By P. Prem Kumar
KUALA LUMPUR
Malaysia’s foreign minister has criticized a new portal’s recent report suggesting that the pilot of missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 may have caused the plane’s disappearance while committing suicide.
“No thought or consideration is given to the victims’ loved ones as they await news of the missing plane and the circumstances under which it came to grief,” Anifah Aman said in a press statement Saturday.
Expressing disappointment with the September 16 report, Aman questioned the integrity of Huffington Post UK, which refers to a Birmingham Mail report in quoting claims made by Ewan Wilson, an air accident investigator and Kiwi Airlines founder who co-wrote a book on the ill-fated flight with journalist Geoff Taylor.
He said, “the Huffington Post deems it fit to publish the article, with no regard for the feelings and sufferings of those who have been touched by the incident.”
Underlining that Wilson's theory on the mental state of Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah was baseless, the minister said it would only add to the anxiety and trauma experienced by the family and friends of the victims.
He expressed the difficult of finding closure amid ongoing investigations into the Beijing-bound flight, which went missing after losing radio contact with Malaysian and Vietnamese air traffic control after leaving Kuala Lumpur International Airport on March 8.
It was carrying 239 passengers including 12-flight crew from 14 different countries.
In his book, Wilson claims it was likely that Shah was mentally ill and had cut off the plane’s oxygen supply before changing its route and ditching it in the Indian Ocean.
While Shah’s credibility had been questioned days after the flight’s disappearance, such allegations were dismissed by ministers, politicians and his colleagues.
In an interview with Australian broadcaster ABC, Shah’s brother-in-law had defended his reputation and mental stability.
Asuad Khan said the 53-year-old pilot was a "happy, generous and kind man" who fell victim to false rumors and inaccurate reporting.
Also speaking on behalf of Shah’s widow, Faizah Khan, he refuted claims of the captain committing suicide for life insurance by insisting that he had not had, nor believed in, such a policy.
www.aa.com.tr/en
