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Saturday, 19 July 2014

MH17 passenger uploaded Instagram video before take-off

Friend received last video from him, says never expected him to be on the ill-fated flight.

KUALA LUMPUR: Md Ali Md Salim, 30, a Malaysian passenger onboard the Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 which crashed in Ukraine near the Russian border, had uploaded a video on his Instagram account while seated in the plane moments before take-off.

The 15-seconds video was uploaded under his account name “@masa1777″ at noon (Amsterdam time), with the caption: “Bismillah…#hatiadasikitgentar” (In the name of Allah…feeling slightly nervous).

The video showed passengers and a MAS stewardess placing their personal items into the overhead baggage compartment and preparing for take-off.

His friend, Mohd Zaem Nordin, 24, who shared the video on his Instagram said that he did not expect Md Ali to be on the ill-fated plane.

“When I saw the video which had been uploaded about 15 hours earlier, I was shocked and did not think that he would be on the plane,” said Zaem when contacted by Bernama today.

Md Ali was pursuing his Psychology Doctorate at a university in Amsterdam and was due to complete his studies next year, said Zaem.

Zaem, who shared Md Ali’s video on Instagram, said that they last contacted one another on June 25 via Facebook.

“We always kept in touch on Facebook and the last time, he said he wanted to come home this year to spend Hari Raya with his family.

“I did not know that his wish would not be fulfilled and that this video is his last,” Zaem said.

The two had been friends since 2010 and Zaem described Md Ali as a “cheerful and caring person who was always concerned about his friends”.

“We first met when he was working as a fellow at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur branch, he was friendly and easy to get along with.”

Flight MH17 left Amsterdam at 12.15pm (Amsterdam time) and was scheduled to arrive at KLIA, Sepang at 6.10am (Malaysia time) today. (Bernama)

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