KUALA LUMPUR, May 16 — Despite the global attention that Flight MH370 has attracted, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said today that the Sulu incursion in Lahad Datu, Sabah, was 10 times more difficult to manage than the aviation disaster.

The acting transport minister noted that revealing information publicly during the Sulu insurgency could have threatened lives and that Malaysia did not have the benefit of outside expertise.

“The experience in Lahad Datu had matured me,” Hishammuddin told an interview with a few newspapers here today on MH370.

The armed incursion by militants from southern Philippines last year had killed 10 members of Malaysian security forces. Hishammuddin was the home minister at that time.

Hishammuddin, who is now defence minister, said today that Malaysia was looking at upgrading its military radar in the aftermath of the MH370 crisis.

“We put aside our national security interests. We were forced to reveal our defence capability, which means we are very exposed in our military capability,” he said.

Hishammuddin also said thus far, all the countries who had joined in the hunt for the missing Malaysia Airlines jetliner have not asked Malaysia to pay anything.

A whopping 26 countries had joined in the search for the commercial plane that disappeared on March 8, but a vast hunt across land, sea and air has yet to reveal any physical evidence of the plane, be it debris or human remains.

The hunt is currently focused underwater in the southern Indian Ocean, coordinated by Malaysia, China and Australia.

“To be fair to Australia, from now on, we’ll need to share the cost,” said Hishammuddin.

International newswire AFP reported last Tuesday that Australia has committed up to AU$89.9 million (RM273.3 million) over two years in the search for Flight MH370 that had carried 239 people on board.

Hishammuddin said Malaysia’s share of the cost would depend on the search area and assets deployed.

Hishammuddin also said today that Flight MH370 has changed the global aviation industry, where areas like plane transponders, black box capabilities, and passenger screening would have to be relooked.

“That’s not unique to Malaysia,” said Hishammuddin.

Shortly after taking off from Kuala Lumpur en route to Beijing, Flight MH370 veered sharply off course and flew in a westerly direction across the Malaysian peninsula after dropping from radar.