Putrajaya urged to do more for heli crash families

MIRI: Miri Member of Parliament, Chiew Choon Man has called on the federal government to go beyond statutory benefits and provide a comprehensive support package for the families of the five people killed in the Flying Doctor Service (FDS) helicopter crash at Long Lellang.

He said the families needed immediate financial assistance, a dedicated mechanism to help them access their entitlements, and longer-term protection for dependents following the September 8 tragedy.

His call comes after the Sarawak Government announced RM100,000 in assistance for each of the five affected families, together with education assistance for their children.

While welcoming the state government’s initiative, Chiew said it should not absolve the federal government of its responsibility towards families whose loved ones died while carrying out an essential public health mission.

“The federal government should consider what further support is appropriate. These men and women were part of a mission delivering an essential public health service to the people,” he said in a statement on Wednesday (Oct. 7).

The families of the late Alexson Adit Henry and Jessie Paya Jok, both from the Miri parliamentary constituency, have raised concerns over immediate financial assistance and the compensation and benefits available to them.

Similar concerns have also been raised publicly by the family of the late Captain Zainol Afiq.

Chiew said he had personally been in contact with the affected families following the crash, while his officers, together with the Sarawak Integrated Operations Centre (ICU Sarawak), had visited the families and provided immediate assistance.

He subsequently visited one of the families following the post-mortem process.

However, he stressed that assistance from individuals, the community and other parties could not replace the institutional responsibility owed to families of public service personnel who lost their lives in the line of duty.

Chiew said he had formally written to Health Minister, Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad, urging the Ministry of Health (MOH) to adopt a more comprehensive approach towards the welfare and rights of all affected families.

He acknowledged that MOH was working with the Public Service Department (JPA) and Ministry of Finance (MOF) to expedite ex-gratia payments, retirement benefits and other claims.

But he said these payments should not be regarded as the full extent of the government’s responsibility.

Chiew proposed three key measures.

First, the government should consider immediate special financial assistance for every affected family, particularly those who have lost their principal breadwinner.

For families with young children, temporary cost-of-living or welfare assistance should also be considered until longer-term benefits are fully processed.

Second, MOH should establish a one-stop assistance mechanism for each family.

Chiew said bereaved families should not have to navigate different government departments to determine what documents were required, what benefits they were entitled to, how much they could expect to receive or when payments would be made.

Instead, each family should receive a written breakdown of all available benefits and assistance, including eligibility, estimated payments where ascertainable, application status and expected processing timelines.

“This would provide certainty and, more importantly, demonstrate that the government is walking alongside the families during this extremely difficult period,” he said.

Third, Chiew called for a broader review of the protection afforded to FDS personnel.

He said FDS teams performed a uniquely demanding public service by flying into remote and difficult terrain to deliver essential healthcare to communities with limited access to medical services.

The review should examine insurance coverage, death and disability compensation, risk allowances, aviation emergency and survival training, safety procedures and longer-term protection for dependents.

Chiew said the helicopter tragedy should therefore serve as a catalyst for strengthening the welfare and safety framework for personnel involved in future FDS missions.