The failure of Malaysia Airlines (MAS) to defend its own pilots is disgraceful. The reputations of MH370 Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah and co-pilot Fariq Abdul Hamid are being dragged through the mud, but MAS cannot or will not come to their defence. Why?

 

MAS pilots are professionals and have gone through rigorous selection, training and regular evaluation. The pilots’ political beliefs have no bearing on their professionalism.

 

So, when Najib Abdul Razak’s administration made Zaharie ( right ) a scapegoat, and the MAS CEO failed to support his pilots, the confidence of MAS employees, potential investors and airline customers was severely shaken.  

 

There was no evidence against Zaharie. The authorities were grasping at straws. They used recycled theories, gleaned from various sources, to hurl accusations at the pilots.

 

Despite this, MAS did not issue any statement to contradict the views of the authorities. If the Malaysian government thinks nothing is damaged, then they are even more stupid than is thought capable. Every MAS employee probably believes that MAS refuses to protect loyal staff and is quite prepared to dump them when things get turbulent. MAS have failed the families of Zaharie and Fariq.

 

Najib’s forte is dabbling in propaganda.  His public relations team have used Zaharie’s political leanings, towards the opposition, to link Anwar Ibrahim with MH370’s disappearance. A photo of Zaharie wearing a T-shirt with the words ‘Democracy is Dead’ printed on it, has gone viral. This is not evidence.

 

Why is there no focus on the Iranians and their forged passports? Why should we accept, at face value, the assertion that the two Iranians, who entered on their Iranian passports but exited on European Community (EC) passports, have no ulterior motive? If the plane is being kept in storage, the passengers and crew will doubtless, be considered, collateral damage.

 

The passenger manifest lists 20 communications contractors, who work for a defence company in China. Are they being scrutinised? What about the people who checked-in but failed to board the plane? What explanation is there for the Australian, who left his wedding ring behind in case he did not return? Who else on the list has a background which deserves closer examination?

 

The silence of the MAS CEO, its senior management, other MAS pilots, the union of flight attendants and other MAS employees shows two things and exposes another. They are afraid to speak-out and are only interested in protecting themselves. The lack of support has inadvertently exposed the iron grip which the authorities have on MAS’ senior management. Staff morale and productivity will be affected.

MAS’ safety record is enviable. Its pilots are some of the best qualified and its cabin crews are the recipients of many awards. Why should the presence of a flight simulator at Zaharie’s house be evidence that he is capable of hijacking an aeroplane? Does that mean that serious computer geeks will break into the defence systems of a nation and threaten the nation’s security?

 

A substantial number of people in the airline industry have a flight simulator at home but that does not mean they are potential hijackers. MAS and the authorities have forgotten that flight simulators are built or acquired because the people are passionate about their hobbies.

No proper coordination

Najib’s administration uses old news and regurgitated facts to spin storylines to discredit Anwar and his coalition. The press conferences with Najib are a farce, in which questions may not be asked. There is no official spokesperson, no proper crisis management team, no proper coordination and the PM has been relegated to the role of spokesman. Najib reads from a prepared script.

 

The military has shown its incompetence. When MH370 disengaged itself from radar control and another plane popped up in Malaysian air space, why did the air force not scramble a plane to find out the identity of the possible intruder? Did an air force plane take off and shoot down MH370? Is that the secret that Najib is hiding from the world?

 

Any new information trickles through and takes hours to materialise. We would like to believe that the delay is because staff have to sift the information, and eliminate red herrings. One would expect the information to be newsworthy but we have noticed many retractions and contradictory statements. Najib’s men often fail to quote the source, verify the facts or check the veracity of the information.

 

Is it any wonder that people suspect that Najib’s administration is withholding something? People have begun to disbelieve him. He is not seen as an authoritative figure but like his ministers, is seen as a bumbling amateur. Foreign governments have accused Najib of obfuscation. We are not shocked. This is the modus operandi of Umno Baru which has been 57 years in the making.

 

Foreign governments and institutions like Interpol have said that Malaysia has refused to share information. In times of crisis, and when 239 lives are at risk, some conditions should be waived. Does Najib not realise that the loss of MH370 is a humanitarian crisis? Don’t the families of MH370 deserve better?

 

Najib and his men have been accused of withholding vital information, thus prompting governments of neighbouring countries to suspend the search and rescue missions. The irony is that the disappearance of MH370 may precipitate the fall from power of Najib and his administration.

MARIAM MOKHTAR is a defender of the truth, the admiral-general of the Green Bean Army and president of the Perak Liberation Organisation (PLO).