PM Anwar On Official Visit To Russia From Tomorrow

KUALA LUMPUR, May 12 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will undertake an official visit to Russia from tomorrow until Friday at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

According to the Prime Minister’s senior press secretary Tunku Nashrul Abaidah, the visit will include stops in Moscow from Tuesday to Thursday, and Kazan, Tatarstan, from Thursday to Friday.

“In Moscow, the Prime Minister will deliver a speech at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations University (MGIMO), hold meetings with Russian business leaders and engage with the Malaysian diaspora in the capital.

“The Prime Minister will also attend the 16th International Economic Forum ‘KazanForum’ at the invitation of Rustam Minnikhanov, the Rais (Head) of the Republic of Tatarstan,” he said during the Prime Minister’s Office Daily Briefing, broadcast live via the Facebook pages of Anwar Ibrahim and PMO Malaysia today.

Tunku Nashrul said that while in Kazan, the Prime Minister will deliver a keynote address during the KazanForum plenary session on Friday, deliver a speech at the Strategic Vision Group meeting, and hold a meeting with the Rais of Tatarstan.

Tunku Nashrul added that upon returning from the visit, the Prime Minister will attend the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition (LIMA 2025), themed “Innovate Today, Thrive Tomorrow”, which is scheduled to take place from May 20 to 24.

“The Prime Minister emphasised that LIMA 2025 is not merely an exhibition of assets and technology, but a strategic platform to foster collaboration between the government, industry and educational institutions by bringing together key players in the defence and commercial aviation sectors, including in MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul), IoT (Internet of Things), satellite and space technology.

“The Prime Minister has also directed that this edition of LIMA focus on empowering local companies, especially small and medium enterprises, to break into international markets through innovation,” he said.

He added that LIMA will also stimulate economic growth by attracting foreign direct investment and boosting tourism and international trade.

“The Prime Minister prays that all preparations go smoothly and welcomes the participation of exhibitors, investors and visitors from both domestic and international arenas to make LIMA 2025 one of the most meaningful editions in the event’s history,” he said.

-- BERNAMA

Source: https://www.bernama.com/en/general/news.php?id=2421899

Tragedi MH17: Jangan mudah terheret permainan kuasa besar
Oleh Mohd Zaini Samsu Hadi - 14 May 2025

KUALA LUMPUR – Setiausaha Politik kepada Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Muhammad Kamil Abdul Munim membidas kenyataan Ketua Penerangan Pas, Ahmad Fadhli Shaari berhubung gesaannya agar Perdana Menteri tidak mendiamkan diri dalam isu tragedi pesawat MH17 semasa mengadakan lawatan rasmi ke Rusia ketika ini.

Menerusi hantaran di laman X, Kamil yang juga Timbalan Ketua Angkatan Muda Keadilan (AMK) menegaskan, semua pihak tidak seharusnya mudah terheret dengan permainan kuasa-kuasa besar dengan membantu menghalakan peluru musuh ke arah kita.

Katanya, mempolitikkan tragedi MH17 adalah tingkat paling bawah untuk membenih dan mengaut laba politik murahan.

“’Kebetulan’ laporan ICAO (Majlis Pertubuhan Penerbangan Awam Antarabangsa) tersebut hanya dikeluarkan lewat malam semalam, sehari sebelum Perdana Menteri tiba di Moscow. Undangan kepada PM bukan dipanjangkan oleh Kremlin pada minggu lalu, tetapi beberapa bulan sebelum ini.

“Malah, semasa kunjungan PM ke Vladivostok tahun lalu undangan yang sama telah disampaikan.

“Justeru, apa yang penting adalah laporan tersebut tidak seharusnya dieksploit dan ditunggang oleh pihak-pihak yang picisan dan dangkal isu,” katanya di laman sosial tersebut.

Semalam, Belanda dan Australia menggesa ICAO supaya mendesak Rusia memulakan rundingan berhubung insiden tembakan jatuh terhadap pesawat Malaysia Airlines MH17 pada 2014.

Menurut kerajaan Belanda, ICAO memutuskan pada Ahad bahawa Russia bertanggungjawab terhadap nahas pesawat MH17 dan telah melanggar Konvensyen Chicago 1944 mengenai Penerbangan Awam Antarabangsa.

Menteri Luar Belanda, Caspar Veldkamp menyambut baik keputusan itu dan menegaskan bahawa ICAO kini perlu meneliti kemungkinan pampasan.

Mengulas lanjut, Muhammad Kamil menegaskan, Malaysia sudah tentu akan terus mendukung segala usaha bagi menegakkan keadilan buat mangsa dan waris tragedi MH17.

Malah katanya, rekod Malaysia di pentas dan arena diplomasi kekal cemerlang, bijaksana dan tegas seperti yang ditonjolkan dalam pelbagai siri lawatan dan kunjungan rasmi Perdana Menteri.

“Malaysia tidak berhasrat untuk berganjak dari posisi ini. Dan Insya-Allah, kunjungan rasmi ke Rusia ini tentunya akan membuahkan hasil, meneruskan momentum serta memberi laba kepada negara dan rakyat lantas meletakkan Malaysia sebagai negara yang tegas, bermaruah dan berwibawa,” tambahnya.

Terdahulu, Ahmad Fadhli menerusi hantaran di Facebook berkata, kehadiran perdana menteri ke negara itu berlaku dalam waktu yang sangat sensitif, susulan keputusan rasmi ICAO sebuah badan di bawah Pertubuhan Bangsa-Bangsa Bersatu (PBB) yang menetapkan bahawa Rusia bertanggungjawab atas insiden penembakan pesawat Malaysia Airlines MH17 di ruang udara Ukraine pada Julai 2014. – MalaysiaGazette

Source: https://malaysiagazette.com/2025/05/14/trag...an-kuasa-besar/

Son of MH17 captain calls for justice following ruling
By ALLISON LAI
Nation
Thursday, 15 May 2025


Proud boys: Wan Amran (middle) on vacation with Wan Yusuf Irfan (left) and his brother Wan Uzair in this old photo courtesy of Mariam Yusof, the boys’ mother.

PETALING JAYA: As a United Nations agency declared that Russia was responsible for the tragic downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17, Wan Yusuf Irfan Wan Amran paid tribute to his late father Wan Amran Wan Hussin, who captained the plane.

He described July 17, 2014, as the most painful day of his life, marking the loss of his father in what he termed the “senseless downing” of the flight and “an act of violence that claimed 298 innocent lives and shattered countless families”.

“Over a decade has passed, yet not a day goes by without thoughts of him,” said Wan Yusuf Irfan, who was nine years old when the plane was brought down by a Russian surface-to-air missile as it flew over a disputed part of Ukraine.

“His laughter, his discipline and his quiet strength are deeply missed,” Wan Yusuf Irfan said of his father, a day after the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) ruled that Russia was responsible for the air disaster.

Commenting on the ruling, he said it had reignited calls for justice and compassion for all affected families, and that the authorities should show more “resolve and compassion” following the ruling.

“MH17 was not just a plane; it was our national carrier, carrying our people under our flag.

“The ICAO findings and international investigations have made it clear – Russia was responsible.

“And still, the authorities have failed to act with the resolve and compassion expected in the face of one of the worst aviation tragedies in history,” he said.

Wan Yusuf Irfan, who is following in his father’s footsteps and pursuing an aviation career, said his father’s mentorship was “stolen” not just by those responsible for the attack, but also by what he said is a system that failed to defend his father after his death.

He said the Transport Ministry’s response following ICAO’s findings has been “cold, procedural and lacking in even the most basic forms of human compassion.”

“We, the next of kin, have been treated as if we are just a footnote in a long-forgotten chapter.

“There has been no significant recognition, no clear path toward justice and certainly no meaningful compensation that reflects the scale and gravity of this international atrocity.

“Compensation should be paid not just as a financial obligation, but as a national duty and a symbol of dignity,” he said, adding that that families should not have to chase what is rightfully theirs.

On Tuesday, Transport Minister Anthony Loke said the ministry would issue a statement regarding the ICAO’s findings.

Flight MH17 was en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur when it was shot down by a Russian missile while flying over eastern Ukraine, where Ukrainian forces were fighting with pro-Russian separatists.

Reiterating his father’s service to the nation, Wan Yusuf Irfan said: “Captain Wan Amran served Malaysia with pride. He was not just a pilot. He was a son of this nation, and he died carrying our flag in the sky.

“It is heartbreaking to know that his service and his sacrifice have not been met with the respect and protection they deserve.”

In a heartfelt plea, he called for the government to acknowledge the moral and emotional responsibilities owed to the victims and their families.

“We do not ask for pity. We ask for justice. We ask for memory. We ask for compassion. We ask to be seen,” he added.

Source: https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2025...ollowing-ruling

MH17 – When will we hear the truth?
Posted on May 18, 2025, Sunday at 6:01 AM

I REFER to the AFP’s report as quoted by The Borneo Post on May 14, 2025.

At long last, there appears to be some sort of a closure to the investigations of a tragic event in the history of civil aviation: the downing of a Malaysian plane in July 2014, and with it, the loss of precious human lives, among them 43 Malaysians.

Where? Over that part of Ukraine known as Donetsk, now annexed and controlled by Russia.

The investigations into the shooting down of the MH17 had found evidence that the Russian weapons had been used to destroy the Malaysian plane.

For no good reason!

There was no war between Malaysia and Russia. And even if there had been a war, that’s not a reason to fire at any civilian aircraft.

The report by AFP, as quoted by The Borneo Post on May 14, 2025, also points to Russia’s culpability in the payment of damages for the destruction of the aircraft.

Not too sure what that means – we need some clarification.

The question is: would these ‘damages’ include payments to the relatives of the victims?

After all, they were all the employees of the Malaysian Airlines, and they died in the course of duty.

There must be terms and conditions of service, and these must be recognised by the employers.

There is something vague in the media report, though; it needs a clarification in terms of the distribution of compensation money.

Always supposing that the compensation money will be forthcoming.

For confirmation of the media report, I think the Malaysian government, specifically the Ministry of Transport, should convey the news – if this has not been done – to the relatives of the deceased employees of Malaysia Airlines.

I’m sure that they want to know of the latest development of the case.

For example, they would like to know what exactly that they are waiting for, not so much the award of damages but more importantly, the acceptance of culpability by whoever was responsible for the untimely deaths of their loved ones.

That closure matters much more to a bereaved family than the money as such.

Since the media report was published mid-week, we have been waiting for a statement from the relevant authorities reacting to the report.

I am surprised that since news about the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s current visit to Russia broke at midweek, there has been no statement from the Malaysian government about Russia’s admission of guilt.

The Russians had rejected the finding of the investigators and thereby dismissed the ruling of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) of the United Nations UN).

Why? Because these investigations had been ‘carried out by a team headed by the Netherlands, without the participation by Russia’.

This appears to be ‘business as usual’ in Russia – anything that makes their government look bad is simply ignored.

It looks like the UN agency, or the UN itself, is facing a credibility gap!

Be that as it may, I suggest that the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) should, if it had not done so, initiate a move to help the relatives of the victims by arranging a meeting between those relatives and the relevant authorities or even with the Russian officials in Kuala Lumpur to find out for sure if the relatives would be entitled to the award of damages at all, or whether the damages would only meant for the loss of the aircraft itself, not to be shared among the relatives of the employees.

Nothing to be ashamed of for asking for some clarification on this matter from the relevant authorities.

Just so that there is no waste of time waiting and then getting frustrated in the process at the end of the day.

I am sure the Government of Malaysia would not mind if Suhakam would make such a worthy move.

Meanwhile, the government would do a good service if the Transport Ministry issued a statement acknowledging that the Russian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur had been duly contacted through the diplomatic channel about the media report above.

The current visit by our Prime Minister to Russia provides a golden opportunity for him to find out the truth about the payment of damages, as diplomatically as possible.

Frankly, the Malaysian public would like to know if he brought the topic up at all.

My guess is that he has whispered in Russian President Vladimir Putin’s ears to the effect.

As Malaysia wishes to be a member of BRICS, with Russia being the leader of the group, one expects that the matter of the shooting down of a Malaysian plane by the Russians would be one among the top priority on the agenda of the visit to Russia.

I certainly hope so.

Source: https://www.theborneopost.com/2025/05/18/mh...hear-the-truth/

Landmark court ruling on downing of MH17
David Crowe
July 10, 2025 — 4.00am

London: Europe’s peak court on human rights has found Russia responsible for the downing of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 in a missile attack, issuing a landmark verdict on state conduct that killed 298 passengers and crew.

In the first judgment of its kind after years of legal dispute, the European Court of Human Rights held unanimously that Russia and its agents engaged in “manifestly unlawful” conduct in the July 2014 attack.

The decision was part of a broader ruling that also found Russia and its leaders responsible for years of human rights abuses, including torture and summary executions, since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

“Taken as a whole, the vast volume of evidence before the court presented a picture of interconnected practices of manifestly unlawful conduct by agents of the Russian state… on a massive scale across Ukraine,” it found.

The court named the Russian armed forces, other state authorities and its separatist groups as responsible.

The Netherlands and Ukraine brought the action against Russia in the peak human rights court over four cases dating to 2014, seeking rulings to defeat Russian arguments that it was not responsible for abuses and that separatists had brought down MH17 without state involvement.

The sweeping decision, issued on Wednesday (Thursday AEST) in Strasbourg by 17 judges from across Europe, found Russia responsible for summary executions, torture, the use of rape as a weapon of war, religious persecution, forced labour and other breaches.

MH17 was shot down on July 17, 2014, while in flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur and travelling over eastern Ukraine, where separatists backed by Russia were fighting Ukrainian forces in the months after the Russian invasion and annexation of Crimea.

The victims included 38 Australians, including Perth grandfather Nick Norris and three of his grandchildren, Mo, Otis and Evie.

The court judgment includes a detailed analysis of the Buk-Telar ground-to-air missile system being used in Ukraine, dismissing arguments that the separatists were not agents of the Russian state.

“The court agreed that the evidence suggested that the missile had been intentionally fired at flight MH17 most likely in the mistaken belief that it had been a military aircraft,” the court said in a statement.

“It was not necessary for the court to decide exactly who had fired the missile, since Russia was responsible for the acts of the Russian armed forces and of the armed separatists.

The victims included 38 Australians, including Perth grandfather Nick Norris and three of his grandchildren, Mo, Otis and Evie.

The court judgment includes a detailed analysis of the Buk-Telar ground-to-air missile system being used in Ukraine, dismissing arguments that the separatists were not agents of the Russian state.

“The court agreed that the evidence suggested that the missile had been intentionally fired at flight MH17 most likely in the mistaken belief that it had been a military aircraft,” the court said in a statement.

“It was not necessary for the court to decide exactly who had fired the missile, since Russia was responsible for the acts of the Russian armed forces and of the armed separatists.

“The court accepted the evidence of the Dutch government that a Buk-Telar acting alone could not distinguish between military and civilian aircraft.

“The court found that no measures had been taken by Russia to accurately identify military targets, in breach of the principles of distinction and precautions.”

Australia has backed the proceedings at the human rights court over many years, while also supporting separate actions that sought to hold key individuals to account on criminal grounds.

The District Court of The Hague decided the criminal case in November 2022 by sentencing Leonid Kharchenko, Sergey Dubinskiy and Igor Girkin to life imprisonment for the murder of 298 people.

A fourth man, Oleg Pulatov, was acquitted because the court ruled there was not enough evidence about his role in firing the missile.

In the civil case, the European Court of Human Rights confirmed Russia’s involvement in the destruction of flight MH17 in January 2023, but it has taken since then to issue a comprehensive judgment on Russia.

The decision is the first time an international court has found Russia guilty of international human rights abuses since the February 2022 invasion, and the first judgment of its kind on MH17.

The judgment covered four cases, including one brought by the Netherlands against Russia in 2020 over MH17. The other three were brought by Ukraine against Russia in 2014 over human rights violations by separatists in eastern Ukraine and the abduction of children.

Source: https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/world/euro...710-p5mdu8.html

This post has been edited by haya: Jul 10 2025, 01:41 PM