Rumah pilot MH370 digeledah polis dan 5 mati ketika konsert muzik di Bukit Jalil...

Hishammuddin also dismissed a report by the Wall Street Journal that signals sent by the plane's Rolls Royce engine indicated the plane kept flying for up to five hours. - Hishammuddin Tun Hussein Onn

Polis geledah rumah juruterbang MH370...

Polis mula mengeledah rumah juruterbang pesawat Malaysia Airlines yang hilang Sabtu lau, selepas Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak mengesahkan bahawa pesawat itu disyaki sengaja menukar laluan penerbangan, kata seorang pegawai kanan polis kepada Reuters.

Anggota polis tiba di rumah kapten Zaharie Ahmad Shah, 53, petang ini, sejurus selepas tamat sidang akhbar perdana menteri.

Zaharie memasang simulator Boeing 777 simulator di rumahnya.

Gambar yang disiarkan oleh Zaharie di laman Facebook beliau menunjukkan sebuah simulator dengan tiga monitor komputer.

"Pegawai polis hanya mencari beberapa bahan-bahan yang boleh membantu siasatan untuk mengesan pesawat yang hilang itu," kata satu sumber polis kepada agensi berita dpa.

Bagaimanapun, Ketua Polis Pulau Pinang Datuk Abdul Rahim Hanafi berkata beliau masih belum menerima sebarang arahan untuk mengeledah rumah keluarga Zaharie di Balik Pulau, Pulau Pinang.

"Kami masih belum menerima arahan daripada Ketua Polis Negara, Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar untuk mengeledah rumah Zaharie di sini," katanya kepada Malaysiakini.

Penyiasat mengesahkan bahawa pesawat yang dikesan oleh radar tentera adalah pesawat MH370 selepas komunikasinya mungkin dimatikan sebelum sampai ke pantai timur Malaysia minggu lalu, kata Najib.

Sementara itu, kementerian luar China meminta Malaysia supaya menyediakan maklumat yang lebih menyeluruh dan tepat mengenai penerbangan Malaysia Airlines terbabit.

China juga meminta Malaysia mendapatkan lebih banyak negara menyertai operasi mencari dan China sendiri akan meminta negara-negara lain yang berkaitan untuk membantu mencari pesawat tersebut, kata kementerian itu dalam satu kenyataan.

Penyiasat percaya seseorang di atas kapal pesawat itu sengaja menutup sistem komunikasi dan pengesanannya, membawa pesawat itu berpatah balik dan terbang selama hampir tujuh jam selepas ia hilang, kata perdana menteri hari ini. - Reuters

MH370 hijack theory strengthens as pilot’s home searched...

Even as the Associated Press (AP) news agency came out with a story at noon today (March 15) “confirming” that MH370 was hijacked, there was no such confirmation from the prime minister himself.

At a press conference at 2.20pm, Datuk Seri Najib Razak made no mention of “hijack” but said that with the new leads received, the Malaysian authorities have refocused their investigation into the crew and passengers on board.

“Despite media reports that the plane was hijacked, I wish to be very clear: we are still investigating all possibilities as to what caused MH370 to deviate from its original flight path,” he said.

Soon after the PM ended his media conference, Reuters reported that police searched the home of Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah, the pilot of the missing MAS jet.

It quoted a senior police official as saying that police officers arrived at the home of the 53-year-old pilot in Shah Alam on Saturday afternoon, after the PM’s press conference.

This has raised questions as to why police did not search the house earlier as they would have been in possession of the information revealed by the PM even before the press conference.

In the present crisis situation, every minute lost would be a let down and a setback to the investigations.

It was earlier reported that Zaharie has set up a Boeing 777 simulator at his home. Earlier suspicion was cast aside as the pilot was known as a true professional, dedicated to his job and a responsible man. MAS top brass have also said that it was normal for pilots to have aviation-related hobbies.

Pictures posted by Zaharie on his Facebook page show the simulator with three computer monitors, a tangle of wires and several panels. He had also uploaded videos giving tips on how to fix electronic appliances at home.

Meanwhile, Penang chief police officer Abdul Rahim Hanafi said he had yet to receive orders to search Zaharie's family home in Balik Pulau, Penang.

In its report, AP quoted an unnamed top Malaysian official who said "it is conclusive" that the plane has been hijacked.

According to the report, the official who is involved in the investigation said they have determined that either one of the pilots or someone else with flying experience has hijacked the jetliner.

The report sent some 200 newsmen scurrying to the media conference of Najib which was scheduled at 1.30 pm but held 40 minutes late. They were expecting the prime minister to respond directly to the "hijacking" theory.

However, Najib merely read out of a prepared statement and did not accept questions from the press.

The initial announcement by Information Department officer Jagjit Singh (as press conference coordinator) that all questions must be submitted via writing, to be addressed at a second 5.30pm press conference today, was met with an outcry from foreign press reporters who demanded an explanation to why such a decision was made.

In essence, Najib confirmed that the search for MH370 has now entered a "new phase" based on primary radar data which confirms the aircraft had deviated from its original flight path and the detected movements "are consistent with deliberate action by someone on the plane."

"Based on new satellite information, we can say with a high degree of certainty that the Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System (ACARS) was disabled just before the aircraft reached the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia.

"Shortly afterwards, near the border between Malaysian and Vietnamese air traffic control, the aircraft's transponder was switched off," said Najib.

He also said that the last confirmed communication between the plane and the satellite was at 8:11am Malaysian time on Saturday March 8 and investigations are being carried out to determine how far the aircraft may have flown after its last point of contact.

Najib, however, added that the aviation authorities of Malaysia and their international counterparts have determined that the plane's last communication with the satellite was in one of two possible corridors: a northern corridor stretching approximately from the border of Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan to northern Thailand, or a southern corridor stretching approximately from Indonesia to the southern Indian ocean.

"In view of this latest development, the Malaysian authorities have refocused their investigation into the crew and passengers on board and that we are still investigating all possibilities as to what caused MH370 to deviate from its original flight path". 

Najib's statement appears to do little towards dispelling or refuting 'rumours' that the aircraft has been "hijacked" - to quote the initial reports.

But it did strengthen the hijack theory as it has now been confirmed that the plane was commandeered by an experienced pilot to an undisclosed location. 

For the many local and foreign journalists covering this crisis of epic proportion in Malaysia, it was another day of disappointment. It did not help at all that the 5.30 pm daily press conference today was cancelled and postponed as the secretariat said that more time was need to answer the questions submitted by the newsmen.

In another development, Reuters reported that China's Foreign Ministry said today it was demanding that Malaysia keep providing more thorough and accurate information about the missing plane.

According to China's Foreign Ministry, it "paid very close attention" to the news.

"We demand that the Malaysian side continue to provide to China more thorough, accurate information," the ministry said, adding that it was sending a technical team to Malaysia to help with the probe.

"We will also get in touch with relevant countries and international organisations to understand, study and determine (what happened)."

The ministry repeated a demand for Malaysia to step up its search, and asked it to involve more countries in the effort.

"China will also promptly adjust its search deployments and ask countries which may be involved to provide assistance," it added.

Separately, China's Defence Ministry said that two warships which had been searching in the Gulf of Thailand were on their way to the Malacca Straits, one of the world's busiest waterways.

The MAS aircraft with 227 passengers and 12 crew members on board went missing while flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8.- theantdaily

Spotlight turns to the pilots of missing plane

MH370 Ada perkara disembunyikan Kerajaan... 

Pengumuman terbaru yang dibuat oleh Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Razak berkenaan kehilangan MH370 patut dibuat lebih awal bahkan kelaurga mangsa terasa ada sesuatu yang disembunyikan.

Muhammad Razahan dan isterinya Norli Akmar Hamid dalam perjalanan untuk berbulan madu ke China apabila pesawat milik Malaysian Airlines (MAS) hilang semasa perjalanan ke Beijing dari Kuala Lumpur awal pagi Sabtu.

Muhammad Razahan, bapa saudara Zulkifli Zakaria dari Perak berkata, selepas lapan hari menunggu, perdana menteri sepatutnya sudah memberi jawapan lebih pasti dan bukannya apa yang diumumkan sebelum ini.

"Saya tidak berasa itu adalah perkara sebenar. Mesti ada sesuatu yang lain. Mereka menyembunyikan sesuatu daripada kami," kata beliau kepada The Malaysian Insider semasa dihubungi melalui telefon tidak lama selepas pengumuman dibuat.

"Kami tidak berpuas hati bagaimana perkara ini dikendalikan," kata Zulkifli.

Beliau berkata, ahli keluarga yang berada di situ bersama dalam bilik di Hotel Everly mendengar pengumuman, kelihatan tidak gembira.

"Tiada yang menjerit tetapi saya dapat melihat raut wajah mereka. Malah saya dan anggota keluarga lain cuba yang terbaik untuk bersabar. Ibu meminta kami untuk tidak membuat hal. Jadi kita menghormati permintaannya itu," kata Zulkifli .

Beliau tiba di sini dengan nenek Muhammad Razahan dua malam lalu untuk memberi sokongan moral kepada abang dan kakak iparnya.

Turut bersetuju sentimen yang sama adalah waris warga Ukraine, Chustrak Oleg Ukraine, 45, dan Deineka Sergii Ukraine, 45.

Lelaki yang enggan namanya disiarkan berkata, apa sahaja maklumat yang diumumkan oleh Najib adalah tidak lengkap.

"Kami mahu lebih. Ia tidak lengkap," katanya.

Warga Ukraine, Muhammad Razahan dan isteri adalah antara 227 penumpang dan 12 anak kapal adalah antara penumpang yang ditakdirkan untuk berada dalam pesawat malang MH370 itu.

Lebih 100 ahli keluarga penumpang MH370 ditempatkan di Hotel Everly sementara menanti perkembangan terkini mengenai pesawat yang hilang.

Daripada 239 orang penumpang, 38 daripada mereka adalah warga Malaysia, 159 warga China dan selebihnya dari 12 negara lain termasuk Indonesia dan India.

Najib awal hari ini berkata pencarian pesawat MH370 akan diperluaskan ke kawasan-kawasan luar Thailand hingga Kazakhstan dan Turkmenistan di utara dan di luar Indonesia di selatan selepas bukti menunjukkan hubungan terakhir adalah pada jam 8:11 di utara Selat Melaka.

Beliau berkata, siasatan menunjukkan pergerakan jet penumpang dan hubungan komunikasi dimatikan adalah disengajakan tetapi tidak mengatakan ia satu rampasan pesawat .

Penyiasat mengesahkan pesawat dikesan radar tentera adalah pesawat milik MAS MH370, selepas komunikasi mungkin dimatikan sebelum ia sampai di pantai timur Malaysia seminggu lalu, Reuters memetik Najib sebagai berkata.

"Walaupun laporan media mengatakan pesawat itu dirampas, saya ingin menegaskan, kami masih menyiasat semua kemungkinan tentang apa yang menyebabkan MH370 tersasar daripada laluan asal," kata Najib, membaca kenyataan bertulisnya di sidang akhbar yang dipenuhi pengamal media.

Beliau berkata, satelit mengatakan pesawat Boeing 777- 200ER (9M- MRO) berada di salah satu daripada dua koridor: di bahagian utara Thailand hingga ke Kazakhstan, atau di bahagian selatan, dari Indonesia hingga ke selatan Lautan Hindi.

Beberapa laporan sebelum ini memetik kenyataan seorang pegawai Malaysia yang tidak dinamakan sebagai mengesahkan spekulasi bahawa pesawat tersebut dirampas.

5 mati ambil dadah berlebihan di festival muzik...

Lima orang meninggal dunia kerana pengambilan dadah berlebihan dalam Future Music Festival Asia (FMFA) malam tadi menyebabkan pihak penganjur terpaksa membatalkan hari terakhir festival itu selepas polis menasihatkan mereka berbuat demikian.

"Demi kepentingan keselamatan awam, kami mengambil dan menerima nasihat pihak berkuasa untuk tidak meneruskan hari ketiga FMFA 2014.

"Ini juga adalah untuk membantu siasatan yang sedang berjalan. Kami menghargai kerjasama dan penerimaan baik semua pihak serta akan berkongsi maklumat terkini mengenai perkara ini secepat mungkin," kata pihak penganjur dalam satu kenyataan yang disiarkan di laman Facebook festival itu.

Portal berita The Star hari ini melaporkan seorang mati di tempat kejadian, di Stadium Bukit Jalil, manakala seorang lagi meninggal dunia dalam perjalanan ke hospital.

Tiga yang lain meninggal dunia di Pusat Perubatan Universiti Malaya (PPUM) dan Hospital Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (HUKM ).

Antara yang meninggal adalah seorang pemuda Melayu, dua wanita Melayu, seorang Cina dan India.

Enam orang yang meninggal dunia itu adalah warga tempatan berumur 19 hingga 28 tahun dan disahkan meninggal dunia ketika dalam perjalanan ke Pusat Perubatan Universiti Malaya (PPUM) dan Pusat Perubatan Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (PPUKM) awal pagi tadi.

Mereka ialah Kamal Zekry Kamal Basha, 22, Victor Wong E Hern, 26, Sabreena Kamaruddin, 21, M.Suresh, 28, Syazana Sohaime, 23, dan Nor Faizza Mohd Wazir, 27.


Dua orang yang kritikal ialah warga Singapura dan seorang lagi warga tempatan, dalam lingkungan umur 19 dan 27 tahun, mereka kini menerima rawatan di PPUM dan di PPUKM, katanya.

Kesemua rakyat Malaysia ini berusia antara 21 dan 28 tahun.

Polis berkata, empat orang lagi, dua daripada mereka koma dan berada dalam keadaan kritikal di kedua-dua buah hospital. Yang masih kritikal adalah dua Melayu dan dua Cina.

Berikutan kematian tersebut, pihak penganjur membuat laporan polis dan bekerjasama dengan pihak berkuasa. Polis menutup beberapa bahagian Stadium Bukit Jalil untuk menghalang penonton konsert memasuki kawasan festival.

"Keenam-enam yang maut itu dipercayai mengambil dadah jenis methamphetamine dari luar stadium sebelum masuk dan melihat konsert itu. Dadah tersebut dikenali sebagai 'designer drug' atau dadah sintetik," katanya.

Mohmad berkata dadah itu dijual dengan harga sekitar RM60 hingga RM100 sebiji bergantung kepada kandungannya.

Konsert itu diadakan sejak Khamis.

Sepanjang dua malam konsert itu berlangsung juga, polis menahan 19 orang pengunjung konsert termasuk 12 warga asing dari Singapura, Sudan, Australia dan Indonesia atas kesalahan memiliki dadah, katanya.

FMFA 2014 dianjurkan oleh Live Scape Sdn Bhd.

Festival yang diberikan jolokan pesta muzik elektronik terbesar di Asia Tenggara itu menampilkan nama-nama besar muzik antarabangsa termasuk pemenang anugerah Grammy seperti  Pharell Williams, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis dan ramai lagi.

5 die of drug overdose at music festival...

Five people died of drug overdose while attending the Future Music Festival Asia last night, according to a media report.

Four others, two of whom are in a coma, are in critical condition, The Star Online reported, quoting Kuala Lumpur police chief senior deputy comm Datuk Mohmad Salleh.

“All tested positive for high levels of drugs and the deaths have been classified as overdose,” he said.

  According to the English daily, one person died on the spot while another died on the way to the hospital. Three others died at the hospital. They were all aged between 21 and 28.

Following the incident, police have advised the festival organisers to cancel today’s event in Bukit Jalil.

“Those who bought tickets should contact the organisers for refunds,” Salleh reportedly said.- tmi

cheers.