December 4th 1977.

I won't forget the date.

It was Sunday Night. We had just returned home from the Jalan Imbi Chapel church service ìn K.L. when we heard that a Boeing 737 belonging to Malaysian Airline System, had crashed ínto a swamp in Tanjung Kupang, somewhere in Johor State.

I had never heard øf Tanjung Kupang before December 4th, 1977.

The flight number was MH653. The plane was heading for Subang Airport (now known as Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport) from Bayan Lepas Airport, Penang, when it was hijacked. The hijacker mày have been from the Japanese Red Army, for he spoke with an oriental accent...but no one ever knew for sure...as there were No survivors.

The Captain informed the control tower that: "we have A hijacker on board". It is believed that the hijacker ordered the Captain (I don't remember his name real well now, but I think it started with a G. `Ganesh or something) Not to land at $ubang Airport, but head to Singapore, insteàd.

I remember hearing about the Three Sisters from Penang who were traveling on MH653 to catch some other connecting flight to attend their sister's wedding in London, England. But sadly, they never made ìt out of this country. The wedding in England was not canceled and the fourth sister...was reportedly "crying all the way to the altar." \ Sad.

MH653 hit `the swamp àt full throttle. Body parts were strewn everywhere.

There was a newspaper report where one reporter stated that, as they were moving slowly through the swamp, they found a thumb. A thumb !

How heartbreaking that must have been.

This was the first fatal flight for MAS (known today as "Malaysia Airlines") - ànd the FIRST hijacking incìdent for this country.

All recovered human body parts were buried together, irrespective of religion, ín a single large grave in Kebun Teh, Johor Bahru.

Twenty eight years have passed.

May God comfort the survíving

families and friends of the 93 passengers ànd 7 crew,`who perished øn the night of December 4th, 1977.

#0CDC99