BEIJING, March 21 — Relatives of Chinese passengers on board MH370 vented their fury on Malaysian government officials today in their first meeting in Beijing, denouncing them for time-wasting almost two weeks after the aircraft vanished.
The event began in an angry fashion, with family members yelling at the group of political representatives and senior military officials to stand up when they were being introduced, rather than nodding while sitting down.
“We wanted to see you in the first 24 and 48 hours, so that we wouldn’t have had to bear the suffering of the last 13 days,” shouted one anguished relative, his voice quivering.
A 'Come home, MH370' message seen at the viewing gallery at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang, on March 21, 2014. — Picture by Saw Siow Feng
A 'Come home, MH370' message seen at the viewing gallery at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang, on March 21, 2014. — Picture by Saw Siow Feng
An officer guarding the media area at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport, on March 21, 2014. — Picture by Saw Siow Feng
An officer checking the tag of a KLIA personnel at a security checkpoint at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang, on March 21, 2014. — Picture by Saw Siow Feng
An officer checking a passenger's documents at a security checkpoint at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang, on March 21, 2014. — Picture by Saw Siow Feng
An officer pats down a flight crew member at a security checkpoint at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang, on March 21, 2014. — Picture by Saw Siow Feng
Reporters and photographers attend the daily MH370 press conference at Sama Sama Hotel, on March 21, 2014. — Picture by Saw Siow Feng
Acting Minister of Transport Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein (centre) speaks to media representatives at a press conference at Sama Sama Hotel, on March 21, 2014. — Picture by Saw Siow Feng
Acting Minister of Transport Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein at a press conference at Sama Sama Hotel, on March 21, 2014. — Picture by Saw Siow Feng
RAAF AP-3C Orion pilot Russell Adams speaks to the press upon his return from a search for Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 over the Indian Ocean, at RAAF Base Pearce north of Perth, Australia, March 21, 2014. — Reuters pic
Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) AP-3C Orion crew members unload equipment after returning from a search for Malaysian Airlines flight MH370, at RAAF Base Pearce north of Perth, Australia, March 21, 2014. — Reuters pic
Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) AP-3C Orion crew members unload equipment after returning from a search for Malaysian Airlines flight MH370, at RAAF Base Pearce north of Perth, Australia, March 21, 2014. — Reuters pic
International television crews film alongside an RAAF AP-3C Orion aircraft which had just returned from a search for Malaysian Airlines flight MH370, at RAAF Base Pearce north of Perth, March 21, 2014. — Reuters pic
An RAAF AP-3C co-pilot gives a thumbs up to ground crew upon his return from a search of Malaysian Airline Flight MH370 over the Indian Ocean, at RAAF Base Pearce north of Perth, March 21, 2014. ― Reuters pic
Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Pilot Flight Lieutenant Conan Brett pilots a RAAF C-130J Hercules aircraft as it prepares to launch two Self Locating Data Marker Buoys in this picture released by the Australian Defence Force March 21, 2014. ― Reuters pic
Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Loadmaster Sergeant Adam Roberts scans the ocean during the search for the missing flight MH370 in this picture released by the Australian Defence Force March 21, 2014. ― Reuters pic
Chinese family members of missing Malaysia Airlines MH370 passengers look from inside a bus as they are transported from one hotel to another outside Kuala Lumpur March 21, 2014. ― Reuters pic
Malaysia's Lieutenant General Ackbal Samad listens to a question from a family member of a passenger on board the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 during a briefing at a hotel in Beijing March 21, 2014. ― Reuters pic
Family members of passengers onboard the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 take pictures of radar information during a briefing by the Malaysian government at a hotel in Beijing March 21, 2014. ― Reuters pic
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A family member of a passenger onboard the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 grabs his hair during a briefing by the Malaysian government at a hotel in Beijing March 21, 2014. ― Reuters pic
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A family member of a passenger onboard the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 reacts during a briefing by the Malaysian government at a hotel in Beijing March 21, 2014. ― Reuters pic
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A woman cries next to a pillar pasted with updates regarding the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 during a briefing by the Malaysian government at a hotel in Beijing March 21, 2014. ― Reuters pic
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A woman writes on the message board in support of the passengers and family members of the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, at a shopping mall in Damansara March 21, 2014.― Reuters pic
A woman walks past a message board in support of the passengers and family members of the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, at a shopping mall in Bangsar near Kuala Lumpur March 21, 2014. ― Reuters pic
A family member of a passenger onboard the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 cries as he listens to a briefing from Malaysian government at a hotel in Beijing March 21, 2014. ― Reuters pic
A member of the security team stands near a banner of messages for the Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 inside a hotel where relatives of the passengers of the missing Boeing 777-200ER are staying at, in Putrajaya March 20, 2014. ― Reuters pic
Royal Australian Air Force Flight Engineer, Warrant Officer Ron Day from 10 Squadron, keeps watch for any debris as he flies in an AP-3C Orion over the Southern Indian Ocean during the search for the missing MH370 flight, March 20, 2014. ― Reuters pic
(From left to right) Sebjoern Dahl of Hoegh Autoliners, Sturla Henriksen, managing director of Norwegian Shipowners' Association (NSA) and Ingar Skiaker, CEO of Hoegh Autoliners brief the media on movements of the‘Hoegh St. Petersburg’, in Oslo March 20, 2014. ― Reuters pic
A message for passengers onboard the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 is seen on big screen in Kuala Lumpur March 20, 2014. ― Reuters pic
Members of Akhil Bharatiya Human Rights Organisation hold candles and placards as they take part in a candle light vigil for the well-being of passengers onboard the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, in Amritsar March 20, 2014. ― Reuters pic
Royal Australian Air Force Navigation and Communications Officer, Flying Officer Brittany Sharpe from 10 Squadron, coordinates all communications between her AP-3C Orion and other aircraft involved in the search for missing MH370 flight March 20, 2014. ― Reuters pic
“The plane turned around, but you denied this, and because of this you have wasted so much time,” he added, questioning why the military originally dismissed reports the plane had deviated from its original flight path before Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak confirmed it last weekend.
Chinese citizens make up 153 of those on board Malaysia Airlines flight 370 — two-thirds of the total — and the meeting took place at a hotel where their loved ones have been waiting for news.
Australia released satellite photos of possible debris in the southern Indian Ocean yesterday, but officials stressed that the sighting was unconfirmed.
Many of the Chinese relatives continue to believe that the plane is intact and their loved ones still alive, with some clinging to conspiracy theories that Kuala Lumpur has carried out a huge cover up.
“No matter what the reasons (for the plane going missing), can the Malaysian government leave behind the hatred and their own interests in this, and let our loved ones return home?” one mother asked tearfully, as other relatives applauded.
She accused airline officials of not responding when she told them her son had tried to call his uncle three times from an overseas number two days after it went missing.
“This was obviously a call for help,” the highly-emotional woman said.
Some raised with the Malaysian delegation media reports that flight captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah is distantly related to the daughter-in-law of opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, as well as being a member of his political party.
“If the pilot did this to support this party, can Malaysia guarantee that they will put the lives of the passengers over any political interests?” the mother asked.
One man bellowed: “We demand our relatives won’t become victims of Malaysian politics.”
The meeting began with a lengthy review of the search and rescue operation from the delegation — made up of ambassador to China Iskandar Sarudin, a Malaysian Air Force commander, two Malaysian civil aviation officials, a Boeing 777 pilot and a government aviation official — before they invited questions, sparking the angry scenes.
Some relatives interrupted each other as they shouted questions, while others cried as they attempted to get their point across to the officials.
The answers were also regularly interrupted as relatives shouted at the delegation.
The Malaysia-based officials arrived in Beijing late yesterday after repeated, angry demands by relatives for an opportunity to question Kuala Lumpur about the search and rescue operation.
Previous daily meetings at the hotel have been with representatives of Malaysia Airlines, and the family members have been growing increasingly frustrated at the lack of answers.
Relatives have spoken of hunger strikes and demonstrations in recent days.
AFP understands they have also been attempting to organise themselves into groups aimed at putting added pressure on the Malaysian government.
Uniformed police officers ushered foreign reporters out of the room before the more than three hour long meeting began, while a handful of selected Chinese state media organisations remained inside.
Domestic media are tightly controlled in China. — AFP