MH17: United on terror against humanity

Never could anyone ever imagine that a second disaster would befall the ill-fated Malaysia Airlines (MAS) after MH370. But it did. The downing of MH17 occurred close on the heels of the first barely four months later and must surely be a bizarre and an uncanny coincidence in modern avionic history.

While MAS is still reeling from the impact of the first tragedy, the calamity on MH17 is anticipated to permanently impair the confidence of many, for a long time to travel on MAS. That is about the worst and of toughest perception problem to turn-around.

While MH370 deepened MAS very troubled financial standing, this one would immediately send MAS to the grave.

Doubtless, the blame-game and finger-pointing has started. But this time around though, it shall no longer be about partisan parties outwitting the other. It shall no longer be about upping the ante to discredit political nemesis. No heroism is required here. Insisting on political posturing would incur the wrath of the nation already in an unending grief.

That said, all Malaysians would want the political leaders, on a bi-partisan basis, to get to the bottom of the problem (i.e. identifying the perpetrators and criminalising their act of terror). Period. The blame-game, if ever it needed pursuing, shall be shifted to the warring power players in a proxy-battle for global domination.

Granted that a special parliamentary session is convened for the MH17, there couldn’t be any better platform to exude total commitment of political leaders, across the divide, to defending our national interest and our citizenry.

Bluntly put, the federal opposition parliamentarians are expected to exhibit solidarity with the federal government and not run them down at the slightest opportunity.

While many, like the Sydney Morning Herald, have been critical of how the Malaysian’s prime minister managed to broker a deal with the pro-Russians separatists, to get possession of bodies and the black box, political leaders must always remain unflinching and focus on solving national tragedy and not be frivolous. If anything the prime minister must be commended for achieving what more powerful nations arguably couldn’t.

Admittedly both MAS and the Malaysian Federal Government came under heavy criticism for their management or more of the lack of finesse, in handling the mysterious disappearance of MH 370. MH17 shall not be a repeat of this mishap.

Similarly Malaysians are also lethargic at the MAS-bashing antics of the social media. Doing more of the same wouldn’t help the nation to regain its lost confidence and dignity. Hence, like the partisan players, the social media must be equally more empathic and positive to carry the nation through this very harrowing time.

To this end, let us get one thing addressed right away. Questions were raised about the “irresponsible” MH17’s choice of flying over a hostile territory, after it emerged that some other carriers had avoided the area for months – though many companies were flying in the same area, rerouting only after Thursday's disaster. Is this accusation true?

Amidst claims and counterclaims on this issue, a quick check reveals the following information.

Online flight-tracking service Flightradar24 observed 66 other airlines had crossed Ukraine’s skies last week, along the same corridor that saw MH17 being downed by a surface-to- air missile.

According to its data, MAS flew there 48 times, fewer than Germany’s Lufthansa which criss-crossed the Crimean air space 56 times, Ukraine International Airline (62 times), Singapore Airlines (75 times) and Russian’s Aeroflot over 86 times.

So after all, it is a non-issue of trying to blame MAS or the pilot of MH17 of traversing that route. Getting a bit more detailed and complicated would be to take a closer look at the work of Vagelis Karmiros, a military expert. He has collated all the recent MH-17 flight paths as tracked by FlightAware (a company offering free flight tracking services).

His studies showed that while all ten most recent paths pass safely well south of the Donetsk region, and cross the zone above the Sea of Azov, it was only today's tragic flight that passed straight overhead Donetsk.

If that could be verified then the question that begs an immediate answer would be, “Why did the pilot divert from his usual flight plan and why did he fly above restricted airspace, and just what, if any instructions, did Kiev air control give the pilot in the minutes before the tragic explosion?” That warrants further investigation.

While pilots arguably have the ultimate discretion to refuse to fly along a particular course if they have concerns, they do not make the choice of their routes. Those are based on a multitude of factors, including airspace charges and wind speeds that affect journey times and safety.

It is also pertinent for all Parliamentarians to note well that media rhetoric over the last week has almost firmly pointed a blaming finger on the Russian-backed militias for downing the fateful MH17.

The latest revelation by an award-winning Associated Press reporter, Robert Parry might turn the blaming finger on the Ukrainian troops and subsequently the US, as the actual perpetrators. He claims that intelligence source in the United States is in possession of satellite imagery purported to incriminate the Ukrainian troops that are back by the United States.

Additionally the allegation that a BUK missile system used to down the MH17 was after all not in the possession of the Russian-backed separatists. This was confirmed by the communiqué made by the Ukraine’s Prosecutor General Vitaliy Yarema.

While it is a mammoth task to reassemble the wreckage as to provide critical information which the black box couldn’t, the task of our national leaders to take this much embattled nation out of this grief and ignominy is even more onerous.

A small nation like ours shouldn’t be cowed into submission by bigger powers through aggression or subversion. Remain independent and genuinely sovereign.

Let us unite our hearts and minds in troubling time like this, when the nation is under siege of sort from “terror against humanity”.

My deepest condolences to the families and friends who have lost their loved ones. – July 23, 2014.

*This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.