KUALA LUMPUR, March 28 — Malaysians too have also lost their family members on flight MH370 which remains missing, the country’s acting Transport Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein told unhappy families from China today.
Hishammuddin’s message was a repeat of his remarks two days ago amid angry claims made by Chinese families, who had gone as far as accusing Malaysia of withholding key information and being “murderers”.
Pointing to the fact that the Malaysia Airlines (MAS) flight MH370 carried 239 people from 14 countries including Malaysia and China, Hishammuddin said other families had also suffered losses.
“I can imagine what they are going through but I just want to say to the Chinese families, it’s not just them who have lost or are looking for lost family members, Malaysia has also lost family members, 14 nations have lost family members,” he reminded them in a press conference that was broadcast live on television.
“It’s important for them not to listen to all speculative information that will make emotions run even higher,” he said.
In the same press conference, Hishammuddin also said Malaysia remains focused on providing care and support for the families of MH370’s passengers and crew members.
“While the search operations are ongoing, we continue to focus our efforts on caring for the families,” he said, adding that the Malaysian Cabinet discussed this morning the importance of providing continued care,” he said.
Hishammuddin also acknowledged today that emotions were running high, but said efforts to engage the Chinese families in Beijing would continue on.
The Malaysian and Chinese government are also exchanging information on the search operations for MH370, he added.
He also insisted that Malaysia had acted transparently in the search right from the outset, saying that he “genuinely believed” that the country’s search and rescue team had acted “fairly and responsibly”.
“I don’t think we would have done anything different from what we had already done. And I think no matter what had been thrown and labelled at us, history will judge us as a country that has been very responsible,” he said.
Earlier today, hundreds of family members of MH370’s 153 Chinese passengers expressed their dissatisfaction with the Malaysian authorities’ by walking out of a briefing at Beijing’s Lido Hotel.
The Chinese families also sent a letter to Beijing’s special envoy in Kuala Lumpur, claiming that Malaysia’s actions has misled and delayed the search.
In the letter, the families also asked Malaysia to issue an official apology, provide return airfares to the country, as well as food and accommodation until the search ends.
On Tuesday, the Chinese families protested outside the Malaysian embassy in Beijing.
