LUMUT, April 25 — The Perak Social Welfare Department (JKM) is offering counseling services to the families of the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) personnel who perished in the helicopter tragedy in Lumut on Tuesday.
State Women, Family, Social Welfare, Cooperatives, and Entrepreneurship Development Committee chairman, Datuk Salbiah Mohamed, said the department has visited three of the families in Selama, Lekir, and Sitiawan.
She said that besides presenting aid from the Emergency Fund and personal donations, they also monitored their situation.
“We will assess the best approach, type of support, and intervention required.
We may not see the impact within a day or two, It will take a week or two, and JKM will make follow-up visits to each family,” she told reporters here yesterday.
Salbiah, who was visiting the family of Warrant Officer II TMK Mohd Shahrizan Mohd Termizi at Taman Bunga Tanjung near Lekir, emphasised that during such difficult times, the next of kin need external support to cope with the tragedy.
“JKM will monitor the victims’ families, especially the spouses and children.
“Of course, children who lose their parents will be traumatised and shocked, so we will give them some time before assessing their state of mind,” she said.
The tragic crash occurred during the RMN’s 90th Anniversary Parade rehearsal at 9.32 am at the Lumut Naval Base on Tuesday, resulting in the loss of 10 lives — seven Maritime Operation Helicopter (HOM) crew members and three Fennec crew members.
The late Mohd Shahrizan is survived by his wife, Noor Ain Mohammad Ariffin, 41, and their three children, Nurul Shahfiqah, 21, Nurul Shahfizah, 20, and Nurul Shahfirul, 15.
— Bernama
