KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 24 — The Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) has revealed there was no instruction given to V.P.R. Nathan to keep quiet on the tragic loss of his wife on Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370.
Nathan, 58, is the DCA’s air traffic management section deputy director and is based in China on secondment with the International Civil Aviation
Organisation (ICAO).
DCA director-general Datuk Azharuddin Abdul Rahman said although it was the department’s policy for Nathan not to speak on behalf of DCA, there was nothing preventing him from speaking about his loss.
“We understand his predicament because he is a DCA officer and he is still attached to the department, even though we had sent him to Beijing to work for ICAO,” he said.
“However, his wife was on board. In our policy, he cannot speak on behalf of the DCA, but on matters relating to his wife and as next-of-kin, he may do so.”
Azharuddin said DCA had been in contact with Nathan, and there had been a steady dialogue.
“I am not sure why he chose to remain quiet,” he said.
“Sometimes, people choose to be quiet. There are many reasons for it.”
Nathan’s wife, Anne Daisy, 56, was on her way to visit him when MH370 vanished.
His daughter, Grace Subathirai, 27, has been working with a support group Voice 370.
“My father is an aviation professional. How can he speak without touching on the matter?” she asked in response to Azharuddin’s comments.
“It is not about criticisms or whatsoever, but merely speaking as a professional.
“As a person, he can say nothing different from the rest of the families of passengers and crew on board the ill-fated flight.
“He will, however, try to make a statement on the remembrance and awareness day on March 8, pending approval from his higher-ups. We will see how it goes.”?
Attempts to reach Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Hussein, who was acting transport minister at the time, proved futile.
