Sunday Times 2
Malaysia team in Kiev as anger mounts over MH17
View(s):KUALA LUMPUR, July 19 (AFP) -A Malaysian team including two air accident investigators arrived in Kiev today and the transport minister was expected to follow as the Malaysian prime minister appealed for access to the MH17 crash site.
Prime Minister Najib Razak said he spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin by phone late Friday to stress the need for an objective, unfettered probe into the crash that killed 298 people, amid concerns the site was vulnerable to tampering.
“I also told Putin that the site should not be tampered (with) before the team begins its investigation,” he was quoted saying by national news agency Bernama.
Members of the Australian Ukrainian community hold placards as they hold a rally in Sydney July 19, demanding that Russian President Vladimir Putin not be allowed to attend the G20 Leaders Summit in November (Reuters)
The Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 came down in a separatist-held region, with the United States saying it was shot down in a missile attack, a possible casualty of Ukraine’s battle with pro-Russia rebels.
A 62-member Malaysian team arrived in Kiev today, a member of the delegation told AFP.
It was to include two accredited air crash investigators invited by Ukraine to help probe responsibility for the disaster.
Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai was due to leave for Kiev later Saturday, the Star daily said.
Concerns over access
Though it occurred in rebel territory, Ukraine’s government has the authority to investigate the crash, under international conventions.
But concerns have emerged after international observers were blocked or given only partial access by armed rebels.
US President Barack Obama has said evidence indicates a missile was fired from the rebel-held zone.
The disaster has deeply shocked Malaysia, still grappling with the trauma of the March 8 disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 with 239 passengers and crew aboard, including 38 Malaysians.
No trace of MH370 has been found, severely damaging Malaysia’s image abroad and leaving furious passengers’ relatives deeply anguished and demanding answers.
“Wrong target, who committed this atrocity?” leading Malay-language daily Utusan Malaysia said of MH17 on its front page Saturday, echoing the tone of most leading newspapers and Malaysian social media chatter.
Forty-four Malaysians were on the flight.
Anger mounts
In an address to his nation late Friday, Najib demanded justice if it is determined that the plane was shot down, condemning what he called an “inhumane, uncivilised, violent and irresponsible act”.
He said the Muslim-majority country would hold an emergency sitting of parliament — expected Wednesday — to vent Malaysian anger over the disaster, and that all flags in the country would be flown at half-mast.
“Of course there is anger. Why must this happen only to us (in) Malaysia? I really feel like beating that Russian, Vladimir Putin,” said Mohamad Shidee Mohamad Ghazali, 28, a welder with the state utility company Tenaga Nasional.
Civil servant Nor Azizah Johar, 31, said her childhood friend Mohamad Ali Mohamad Salim was aboard the flight. They had planned to meet up during the coming Eid al-Fitr Islamic holiday.
“I am shocked that such an incident can happen,” she said.
“I leave it to Allah. What can we do? We are just pawns in this issue.” Kiev has accused pro-Russian separatists battling Ukrainian forces of committing a “terrorist act”.
Stunned world leaders have urged a full investigation, which could further fan the flames of Russia’s confrontation with Ukraine, the worst East-West crisis since the Cold War, if pro-Russian rebels are found
culpable.
| Personal tragedies at heart of Malaysia’s second national air disaster
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Malaysian Airlines flight attendant Sanjid Singh was not scheduled to be working on board doomed Flight MH17, but had swapped with a colleague – just months after his wife, also an attendant, had swapped her shift to avoid Flight MH370. The contrasting twists of fate make up just one of hundreds of poignant stories triggering a nationwide outpouring of grief in Malaysia where many are finding it difficult to grasp the twin disasters befalling their country and national airline. One of the victims of MH17 was attendant Sanjid Singh.  A woman writes messages during a special prayer for the victims of downed Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 in Kuala Lumpur (Reuters) “He told us recently that he swapped with a colleague for the return Amsterdam-Kuala Lumpur flight,” his father told the Malaysian Insider news website. “He always called us before he leaves for his trip,” Jijar Singh, 71, said. “Sanjid’s wife was meant to fly on MH370 but swapped with another colleague at the last minute.” An entire family of six were returning home to Malaysia after three years in Kazakhstan and the head of the family, Tambi Jiee, 49, was keen to celebrate Hari Raya, the end of the Muslim fasting month, at home before reporting for work in a new posting. His wife, Ariza Ghazalee, 47, was an avid social media user, the Star newspaper said. Before boarding the plane, she uploaded photos of the family’s packed bags on the Internet. Ariza’s mother, Jamillah Noriah Abg Anuar, 72, told reporters she had spoken to the family just hours earlier. “They called me from Amsterdam. Before entering the plane, they called. Nothing strange. It was a normal conversation.” The caption read: “Wish me luck, in the name of God”, with a hashtag in Malaysian saying “My heart feels nervous”. Salim was pursuing a psychology doctorate in the University of Amsterdam and was planning to finish next year, said Zaem. “I did not know that his wish would not be fulfilled and that this video is his last”. The MH17 tragedy came just as many were beginning to get over what happened in March. “For something like this to happen, just four months after MH370, just when we were beginning to get on with life, it is just very difficult to take,” one airline executive told Reuters at Kuala Lumpur airport, sobbing as he spoke. “You can’t imagine how draining it is, how emotional it is. Everyone can’t believe this is happening again, we are going through all of the emotions once again.” Malaysia Airlines said it was waiving fees for changing or cancelling tickets for a few days “in light of the MH17 incident”. The waivers only apply until Thursday for travel until the end of the year. |