PUTRAJAYA, May 5 — Plantation Industries and Commodities Deputy Minister Datuk Noriah Kasnon was a good person who worked very hard at her job, Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan said today.

Noriah is believed to be among six people on board a Eurocopter AS350 helicopter downed in the vicinity of Sebuyau, Sarawak yesterday while campaigning for the Barisan Nasional (BN) in the state election that ends tomorrow.

The body of a woman was recovered from the Batang Lupar river mouth at noon today and is pending identification at the Sarawak General Hospital in Kuching.

“Many of us are really sad with Datuk Noriah’s passing. She was very hardworking and I often see her at the Dewan Rakyat till night time or until two to three in the morning occasionally,” he said in a press conference here.

“She was a good person and always friendly to us on Whatsapp group and at the Parliament lobby. Her passing was felt deeply by MPs who were with her since 2008,” he added.

Apart from Noriah, Kuala Kangsar MP Datuk Mohammad Khairil Anuar Wan Ahmad from Umno and four others were on board the helicopter when it disappeared from radar at 4.15pm yesterday while en route from Betong to Kuching.

The four other people on the helicopter were Noriah’s husband Asmuni Abdullah, Plantation Industries and Commodities secretary-general Datuk Dr Sundaran Annamalai, bodyguard Ahmad Sobri Harun; and the pilot Captain Rudolf Rex Ragas.

Noriah, 52, had served as deputy minister in the energy, green technology and water; the women, family and community development portfolios; and the plantation industries and commodities portfolio.

The Sungai Besar Wanita Umno division chief had been MP for Sungai Besar in Selangor since 2004, but narrowly held on to the federal seat in the 13th general elections with a majority of just 399 votes against PAS.