PULAU LANGKAWI TRAGEDY (Returning bodies to Singapore)

Encik Wan Hussin bin Hj Zoohri asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs what steps the Government took to facilitate the bringing back of the bodies of the victims of the Pulau Langkawi tragedy to Singapore.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs (Mr S. Dhanabalan): Mr Speaker, Sir, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs learned of the Pulau Langkawi tragedy at about 5 pm on 10th February 1986, which was a public holiday in Singapore. The Singapore High Commission in Kuala Lumpur was immediately alerted and the Ministry took action to inform the families of the deceased. The Ministry made arrangements, through the High Commission, to have the bodies flown back on 11th February for burial in Singapore. As there were no scheduled flights available from Pulau Langkawi to Singapore, the High Commission chartered an aircraft on behalf of the families to fly the bodies to Singapore. The bodies arrived at 5.50 pm on 11th February and they were buried on the same day under special arrangements made by the Police and the Ministry of the Environment.