Thats why we need the bomoh...Hahaha... Q&A with military chiefs, DCA chief and Hisham Koh Jun Lin & Lee Long Hui | 9:52PM Mar 12, 2014 A heated press conference took place at the crisis management centre on the missing Flight MH370 today with reporters demanding answers on the revelation that the plane could have flown to towards the Andaman Sea. Among those present were airforce chief Rodzali Daud, Civil Aviations Department director-general Azharuddin Abdul Rahman, Armed Forces chief Zulkifeli Mohd Zin, MAS CEO Ahmad Jauhari Yahya and Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein. Excerpts of the press conference, which began at about 5.30pm, follows: Can you tell (us) when was the last known recording of the plane, when the plane was recorded by the military radar? Rodzali: (The) primary radars last known time was 0215 (Hours). Where is the location? Rodzali: From the beginning we said this is a possible turn-back. Why possible? Because we are trying to collaborate with all the other radar, including the civil radar. At the moment, we are still collaborating with FAA and NTSB and all the available other radars. The position has to be checked. Can you confirm that is in the Malacca Straits? Rodzali: You see there are still a possibility it is in the Malacca Straits. We are still corroborating. Is not that it has gone there? Rodzali: No, no. We are still doing forensic on the report. Hishammuddin: We have been very consistent. On Saturday, the prime minister indicated that we are going to expand our SAR operation. On that day also we made a statement to say that there’s a possibility of a turn-back, and on that same day too, we expanded the area in Malacca Straits. Ive indicated to you the number of vessel and also aircraft in both these areas. As of today, (we) have not found anything, but we are expanding it further. So basically, we have been very consistent in what we have been saying in the last few days. As for the aircraft, communication and reporting system, when and where it was last transmitting data? Has it stopped at the same time when the transponder stop? Azharuddin: In our radar, the secondary radar, we looked at our radar and it was posting at about 1.21am and the target disappeared at 1.30am and that is because we have the secondary radar. Our primary radar did not pick it up at that particular time, then the defence primary radar was analysed the same day and there was an indication of possibility an air turn-back. Hence, that is the reason why a search was conducted at the Straits of Malacca and the South China Sea. If the ministry radar pick up the signal at Malacca Straits... So why are you still searching in the South China Sea? Hishammuddin: We have stated it as a possibility. What was the altitude when it was spotted in Malacca Straits? The plane was spotted on the other side of Malaysia, you should tell us whether the information they have, data, VHF, or communication of anything. Azaharudin: I think the communication data is as I have mentioned, I have to repeat again. It was posting starting from 1.21am but at 1.30am it disappeared from our radar. This is secondary radar. Nothing. Nothing at all. Rodzali: The last plot - after several intermittent primary plots - there is a last plot that happened at 0215 (Hours), Flight Level 295, 200 miles northwest of Pinang. I’m not saying it is MH370, okay? We are still corroborating this with the experts. So what did you see on…? Rodzali: it is a plot, unidentified plot. Azaharudin: The difference between secondary radar and primary radar - Secondary radar is talking to the aircraft via a transponder and it gives you the airline, the aircraft type, how high it flies, how fast is the flight. But on the primary it just give a plot. It doesn’t give identification of the aircraft. Hishammuddin: I can see that now we are more appreciative of the data we have. The primary radar does not actually tell you the aircraft per se, it just stops at a plot, and that requires collaboration and detailed analysis by experts, which we are brought in also. A dead body has been found in Malacca Straits... Hishammuddin: Not true. You are getting increasing criticism. You are searching east, you are searching west. You don’t seem to know what you see on the radar and it’s taking you until now five days later to tell the truth. This is utter confusion now. Hishammuddin: I don’t think so. I think it is far from it. It is only confusion if you want it to be seen as confusion. We have been very clear and have been very consistent. [...] Why (do) we lack transparency and (are) very stingy with information? Hishammuddin: Because information is few and far in between. The information is keep changing and it does not give confidence to the country… Hishammuddin: Well I think that’s’ the opinion that…. There is an issue about the five passengers (that supposedly didn’t board the plane). There is a different answer from a different agents? Can you answer that? Ahmad Jauhari: Just to set the record straight, there’s a lot of confusion here. Out of 227 passengers that was booked on that flight, four did not turn up, that means they never check in. We have standby passengers of which four was then boarded to replace the four that did not turn up. What it means is that all passengers that checked in, got their luggage on board. [...] On the military radar, how low was the plane flying? In addition to that, why has it taken you so long to reveal that information and you are not surprised that people are wondering if you are hiding information, because it takes you five days to reveal this very key piece of information. Hishammuddin: No, because what we were indicated on Saturday was that there was a possibility of a turn back and the primary radar does not indicate what aircraft is it. Until today, we are still not sure that it is the same aircraft. That is why we are searching two areas. That’s why we are deploying all our vessels and aircraft and (SAR teams) from the neighbouring country to these two areas. If we know for sure that it is in Malacca Straits, we would have move all our asset there. So basically, there is no real confusion, unless you may want look for confusion. So this press confrence today, ladies and gentlemen, it to clarify that – to make sure that the information that we have been saying for the last three days is consistent, it is transparent and we got nothing to hide. [...] Were you tracking this in this real time, this unidentified object going across (Peninsular) Malaysia? If you were, why did you not send… Zukifly: No, we did not track it in real time. We saw a recording of it. We were not sure. It just happened that when we saw the recording of the data, then it appears to… So we have got to respond. If transparency if your aim and you say you are looking data and you are also reaching out to civilian authorities for help, why not release the raw radar data? Are there any plans to do that? Zulkifly: Yes, we plan to release it, but as long as I know that actions are being taken for the conduct of the SAR operation. The next day we immediately contacted our friends from Indonesia, please activate your SAR, which they gave immediately. Hishammuddin: If FAA and NTSB can confirm that this flight - from the military’s raw data – is the flight we are concerned, tomorrow I will release it. If. [...] Is it the (Boeing) 777-200ER can fly below radar, and if it can, for how long? Azaharudin: It can fly below radar until you run out fuel but you cannot be detect it on the radar, that is it. [...] If you spot unidentified object flying across the peninsular, why weren’t fighter jets sent to at least intercept find out what is this unidentified object? Rodzali: The point is that, what we said from the beginning, when we review on the recorded flight, there’s a possibility of the aircraft making a turn-back. Until now it remains as a possibility until it’s scrutinized by the expert: FAA, NTSB and the radar manufacturer. So until such time, it is very difficult for us to say for sure, that is the aircraft. Because to the radar operator, it is a trail of a civil aircraft, it’s not classified as hostile. We only do an intercept or response only it is classified as hostile.
Posted on: Wed, 12 Mar 2014 18:41:02 +0000
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