SUBANG JAYA, May 22 — The National Union of Flight Attendants Malaysia (Nufam) insisted today that Malaysia Airlines (MAS) was “telling lies” when it claimed it had never stopped caregiver services to the families of crew members aboard the missing flight MH370.
In a scathing rebuke of the national carrier’s recent claims, Nufam president Ismail Nasaruddin said today that the lawyers engaged by some of the families had never instructed MAS to stop all communications with their clients.
“The union is very unhappy with the statement by MAS. We consider it a lie. Why would you want to lie or say something that never happened?” said a clearly emotional Ismail at a press conference here.
On Monday, MAS was reported to have claimed that they were instructed by lawyers engaged by some of the crew members’ families to “halt all direct communication with their clients, and that MAS channels all related correspondence regarding these crew members to them”.
The flagship airline issued the statement, published in Malay by Astro Awani, in response to an earlier story quoting family members who claimed that the airline had stopped providing caregiver services soon after they engaged the services of Chicago-based firm Ribbeck Law.
The law firm later denied issuing such instructions.
“Please be advised that at no time did Ribbeck Law Chartered contact Malaysia Airlines to stop providing information regarding the search for the missing MH370 plane or to stop providing any other kind of assistance to our clients,” Monica R. Kelly, an attorney at the firm, said in a brief statement sent via e-mail to local media outlets.
Ismail said MAS’s response was unacceptable as it is and will continue to be their responsibility to care for the families of the missing crew members until such time that they can provide closure to the mysterious disappearance of the plane.
He said it was irresponsible for the airline to “disengage” from the families when many of the crew on board were breadwinners, adding that flight crew do not qualify for automatic compensation in such incidents as stipulated by an international aviation convention.
Under the Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules for International Carriage by Air, otherwise known as the Montreal Convention, each passenger who dies in an air crash could qualify for compensation of around USD175,000 (RM561,750).
“The number one issue is that they lost their loved ones on that flight. We must remember that, so MAS must take care of them. You can’t take the position of wait and see or guess.
“MAS has to take up the responsibility. Whatever you say you are going to give, put it in writing and tell the families yourself. If you cannot (provide assistance), then say so. At least the families can prepare themselves to face the next few years.
“If you can render assistance elsewhere, give to your own people first,” he said, adding that MAS chief executive Ahmad Jauhari Yahya should step down if he is unable to at least put financial assistance in the hands of the families.
In the meantime, Nufam is organising a fund-raising dinner this June 7 at the Empire Hotel to collect donations to help cover living costs for the families of the 10 missing crew members.
The union has also helped set up a bank account for the public to make direct donations to the families.
Those planning to make direct donations to the families can bank in the money to Public Bank account number 6330386721 under the name Melanie Antonio, the wife of chief steward Andrew Nari.
