Malaysians Pledge Undivided Support For MAS

By S.Kisho Kumari and Nur Aimidiyana Zuher KUALA LUMPUR, April 1 (Bernama) -- If it was meant to happen, it will happen, despite all precautions taken. That is the case with the Malaysian Airlines (MAS) Flight MH370 that went missing en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8. However, many among us have been so carried away by emotions and political interests that we misdirect our anger and come up with conspiracy theories. Is not what is more important at this time solidarity, as the country is facing a challenge unlike any nation has before? It is sad that there are Malaysians who even resort to attacking the credibility of MAS, one of the best airlines in the world. STOP POINTING FINGERS Former flight attendant V. Priscilla Jayakanes, 34, said some Malaysians have unfairly rated the level of safety and security of national carrier Malaysia Airlines by basing it on the MH370 incident alone. “All airline companies employ the same methods of training and will only recruit pilots who are highly experienced. “It is unreasonable to blame MAS when we have yet to establish the fate of the plane. Accidents can happen anywhere, maybe at home or while on a car journey with loved ones. Are we going to leave the house or refuse to travel by car?” she reasoned. Priscilla said it was only logical to continue life as usual and found no need to discuss ways to reinstate confidence in the national carrier. “I think Malaysians need to be mature and rational when discussing this issue,” she said. STILL A FAN OF MAS Priscilla, who had 11 years of experience under her belt, said that the incident did not at all affect her faith in the national airline’s credibility and would readily travel by MAS in the future. University lecturer Kenneth Lee Tze Wui, 29, agreed and vowed continuing support for the flag carrier. Twenty-eight-year-old Nor Saifullah Ramada Syahruddin acknowledged that the incident have affected the image of the national airline, but believed that Malaysians should continue to shower it with undivided support. “Yes, the incident has hugely impacted MAS, but we, as Malaysians, have a responsibility to help it rebuild its good reputation,” he said. He said what happened was unprecedented and hoped the issue would not be politicised, as doing so may hurt the feelings of many parties. ON RESIGNATION OF MAS CEO Sadly, the bizarre incident had not only been politicised, but recently, there were also attempts at pressuring MAS Chief Executive Officer Ahmad Jauhari Yahya to resign, in light of the MH370 incident. Insurance adjuster Vishnu Morgan, 31, said fellow Malaysians should not be to quick to blame leaders but need to review the system itself. “Asking him to resign at this stage of the incident is not a good idea. This is not the time to start anew with a new CEO,” he said. Vishnu, who flew by MAS at least thrice a year, also said he would continue with the airline, as it was still one of the best in the world. Priscilla, meanwhile, believed that no one had the right to call for Ahmad Jauhari’s resignation. In addition to that, the latter was more acquainted with every effort and challenge presented during the course of unraveling the mystery of the missing airplane. The Boeing 777-200ER jetliner carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew members, left the KL International Airport at 12.41am on March 8 and disappeared from radar screens about an hour later. It was to have landed in Beijing at 6.30am on the same day. Seventeen days after its disappearance, Prime Minister Najib Razak on March 24, announced it "ended in the southern Indian Ocean" based on an unprecedented type of analysis of satellite data by the United Kingdom satellite telecommunications company Inmarsat and the UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch. A multinational search is going on in the southern Indian Ocean where the Boeing 777-200ER aircraft, which had veered off course, is believed to have gone down. -- BERNAMA