Stewardess' death: Family rules out suicide - Family members of Malaysia Airlines stewardess Chin Swee Len, who was found dead in the car park...

Stewardess' death: Family rules out suicide

By Sarban Singh

Family members of Malaysia Airlines stewardess Chin Swee Len, who was found dead in the car park of a hotel in Amsterdam on Jan 13, do not believe she committed suicide.

Her husband Cheng Yin Chet, 39, said Chin had been making elaborate plans for Chinese New Year, including texting her brother, inviting him to join a vegetarian dinner on the first day of the celebration before leaving on her flight.

Chin, 34, who had been with the national carrier since 1997, had also taken their 17-year-old son for Chinese New Year shopping before her flight to Amsterdam and promised to go for a vacation in Australia in September, he added.

"She told me that she would only get us new clothes upon her return," said Cheng, adding that his wife would often go for walks after a long flight to prevent jetlag.

"Her room electronic data showed that on the said day, she left her room at about 10pm and had probably gone to the eighth or ninth floor, which was the hotel’s top most floor, to get some air."

"We believe that she must have slipped and fell," he said, adding that the windows in Chin’s hotel room could only opened by several centimetres.

Chin had flown to the Dutch capital on Jan 11 and was supposed to have returned on Jan 15.

However, when she failed to turn up at a pre-departure briefing, her colleagues went to look for her in their hotel located near the Schiphol Airport.

It was reported that her colleagues were then told that she had been found unconscious at the hotel’s parking lot by other guests.

There were also other reports that said that she was found dead in her room with bruises all over her body and that she had been robbed and thrown out of her room on the fourth floor.

Dutch police ruled out foul play in her death. A hotel guest saw Chin’s body sprawled on the car park below at about 4am the following morning.

Cheng, who returned to Seremban from Amsterdam on Jan 19 with his wife’s remains, said Chin’s belongings, including her laptop and cash, were still in her room.

"In fact, even her luggage seemed as if it had not been opened," he said, adding that she had stayed at the hotel several times before.

Cheng said he was also satisfied with the investigation conducted by the Dutch authorities.

"I am also satisifed that there was no criminal element involved in her death."

"Robbery was also not a motive," he said, adding that his wife did not suffer from any medical condition.

Cheng also denied that he had any marital problems with Chin.

Published Jan 22 2011