JOHOR BARU – A bookmark gift that came with a tell-all book on the MH370 and MH17 tragedies has invited mixed reactions for resembling a boarding pass, with some calling it “insensitive”.
The bookmark is understood to be a gift that comes with a book written by former Civil Aviation Department chief Datuk Seri Azharuddin Abdul Rahman titled Penerbangan Terakhir: MH370 & MH17.
Not everyone is against the bookmark’s design as Twitter user @warkahwijaya, who claimed to be a family member of the MH370 victims, did not find the bookmark insensitive.
“Four of my family members perished on MH370 and we have accepted their fate with an open heart. The bookmark follows a theme appropriate to the book.”
Perangai warganet banyak lebih sudu dari kuah.
— W ꥀꥇꤺꤿ ??❤️? (@warkahwijaya) March 9, 2022
4 orang ahli keluarga saya dalam nahas pesawat MH370 dan kami telah terima takdir itu dengan hati terbuka.
Penanda buku itu mengikut tema yang sesuai dengan bukunya.
Al Fatihah untuk semua mangsa.
The person had praised the design in an earlier tweet, saying: “Whoever designed this bookmark better admit it. It's neat and handsome! Here are some flowers!”
As for those who did not like the design of the bookmark, one user @takmakandodol tagged the police in his tweet, urging for action to be taken against the publisher..
“@PDRMsia can any action be taken on this? This is way too sensitive.”
@PDRMsia any action can be taken on this? This is way too sensitive
— P. (@takmakandodol) March 9, 2022
User @skraapapapa noted the intentions behind the bookmark might not be to mock, but asked, “imagine if the victims’ families saw this?”
Walaupun benda ni mungkin bukan nak mempersendakan, tapi cuba bayangkan kalau ahli keluarga mangsa tengok ni, boleh meraung juga lah.
— SF (@skraapapapa) March 9, 2022
However user @dyoguma took aim at the publisher, alleging that it is making money off the tragedies.
“Empathy is the least we could do for the victims and their families, but you can’t even do that? Making money on someone else’s nightmare?”
Book publisher Patriots Publishing said in a statement that there were no intentions to offend anyone by creating the bookmark as it was a gift awarded to those who purchased the first edition.
It added that this is not the first time bookmarks are gifted along with books it has published.
“We want to apologise if there are those that misunderstood or were hurt by the design of the boarding pass replica.
“How others interpret the bookmark is not our responsibility, but we would like to emphasise that the bookmark is not meant to be interpreted as how certain parties have been doing it.” – The Vibes, March 10, 2022
