MARCH 16 — The MH370 has gone missing for seven days and the ongoing search and rescue work still lacks a direction. The Department of Civil Aviation's (DCA) radar showed that the aircraft lost contact above the South China Sea, according to the Royal Malaysian Air Force chief Tan Sri Rodzali Daud, however, the military radar had detected a “blip” that could have been the missing MH370 at 200 miles northwest of the island of Penang, at 2.15am on March 8. Although they are not sure whether it was the MH370, the authorities have immediately widened the search operations to the Straits of Malacca from the original search site in the South China Sea.

In other words, the search area for MH370 has been widened to more than 27,000 square nautical miles – about 14,000 in the South China Sea and 12,000 in the Straits of Malacca. It has even covered the Andaman Sea, hundreds of kilometres to the northwest of the original search area. It is indeed an arduous and heavy task to search in the vast sea, but the search operations must be continued as long as there is a hint of possibility before the aircraft is found.

A Japan Coast Guard (JCG) studies a map with a Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency pilot (left) in JCG's Gulfstream V Jet aircraft over the waters of the South China Sea March 15, 2014. — Reuters pic

As time goes by, the search operations have become extremely pressing and although 14 countries and regions have joined the operations, and 42 ships and 39 aircraft are involved, they seem to have acted on their own without effective coordination and integration. Our country could only rely on the collaboration and cooperation from these countries and regions to provide various search and rescue information. The failure to take control in the face of crisis has exposed serious deficiencies in our crisis management mechanism that must be reviewed.

In addition, although many countries and regions have participated in the search operations, communication, coordination and cooperation must be strengthened to accelerate the operations. The emergency command centre of MAS should also take the initiative to contact and coordinate with the search and rescue teams, as well as divide the search areas.

The multi-national search operations have been carried out for several days but the aircraft remains nowhere to be found. Of course, it is because the search area is too wide, but the key still lies on whether the direction of the search is correct. Without determining the direction, it would be like looking for a needle in a haystack. It would be helpless no matter how much the search efforts are strengthen.

Currently, the search area has been widened from the South China Sea to Peninsula Malaysia and the Straits of Malacca, and even the Andaman Sea. However, it was reported that a New Zealand oil rig worker claimed that he saw the aircraft on fire right around the time it disappeared in the South China Sea, where a large number of unidentified objects were found but were later confirmed to be garbage. If his words are reliable, the search should then focus on the South China Sea. But why didn't the Vietnam rescue team find anything?

The authorities expanded the search area to the Straits of Malacca based on the signs showing possibly that the aircraft had tried to turn back. As for whether they should focus the search operations in South Chinese Sea or the Straits of Malacca, the top priority now is to determine the direction. All efforts would not help much without a clear direction. It has been seven days since the aircraft went missing and to be honest, we have already missed the golden hours for search and rescue.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malay Mail Online.