MH17 A grieving Malaysia stood still in a minute of silence from 10.54am today as a mark of respect as the remains of 20 of 43 Malaysians killed in an air tragedy over Ukraine in July were flown home.

The 'Jalur Gemilang' national flag was flown at half-mast as this nation of 30 million stood united in mourning for those killed when Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 with 298 people aboard went down in eastern Ukraine on July 17, sending shock waves around the world.

Many Malaysians opted to wear black on this day which had been declared a day of national mourning as they observed the minute of silence in remembrance of the victims.

The focus was on the ceremonial military honours at the Bunga Raya Complex at the KLIA accorded to the victims during which the announcement for the whole country to begin observing the one-minute silence was telecast live over radio and television.

The announcement came after all the 17 caskets and three urns bearing the remains of the Malaysian nationals, which had arrived aboard a MAS MH6129 flight from Amsterdam, had been placed inside 20 hearses.

Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah and Raja Permaisuri Agong Tuanku Hajah Haminah, who graced the event together with Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and wife Rosmah Mansor, joined the next-of-kin of the victims at the sad occasion.

Also present at the complex were Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and wife Norainee Abdul Rahman, cabinet members, members of parliament and foreign diplomats.

After it was announced that the nation observe a minute's silence, Muslims recited the al-Fatihah while non-Muslims offered prayers according to their respective faiths.

About 3,000 people of various races stood side by side at the Dataran Merdeka in central Kuala Lumpur as they observed the historic moment.

The scene was repeated at other locations in this capital city and across Malaysia as traffic came to a standstill to mark the sombre occasion.

Highways closed lanes

Earlier, all aircraft movement at KLIA and neighbouring klia2 for low-cost carriers came to a brief halt as the special aircraft bearing the remains came in for landing.

As a mark of respect, many local newspapers opted for black and white front pages as numerous online news portals, including that of the Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama), chose similar colour tones.

Many shopping outlets in various parts of the country marked the occasion by toning down their in-house music and reminding patrons to be ready for the start of the moment of silence.

A number of major highways, including the Lekas Highway, Besraya Highway and New Pantai Expressway, closed their lanes for a minute in respect of the victims.

Malaysian missions abroad also flew the Jalur Gemilang at half-mast in observance of the day of national mourning.

Likewise, foreign missions here, such as the Japanese, Philippine and United States embassies, marked the occasion by flying their national flags at half-mast.

People held gatherings in the states to observe the one-minute silence.

In Negeri Sembilan, more than 3,000 civil servants gathered at Wisma Negeri in Seremban to observe the minute's silence.

In Pahang, Menteri Besar Adnan Yaakob led 3,000 civil servants in marking the occasion at Dataran Setia, Wisma Sri Pahang, in Kuantan.

'Tahlil' sessions

In Malacca, some 500 people comprising government personnel and the public, led by state secretary Naim Abu Bakar, paid their last respects in silence at the Historical City of Melaka Square.

In Kelantan, about 200 military personnel said their prayers in silence for the victims at the Desa Pahlawan Kok Lanas Camp.

In Johor, people gathered at the Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) Complex in Johor Baharu to observe the moment of silence, as did a congregation at the IKBN mosque in Pagoh.

In Perak, the occasion was observed by 500 Sekolah Tuanku Abdul Rahman students in Ipoh, as state Fire and Rescue Department personnel throughout Perak organised 'tahlil' sessions and recited the 'Yasin' and special prayers in memory of the MH17 victims.

In Selangor, some 100 Selangor government personnel as well as representatives from the Indonesian Embassy observed the moment of silence at a ferry terminal in Port Klang.

In Sabah, some 200 personnel from various agencies under the Communications and Multimedia Ministry participated in a similar event at the KKMM Integrated Complex in Kepayan, Kota Kinabalu.

Activities at the Satok Market in Kuching, Sarawak, came to a brief standstill as traders and shoppers marked the moment of silence.

- Bernama