"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
Ragbi: Malaysia muncul juara Kejohanan SEA 7s 2024
Pasukan ragbi lelaki tujuh sebelah (7s) negara mencipta sejarah muncul juara Kejohanan Tujuh Sebelah Asia Tenggara (SEA 7s) 2024.
MAPIM seru pertubuhan antarabangsa perkukuh perlindungan untuk wartawan
MAPIM menyeru pertubuhan antarabangsa dan kerajaan memperkuat perlindungan untuk wartawan memandangkan mereka turut menjalankan peranan penting dalam mengekalkan masyarakat demokrasi.
Cuaca panas: Orang ramai tidak perlu risau, KKM sentiasa pantau keadaan - Dr Dzulkefly
Orang ramai diminta tidak khuatir dengan cuaca panas yang melanda beberapa negeri ketika ini kerana situasi itu sentiasa dipantau rapat Kementerian Kesihatan (KKM).
Program Rakyat: Pengunjung digalak guna pengangkutan awam, elak kesesakan
Pengunjung yang ingin menghadiri Program MADANI Rakyat 2024 Zon Utara di Tapak Pesta Sungai Nibong, dekat sini digalakkan untuk menggunakan pengangkutan awam yang disediakan Kementerian Pengangkutan.
Azizulhasni raih motivasi hadapi minggu mencabar di Jepun
Azizulhasni menang dua pingat emas masing-masing dalam acara pecut dan keirin pada perlumbaan Siri Trek ASEAN di Velodrom Nasional.
JDT sediakan fasiliti latihan terbaik untuk skuad B-17 negara
Skuad muda negara bimbingan Javier Jorda Ribera dijadual menjalani kem latihan pusat di Pasir Gudang, Johor sehingga Selasa depan.
Tumpuan Sabtu - 04 Mei 2024
Ikuti rangkuman berita utama yang menjadi tumpuan di Astro AWANI.
Pengamal media rayu campur tangan antarabangsa lindungi wartawan di zon konflik
Lebih 200 wartawan maut di Gaza, Palestin sejak Oktober 2023 tetapi tidak ada tindakan diambil terhadap pelakunya.
Media perlu manfaat kebebasan bersuara, rai kemajmukan Malaysia
Pengamal media di Malaysia perlu memanfaatkan kebebasan bersuara dengan sebaiknya tanpa perlu menggugat keharmonian dan menimbulkan sebarang kekacauan di negara ini.
10 Berita Pilihan - (03 Mei 2024)
Antara pelbagai berita dalam dan luar negara yang disiarkan di Astro AWANI, berikut adalah yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari ini.