Excruciating wait for fresh details on MH370

Almost two days after contact was lost with MAS flight MH370, there is still little concrete information about the fate of the aircraft and the 239 persons on board.

 

The search area has been expanded from 20 nautical miles (37 kilometres) from the aircraft’s last know location between Malaysia and Vietnam to 50 nautical miles (93 kilometres).

 

As for the search and rescue (SAR) team, it has expanded from 22 aircraft and 40 vessels as of 1pm today, to 34 aircraft and 40 vessels as of 8pm today - excluding those from Vietnam - and more are on the way.

 

At least eight countries are involved in this effort, including Thailand, USA, Singapore, and Indonesia, while two Australian maritime patrol aircraft will be arriving in Malaysia separately beginning midnight today to join the effort.

 

Nevertheless, Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) director-general Azharuddin Abdul Rahman announced that as of about 8pm, there is still no sign of the aircraft.

 

He is in overall command of the multinational SAR effort.

 

Terrorism theory

 

Instead, what was found was an oil slick in Malaysian waters, constant news reports of unknown debris in Vietnamese waters and large amount of speculation floating on the Internet.

 

Thus far, authorities are trying to determine if the oil slick has to do with the missing aircraft while the Vietnamese authorities are unable to link the debris to the incident.

 

Similarly, there is little development on the theory that the aircraft had fallen victim to a terrorist attack. The authorities, including Azharuddin, is keeping mum on the matter, other than repeatingly state that "all possibilities are being investigated".

 

This theory emerged after it was reported that two of the MH370’s passenger had boarded the flight using stolen passports, and that the aircraft had been unable to send a distress call, the latter of which suggests something abrupt and catastrophic had happened.

 

"I have to repeat again: Our main focus here is to find the missing aircraft. If we cannot find the missing aircraft, it is very difficult for us to determine what actually happened.

 

"So please, bear in mind that finding the aircraft is of utmost importance for all of us," Azharuddin said when reporters repeatedly pressed him for details regarding the two imposters and the possibility of a terrorist attack.

 

Intelligence units to meet

 

To a question, he said he is unaware of a letter that has surface on the internet that appeared to be from a China-based group purportedly claiming responsibility for MH370’s disappearance.

 

"The Chinese authorities have not contacted us in this aspect, however the authorities that will be investigating on the false passports will be investigating on all angles," he said.

 

Meanwhile, Acting Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein had revealed that international counter-terrorism intelligence units had met this afternoon and he was part of the meeting.

 

The meeting had decided on what information can and cannot be shared with the public, but there is little further details. Hishammuddin is also the defence minister and the former home minister.

 

Meanwhile, armed forces chief Zulkifli Mohd Zin (right) has clarified that a "rescue submarine" is not amongst the three Singaporean vessels involved in the SAR operation.

 

Instead, it was MV Swift Rescue, which is a submarine support and rescue vessel (SSRV), or sometimes also known as submarine escape rescue vessels.

 

No submarines used

 

It is a surface vessel designed to find and rescue submarines stranded underwater and is fitted with a complement of mini-submarines.

 

"There is no submarine coming from our friendly countries from overseas. What they are sending is what we call 'submarine escape rescue vessels'.

 

"They are not sending submarines... even the Royal Malaysian Navy is deploying its submarine escape rescue vessel. It is a totally different thing," he said, referring to the Malaysian vessel MV Mega Bakti.

 

MV Swift Rescue had been erroneously identified in some media reports earlier today as a 'rescue submarine'.

 

This - coupled with Hishammuddin’s statement that Malaysia’s Scorpene class submarines are not equipped for SAR missions - had drawn ridicule.

 

Netizens had poked fun at the issue by playing on the fact the Malaysians cannot perform SAR missions, whereas their Singaporean counterparts supposedly can.

 

The search for MH370 by air continues at first light tomorrow at 7am, while the sea search is ongoing round-the-clock. Barring any surprises, the government has scheduled its next press conference at noon tomorrow.

 

Meanwhile, MAS’s Kuala Lumpur – Beijing flight has already resumed, using the same flight number MH370.