KUALA LUMPUR, March 19 — Malaysians have swarmed to social networks to unleash their pent-up fury at China after the Asian giant chided Putrajaya for the government’s management of the missing flight MH370.
They pointed out the incongruity that China, a rising global superpower known to be parsimonious with information, was criticising Malaysia for its reluctance to share state secrets that risks the country’s security amid a global search for the Malaysia Airlines plane that flew off radars with 239 people onboard 11 days ago.
“Secretive China is demanding transparency from msia. thats what happen when your country don’t have google and facebook,” Stevie Chan, 47, posted on Twitter under the name YouTiup.
When contacted, the freelance media practitioner told The Malay Mail Online that it was hypocritical of China to demand transparency from others.
“I lived in China for a couple of years in Shanghai. If you work there and you need to Google for research, you can’t do anything.
“If you Google for images, half the page is blank. Can’t use Facebook either. Everybody is on VPN,” he said, of the tech jargon short for virtual private network, a system of encrypted data that links private users across public space on the Internet.
Another Malaysian condemned China for the attack, describing it as a case of the “pot calling kettle black” in a Facebook comment on The Malay Mail Online's article, “In MH370, secretive China is demanding transparency from Malaysia”.
“China has opened up economically in a major way over the last three decades, but this economic glasnost has not been matched by a parallel political openness.
“If they are demanding that Malaysia show more transparency in disclosing information on MH370, they in turn should also be more open in disclosing whatever relevant data they possess on the same subject,” said the 36-year-old writer, who asked not to be named, when contacted.
He pointed to the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests, claiming it to be one of the biggest cover-ups in modern China history as the Chinese government has to date denied there were any deaths arising from that demonstration. Media reports have placed the unofficial death toll at numbers between 180 and 6,000.
John Ling, a Malaysian author based in New Zealand, told The Malay Mail Online that because China sees itself as the preeminent power in the region, it believes it has an obligation to project the image it can protect its citizens far beyond the country's borders.
“In imperial times, China had this concept called ‘All Under Heaven’. Which means China is so vast and so great that it’s expected that diplomats from other lands ‘must’ come to China to pay their respects and acknowledge Chinese sovereignty.
The 30-year-old observed that China’s concern for the plane now was because close to two-thirds of the 227 passengers aboard MH370 were its citizens, adding that it was likely a “blow to their prestige”.
“They need to save face. That’s the bottom line,” Ling said in an interview over Facebook.
More Malaysians took to Twitter with pointed jabs at China's complaint, which they felt to be unfairly prejudiced against a sovereign nation.
Alan KW Wong, who tweets under the handle, Crabbicalamari, said, “China wants M’sia to be transparent over missing jet… Like China knows what transparency is.”
Another Twitter user, Hadi Harun, who uses the nickname Hadiharhar said, “China telling Malaysia to have a freer flow on information? did i just woke up to an alternate reality? damn you afternoon nap. #MH370”.
“When a country like China which is known to jealously keep its secrets accuse our gov of keeping secrets.. Priceless..” said another Twitter user identified only as
Raja Horny VIP, under the handle, IMPetani.
Malaysians continued to strike back at China for its selective criticism, zeroing in on satellite images of debris floating in the South China Sea its space agency released three days after the Beijing-bound plane disappeared, with some fearing it had crashed into the waters off Peninsular Malaysia's east coast shortly after departing from the Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
The images were later recalled after the lead failed to pan out, with China saying it had “mistakenly” sent out the pictures.
“U accused Msian govt & agencies of withholding info, not transparent, yet u hold a crucial piece of info since 9/3. What gives China? #MH370,” said an account user known only as QueenKBee75.
“China blames Malaysia for lack of info & then releases 3-day-old satellite photos of 'possible crash site'?”, one Imran Syed Jaafar posted.
However, under the cloak of anonymity, some social network users treaded on the thin border separating vulgarity and decency in their tirade against China.
“If China wants to criticise Malaysia’s effort in locating MH370, maybe they shouldn’t send us s*** satellite images and waste precious time,” said one Twitter user identified only as Sir Liver Stabber, on the microblogging account DarthEditor.
State-owned Chinese media and agencies have churned out stinging editorials and other articles critical of Malaysia's pace and management of the airline crisis, claiming conflicting information is being disseminated and driving rumours of a cover-up in the mystery of the jumbo jet carrying 141 Chinese passengers.
The Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777-200 aircraft with 239 people onboard, took off from the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) at 12.41am on March 8 for Beijing, and fell off civil aviation radar less than an hour later although military and satellite trackers showed it changing its route midflight.
An international hunt for the missing plane involving 26 countries and more than 100 vessels and aircraft enters its 12th day today.
Investigators are now sweeping 2.24 million square nautical miles of land and sea space covering two possible flight paths the jetliner may have taken after it deviated from its original Beijing run.
