KUANTAN, June 16 — The Sultan of Pahang, Sultan Ahmad Shah yesterday night paid his final respects to the two pilots of the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) who were killed after their Hawk 108 aircraft crashed in Chukai earlier yesterday.

Despite him being unwell and escorted in a wheelchair, the Sultan, who is also the RMAF Colonel-in-Chief, arrived at the Forensic Unit of the Tengku Ampuan Afzan Hospital at 10 pm and spent over an hour with the family members of the two pilots.

Also present were the Regent of Pahang Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah and Tengku Puan Pahang Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah.

Tengku Abdullah also expressed his condolences and sadness over the death of the two pilots — Major Yasmi Mohamed Yusof, 39, and Major Hasri Zahari, 31.

"I hope their family members will remain patient in facing this difficult time. We pray for Allah to bless the souls of these two heroes who were willing to undergo training even during this fasting month.

"This is a great loss for the RMAF and the country,” he said.

Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah was seen hugging the late Major Yazmi’s eldest son Mikhail Adam Riaz, 11, while trying to calm the boy down when he began to cry.

The bodies of the pilots were found at 2.30 pm in a swamp forest in Chukai, about 53 km from the Kuantan RMAF base, still strapped to their parachutes.

They were found at a distance of 20 metres from each other.

Earlier, RMAF confirmed the Hawk 108 aircraft went missing north of here on the Terengganu-Pahang border after losing contact with it at 11.30 am. — Bernama