KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 26 — Counselling services will continue to be given as long as they are needed to the 24 families of the passengers and crew of Malaysia Airlines (MAS) Flight MH17 whose remains have been flown home.

Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Rohani Abdul Karim said they could contact the counsellors provided by the ministry at any time.

“Currently, they (family) may still be busy with visiting relatives, but after several days they may be sad again and they can contact our counsellors.

“They can express their feelings or whatever difficulty, including concerning their children’s schooling and finance and we will refer to the ministry and the agencies concerned if necessary,” she said.

She was talking to Bernama after being a guest on the progamme ‘Dalam Radar’ by Radio24 on the topic ‘Women Upholders Of The National Aspiration’ in conjunction with the 2014 National Women’s Day which was celebrated every year on August 25 at Wisma Bernama here, today.

As of yesterday, 24 victims of the MH17 aircraft tragedy had been flown home to Malaysia with the identities of two of the remains not revealed at the request of the families.

Twenty of the remains were flown home from Amsterdam on Friday, one arrived on Saturday and three more arrived on Sunday.

According to Rohani, although the MH17 tragedy had taken place, the ministry would not forget the families of the passengers and crew of MH370 and would always give room to them to contact the ministry at any time.

“My counsellor and I are still in contact with the next-of-kin of the passengers and crew of MH370 although it is very difficult for me to answer when asked as to when the aircraft will be found,” she said.

Flight MH17, with 298 passengers and crew, was believed to have been shot down over Donetsk, east Ukraine on July 17 while on its journey to Kuala Lumpur from Amsterdam.

Forty-three of the victims were Malaysians, including 15 crew members.

Meanwhile, the MH370 aircraft which was on a flight to Beijing with 239 passengers and crew went off the radar after departing from the KL International Airport on March 8. — Bernama