Putrajaya denies RMAF scrambled aircraft the day MH370 went missing
A screenshot of the tweet by @H20Comms denying a CNN report that the Royal Malaysian Air Force had scrambled search aircraft on the morning Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 disappeared. – April 11, 2014.
Putrajaya has denied a CNN report that the Royal Malaysian Air Force had scrambled search aircraft on the morning Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 disappeared.
The communications team of acting Transport Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein tweeted last night that the CNN report was a false allegation.
“Latest from @CNN claiming that Msian Air Force aircraft scrambled soon after @MAS reported #MH370 missing early 8/3 is a false allegation,” Hishammuddin’s communication team posted on its official Twitter account @H2OComms at 10.29pm.
Hishammuddin later retweeted the message on his official Twitter handle @HishammuddinH2O.
Twitter users wondered whether CNN was being paid to carry these false reports against Malaysia.
Lili Mian tweeted: "it made me wonder who is actually paying CNN for all these false reporting relating to MH370?"
Daniela N. tweeted: "CNN seems to be on a crusade against Malaysia. So pathetic. Feeding on a tragedy."
Adrian Ng said: "can u then find out who is this senior Malaysian government (official) please."
CNN yesterday quoted an unnamed senior Malaysian government official as saying that RMAF scrambled search aircraft at 8am on March 8 soon after MH370 was reported missing, adding that it was done well before authorities had corroborated data indicating the jetliner had made a turn-back.
MH370 is believed to have turned back westward from its last-known location over the South China Sea.
According to CNN, the source also told them that RMAF did not inform the Department of Civil Aviation or anyone in the search and rescue operations team until March 11, three days after the aircraft disappeared.
MH370 left the Kuala Lumpur International Airport at 12.41am on March 8, and was en route to Beijing when it lost contact with Malaysian air traffic control at about 1.20am, while over the South China Sea.
The plane, with 227 passengers and 12 crew members on board, was scheduled to land in Beijing at 6.30am the same day.
Search for the missing plane, which enters day 34, is centred in the southern part of the Indian Ocean where rescuers had located several signals, believed to be from the plane's flight recorder. – April 11, 2014.
