Capt Shahrul was a ‘great guy’

KUALA LUMPUR: Captain Shahrul Kamal Roslan, who perished in the plane crash at the Elmina township, was always either laughing or smiling, says his cousin Shahriel Hanifah.

The 29-year-old data scientist from Klang Gate, Hulu Kelang, said Shahrul – or “Adek” as he called him – was a happy-go-lucky person.

“He never frowned because his personality exuded happiness, and that is how we want everyone to remember him. He was also friendly and warm towards others, even if he did not know you.

“I don’t think I had ever seen him in a bad mood or angry. He maintained a good relationship with all his cousins, so you can imagine how this news hit us.

“We went through the five stages of grief. We were hoping he could have survived, then we were filled with such sadness, crying away, but at this stage, you can say that somehow, we are coming to accept it,” he said when met at Shahrul’s parents’ house in Wangsa Melawati here yesterday.

Family members and friends have gathered at Shahrul’s house to pay their respects to his parents. Shahriel said most of them had seen the footage circulating on social media of the tragic crash but it was only after they saw the flight manifest did Shahrul’s untimely demise hit home, he added.

“So, you can imagine our shock because we had already seen the videos. How could this have happened as Shahrul was a very experienced pilot who had flown all over the world?

“Shahrul had worked with Etihad Airways, doing long flights, and he had the foresight to quit before all the pilots started losing their jobs during the pandemic.

“He ventured into several businesses and even sold ice cream because it was better to walk out of the aviation industry, rather than get culled,” he said.

However, Shahriel said his cousin re-entered the aviation industry and had been busy flying to various destinations, adding that there had been times when he missed out on festive holidays such as Hari Raya Aidilfitri because he was stuck overseas on duty.

Shahriel said Shahrul had always wanted to follow in the footsteps of his father in becoming a pilot.

“His father was a pilot with Malaysia Airlines before retiring, so naturally he followed in his footsteps. My cousin actually studied something else but he found his passion in aviation.

“Despite his busy schedule, Shahrul managed to make it for my wedding although he missed my nikah ceremony.

“That gesture is something I cannot forget because he actually made time to come and he made sure I remembered that he attended my wedding,” he said.

Shahriel hopes that everyone who reads about his cousin will also think of him as the easy-going laidback guy who loved to smile.

“When I think about the crash, many things come to my mind. This was such a routine flight for him so it is difficult to ascertain what transpired before the crash.

“I just wish I had the opportunity to meet him during Hari Raya recently but that was not the case because his current job kept him busy so we kept in touch via phone only,” he lamented.