Andrew with his dog.
Andrew in his younger days.
SIBU: Tuai Rumah Catherine Tamoh is hoping for the best as she gathers in Putrajaya together with other family members of the crew and passengers of the missing MAS flight MH370.
Catherine said they were told to assemble there yesterday morning with their passports. Her son Andrew Nari, 49, was chief steward on that flight.
He was among the 239 people on the plane en route to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur when it disappeared from the radar in the wee hours of Saturday.
“I am still waiting for the latest information and all family members of the crew and passengers are all here. They do update us every now and then.
“We are all on standby, and if there is any finding they will fly us to the location.
“I am praying very hard for the safety of my son and all those on board,” Catherine told The Borneo Post when contacted yesterday.
On Saturday afternoon, when interviewed by reporters at her longhouse, Catherine said Andrew was the eldest of her four children. She said she last spoke to Andrew, who is married with two children, on the phone last week.
Meanwhile, folks of Rumah Catherine Tamoh hosted a night vigil on Saturday as the community of 500 stayed up to pray for Andrew.
A longhouse folk, who declined to be identified, said the longhouse folks gathered at the `ruai’ (verandah) to pray for Andrew’s safe return.
“We stayed up in prayers to be in spirit with the family of our chieftain as worries mount for the safety of Andrew.”
She added that their longhouse community yesterday proceeded to the chapel in Sungei Aup for Sunday service, and there people of the whole village prayed for Andrew and the other passengers and crew members.
The folks of Rumah Catherine Tamoh are members of the Methodist Church.
In Kuching, churches prayed for the missing passengers and crew members at their respective Sunday services yesterday.
The prayers were done during their intercession, said St Francis’ priest-in-charge Rev Dennis Gimang.
“We interceded for the victims and their family members. We also prayed for the government as they grappled with the national disaster,” he said when contacted.
Spokespersons of St Thomas’ cathedral and St Faith church said they interceded for the missing passengers and their family members, who are awaiting news from the SAR operations.
St Joseph cathedral parish priest Father Simon Poh said they also did the same during their service prayers.
In Sibu, April Lu, who attended the Sunday service at Xi An Church, said before the beginning of their service yesterday, she said the pastor led the congregation to pray for those on board the plane.
“Today, as we remember the passengers and the crew members of the missing MH370, the pastor led us to pray for them and for the comfort of their loved ones.”
In the Roman Catholic and Anglican Churches, the priests also led the congregation in prayers for those missing.
Kindergarten teacher Mary Tang of Sacred Heart Church said she had been praying since Saturday after she heard of the tragedy.
She said she attended the Sunday mass yesterday and the congregation continued to pray.
Malaysia Airlines, meanwhile, has appealed to Malaysians and the world community to pray for the passengers and crew of the missing plane.
In a press statement issued from Sepang at 2am yesterday, MAS said “it had been more than 24 hours since we last heard from MH370 at 1.30am. The search and rescue (SAR) team is yet to determine the whereabouts of the Boeing 777-200 aircraft”.