times. 

Good night, MH17.