MARCH 10 — The independent safety investigation team released an interim report in conjunction with the first anniversary of the disappearance of the Malaysia Airlines (MAS) Flight MH370. The 584-page report exposed the country’s sloppy security checks but there was no extraordinary discovery, leaving the mysteries unresolved.
According to the report, the shipment of Li-ion batteries transported from Penang to the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) did not undergo additional security screening but was only inspected physically by MAS Kargo personnel and went through Customs inspection and clearance before being loaded as cargo onto MH370. Such a sloppy practice is very likely to cause errors.
Another point in the report which has raised concern is, the Solid State Flight Data Recorder (SSFDR), one of the two black boxes, Underwater Locator Beacons (ULB) battery for MH370 had expired in December 2012, but there was no replacement record and it was discovered only when the authorities collected records of the underwater locator beacons after the tragedy. It has also exposed MAS’s negligence in aircraft safety supervision, maintenance and repair.
The MH370 tragedy has triggered doubts and backgrounds of the crew, particularly the Captain, and passengers have led to various speculations, even including a spy war between China and the US. The report pointed out, however, that no indication of unusual behaviour among the pilots and cabin crew was found before it took off, they faced neither financial problem.
We understand that a great amount of information has been collected and 120 related individuals were interviewed. The efforts should be recognised. However, the independent safety investigation team holds limited power, after all. As its leader Kok Soo Chon said, the investigation carried out according to the Annex 13 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation on Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigation was mainly meant to prevent a repetition of the tragedy instead of looking into the responsibilities. Therefore, the team cannot do anything if the next-of-kin of those on board are dissatisfied that no one is taking responsibility even a year after the tragedy.
The next-of-kin of the victims are not convinced and cannot accept the report, some even believe that their beloved ones are still alive. We can understand it and are very much sympathetic to them. We understand that all kinds of rumours and speculations described as “secrets not to be told” will be unstoppable as long as the mysteries of MH370 remain unsolved. Therefore, amidst the time of bewildering and painful waiting, we sincerely hope that the work of searching MH370 can be carried on and breakthrough can be made as soon as possible to reveal the truth, and let all so-called secrets be revealed!
* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail Online.
