PM: MH370 probe refocused on crew, passengers’ backgrounds

SEPANG, March 15 ― Following confirmed evidence that Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 was deliberately piloted hundreds of miles off-course, Datuk Seri Najib Razak said today that investigations into the plane's disappearance would now be refocused on the backgrounds of the 239 people on board.

The prime minister would not confirm today that the plane had been hijacked, despite confirming that all information showing the aircraft had veered far off to the west of its original flight path.

He said based on new satellite communication, it can be said “with a high degree of certainty” that the Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System (ACARS) was disabled just before the aircraft reached the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia.

Shortly after that, near the borders between the Malaysian and Vietnamese air traffic control, the aircraft's transponder in turn, was switched off.

“It then flew in a westerly direction back over peninsula before turning northwest, up until the point at which it left military primary radar coverage.

“This movement is consistent with deliberate action by someone on the plane,” Najib told a press conference at Sama-Sama Hotel here.

“In view of this latest development, the Malaysian authorities have refocused the investigation into the crew and passengers on board,” he added.

MAS flight MH370 was ferrying 239 people to Beijing when it dropped off the radar at 1.30am last Saturday as the aircraft was passing 120 miles off the coast of Kota Baru in the east coast.

Shortly after Najib’s press conference, police arrived at the home of the captain of MH370, 53-year-old Zaharie Ahmad Shah, and began searching.

Investigators have in recent days started to focus their efforts on possible foul play in the disappearance of MH370 that went dark on March 8 without ever sending a distress signal.

Investigators had confirmed that an aircraft tracked by military radar was the lost Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, after its communications were likely switched off before it reached the east coast of Malaysia a week ago.