PETALING JAYA: All evidence related to the MH17 tragedy should be made public and its judicial process conducted fairly without any political pressure to ensure that justice prevails, says Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong (pic).

       The Transport Minister said the country remained fully committed to bringing those responsible for shooting down the plane to justice.

       “Malaysia reiterates its commitment to bring the perpetrators of this inhumane crime to justice, not only because everyone involved deserves to see justice, but also to bring comfort and peace of mind to the next of kin of those who were lost in the tragedy,” he said in a statement yesterday.

       Dr Wee noted that yesterday marked seven years since the day Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 was shot down in the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine.

       A total of 283 passengers and 15 crew were killed.

       The Boeing 777 is believed to have been hit by a surface-to-air missile supplied to pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine.

       “Malaysia believes and hopes that the Covid-19 pandemic will not be an obstacle to the efforts to uphold justice for the victims of the MH17 tragedy.

       “Our thoughts and prayers are always with the victims and their loved ones.

       “We hope that the families and friends of the victims will have strength and resilience as we remain committed in our pursuit to seek justice,” Dr Wee added.

       Meanwhile, the foreign ministers of Australia, Belgium, Malaysia, the Netherlands and Ukraine, whose countries comprise the Joint Investigation Team, said their thoughts remained with those who perished on board, their families and loved ones.

       “While nothing can bring back those who lost their lives, or diminish the anguish and grief suffered by the family members, it is imperative that we remain steadfast in our commitment to pursuing truth, justice and accountability,” the ministers said in a joint statement to mark the seventh anniversary of the tragedy.

       They also acknowledged the cooperation of their respective investigative agencies and reiterated their full support for the efforts to establish the truth of what happened.

       The foreign ministers added that they had full confidence in the independent, open and impartial criminal proceedings against the alleged perpetrators.