KUCHING: Whenever Debra Moset returned to Kampung Semadang, the aroma of her beef rendang would fill the family home.
It was more than just a meal. It was how the Moset family knew she was home.
Now, that familiar fragrance has been replaced by grief after Debra was confirmed as one of the five victims killed in Tuesday’s (Sept 8) crash involving a Flying Doctor Service (FDS) BO-105 helicopter near Long Lellang STOLport.
Her younger brother, Morgan Moset, said every visit home brought warmth to the household, with Debra naturally taking over the kitchen while their mother finally had a chance to rest.
“If she came home, our mother didn’t have to cook anymore.
“She would be the one cooking,” he said when met at the family’s home in Kampung Semadang yesterday.
The fourth of six siblings, Debra was known in the family for her love of cooking, especially during Gawai Dayak and Christmas gatherings.
Morgan said beef rendang was her signature dish.
“She loved cooking. Whenever she made rendang, she’d cook a big pot for the whole family.
“Her rendang was the best. It was perfect with lemang,” he recalled.
Even now, Morgan admitted he is struggling to accept that his sister was among those who lost their lives in the crash.
“It is still hard for me to believe she was one of the victims.
“I kept hoping she would be safe,” he said.
Only a year apart in age, the two siblings grew up together, attended school together and remained especially close as adults.
Morgan remembered Debra as cheerful, playful and someone who always made time for her family despite living in Miri with her husband and two children.
Her last visit home was about a month ago, when she spent more than a week with the family before returning to work.
“Every time she came back, she would cook.
“My nieces and nephews prefer curry, but for the rest of us, rendang was always a must,” he said.
He added that although work commitments often kept the siblings apart, Debra was the one who regularly called and checked on everyone, helping keep the family closely connected.
Besides Debra, the crash also claimed the lives of pilot Captain Zainol, medical officer Dr Ainul Baraah Kamaruddin, assistant medical officer Alexson Adit and nurse Jessie Pay.
