(Media Statement in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday, 29th May 2014)
Three reports today on the missing MH 370 Boeing 777, entering into its 82nd today, have completely shot into smithereens the authority and credibility of the Malaysian government, which have never fallen to such a low depth internationally in our nation’s 57-year history.
The three reports today are:
1. CNN report entitled “Four pings no longer believed from MH370’s black box, says US official”;
2. Wall Street Journal (WSJ) write-up that the raw satellite data and other documents released by Malaysian and Australian authorities in a 45-page official report on MH 370 lacks details on explaining where the plane could have gone down.
3. The statement today by the Australian authorities whose retired Australian air marshal Angus Houston heads the Joint Agency Co-ordination Centre (JACC) responsible for the largest and longest multi-national air, sea and sub-sea search for MH 370, declaring they are ending the search for the missing Malaysia Airlines aircraft in the southern Indian Ocean as they have come to the conclusion after deepsea hunts using a drone submersible have not been able to detect any trace of aircraft debris in more than 850 square kilometres of the ocean floor in the area. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has accordingly advised that the search in the vicinity of the acoustic detections can now be considered complete and in its professional judgment, the area can now be discounted as the final resting place of MH 370.
These three reports are at odds with the announcement by the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, at a sudden 10 pm media conference on March 24 that MH 370 “ended its journey” in the southern Indian Ocean, an announcement which I had described in Parliament the next day as an attempt to bring about “a closure without closure” to the families and relatives of the 239 passengers and crew members – as not a single piece of wreckage or debris had been found, which continued to be the case for the next 66 days.
The credibility and even authority of the Malaysian government are at stake if Najib does not present a White Paper on MH370 disaster when Parliament reconvenes on June 9, with a full-scale parliamentary debate on on the first day of Parliament.
In fact, both the Malaysian Government and Parliament will be doubly remiss in their responsibilities if this is not done, for both will become a laughing stock in the world for failing to give first priority to a matter which had obsessed the world for close to a hundred cays when Parliament reconvenes on June 9.
To salvage the credibility and authority of both the Malaysian Government and Parliament,at least three things must be done:
1. White Paper on MH 370 disaster and tragedy for Parliament by latest June 9.
2. Full debate on MH 370 disaster and tragedy as the first item of parliamentary business for the June meeting of Parliament.
3. Establishment of an Opposition-headed Parliamentary Select Committee to investigate into all aspects of the MH 370 disaster and tragedy.
Najib & UMNO will keep insisting this is unusual event in the face of criticism that from the start, the shortcoming have started with UMNO with a series of them leading to the final outcome – that others could have avoided from the start never leading to the final outcome..
I believe the lone voice in the US department is guilty of the same accusations (unjustly) directed against the Msia government of making unsubstantiated claims.
Disappointed his claims have not been backed up by test and experimental results that the noise can be generated by the ship or search device. I saw the 3D image of the ping which lasted for hours and were repeated at about 1.1sec intervals, unlikely with a leaky seal. It was the best available lead at the time and was justifiably investigate.