Outpouring of condolences from S'pore leaders after M'sia confirms MH370 crashed

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who was the first Singapore leader to express his sympathies on Monday night, also said he was "deeply saddened to hear about the tragic fate of MH370". -- BH FILE PHOTO: TUKIMAN WARJI
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who was the first Singapore leader to express his sympathies on Monday night, also said he was "deeply saddened to hear about the tragic fate of MH370". -- BH FILE PHOTO: TUKIMAN WARJI

Several Singapore politicians expressed their sympathies online in the wake of Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak's confirmation on Monday night that Flight MH370 had crashed with no survivors.

President Tony Tan Keng Yam wrote on Facebook on Tuesday: "It was with a heavy heart that I learnt of the flight's tragic fate and the loss of the passengers and crew who were on board.

"This has been a very difficult period for the families and loved ones of the victims and my thoughts and prayers are with them."

He had been monitoring "with deep concern" the developments of the search for the Malaysian Airlines flight over the last few weeks, he added.

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International search efforts in recent days had focused on the Southern Indian Ocean west of Perth, and Datuk Seri Najib said on Monday that new analysis of satellite data had confirmed that the flight was lost with no survivors in the remote area. Some 239 passengers and crew members were on board the flight, which was bound for Beijing from Kuala Lumpur.

Foreign Minister K. Shanmugam said in a Facebook post this "must be a heartbreaking time for the families and friends of the crew and passengers".

"I hope they will find the strength and support of their loved ones to face the difficult days ahead," said Mr Shanmugam, who also holds the law portfolio, in a Facebook post on Tuesday.

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Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who was the first Singapore leader to express his sympathies on Monday night, also said he was "deeply saddened to hear about the tragic fate of MH370".

"For more than two weeks, we have been hoping against hope that somehow the worst did not happen. We know how anguished and desperate the families and friends of those on board felt," he wrote while attending an international nuclear summit in The Hague.

"While we are still far from understanding what happened, I hope this latest news will nonetheless give some certainty and closure.

"My deepest sympathies and condolences to the families and friends of those on board, and to the governments of Malaysia and China."

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Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Lawrence Wong wrote on Monday night that he was "very sad to learn of this latest development", and expressed his "deepest sympathies and prayers to the families and friends of those on the flight".

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Chua Chu Kang GRC Member of Parliament Zaqy Mohamad also expressed his deepest sympathies on Tuesday morning, adding that he was "so sorry and sad" to hear the news.

"Hope we can find some answers soon, to help families with closure. A tragedy no nation or loved ones should bear," he wrote on Facebook.

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Others who also expressed their condolences included Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC MP Gan Thiam Poh and Sembawang GRC MP Ellen Lee.

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