NewsContent:Transcripts/Day 002-3
PRESS CONFERENCE: MH370
10 MARCH 2014, 8:00 PM
SPOKEPERSON :
DATO’ AZHARUDDIN ABDUL RAHMAN (DIRECTOR GENERAL, DEPARTMENT
OF CIVIL AVIATION)
ATTENDED BY:
MEJAR JENERAL DATO’ HJ AFFENDI BIN BUANG (TUDM)
LAKSAMANA MADYA MARITIM DATO’ AHMAD PUZI ABDUL KAHAR (DEPUTY
DIRECTOR GENERAL (OPERATION), MALAYSIAN MARITIME ENFORCEMENT
AGENCY)
AHMAD JAUHARI YAHYA (CEO MAS)
(Greetings and salutation)
On the oil slick that was found by APMM they have sent the sample to Chemistry
Department today and we have got the report from Chemistry Department of
Malaysia, they have reported that they have confirmed that the oil are not from an
aircraft. The oil analysis of the sample taken by APMM are not from an aircraft.
And this evening and also circulated in media there are debris noticed of by aircraft in
South of Hong Kong, Saigon and we are dispatching ships to the area and so far we
are not received any confirmation or verification of the debris are they come from
aircraft or not. By tomorrow we should be able to tell the debris found.
And the area of search has been expanded in the South China Sea. We have
expanded to 100km radius of Igary and we will show the area of search to all of you.
As you can see, the search area are 100km Igary and we expected beginning
tomorrow. We are also conducted search on land and also west coast of Peninsular
Malaysia and we already covered a part of North of Sumatera. And we begin to
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increase it and enlarge our search in the next few days. So this is the areas of SAR
done by all agencies in the next few days.
As what I have been mentioned this morning and also by Minister of Transport, our
aim to find aircraft will be intensified and that is very important. Without able to locate
the parts of the aircraft, we are unable to determine the cause of the incident. That is
very important that we have to find the aircraft.
And on the two passengers flown on the aircraft with stolen passport, we have the
team on investigators, have looked at the video footage from check in right to the
departure and I hereby to confirm that all security protocols have been complied. But
on another angle, there is possibility in passport syndicate. That is an angle that they
are looking at.
As the features of two passengers we have looked at the footage of the video and
the photographs. It is confirmed now they are not Asian looking males. So again, on
the search of the aircraft is now continuing on the night by ships number of existing
agencies and tomorrow morning will start again using aircraft in areas mentioned by
me a few minutes ago.
QUESTION AND ANSWER SESSION
Question 1
Q: IGP already confirmed the identity of one passenger who used stolen
passport. Can we know the nationality?
A: I cannot confirmed. We are looking more at security aspects, which complies
to all protocol of security. I cannot confirmed nationality because we are
looking at passport syndicate possibilities.
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Question 2
Q: If they are not Asian looking male, what are they looking like?
A: Do you know a footballer by name of Balotelli, he’s an Italian. Do you know
how he looks like? They are not Asians.
Question 3
By Siva, Reuters
Q: You are looking at two areas in expanding the search. Could you elaborate
how you conduct the search, how many ships at one side? And do you need
more resources to conduct the SAR and how many more resources that you
need?
A: We are using aircraft and ships. As you are aware, we’ve covered this area.
There are two types of search. We are doing one, is the air search, the other
one is surface search using ships. And currently we’re in third day we are
doing it. As you can see on the western side, sector A, B, C, D have been
carried out by aircrafts. At this point of time, there are surface vessels to come
over this area.
As you look here on the east, we also had done the air search and there are
ships doing search as I explained earlier. This is to make sure every inch of
the ground in the area will be covered. Subsequently what will happen in the
future or maybe by tomorrow, we will expand further as we talk. Today this
evening, we’ve already sent a few aircrafts to cover this area. The intention is
to carry out the search over this area the next few days. And slowly will move
the ships here to this area. Same goes to this area we’re going to expand. The
search from this box into the red box.
Question 4
Q: Is this 100 nautical miles that you mentioned before?
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A: No. It’s increased now and we are going to increase further in the next few
days.
Question 5
Q: How long it will take to cover 100 nautical miles?
A: We now doing 100 nautical miles. We divided into blocks and each ships are
assigned to each block.
Question 6
By Mani, Bloomberg
Q: You were saying this evening, DCA is coordinating entire SAR operation but
Vietnam seems ahead in giving information to media. Can you address on
this?
A: What Vietnam does actually, they have reported to me whatever they found.
And whatever we received such news either from media or somebody send to
us, we straight away contact our counterpart in Vietnam and all the time
Vietnam authorities deny that they had found the objects or any parts that they
disclosed in media. That’s the fact we have to very careful if we go to media to
announce we have found this and that. We have to verify positively that parts
from the aircraft. We don’t want to give any false hope. Please do not just
report any that is unconfirmed and we don’t want the public to speculate. This
is very bad to next of kin to passengers.
Question 7
Q: The two guys, are they Africans?
A: They’re not Asian looking and I think we have cleared the security part of it. I
think its more important.
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Question 8
Q: Is there any reason you can’t describe them?
A: There is angle looking at of stolen passport syndicate.
Question 9
Q: Ada kemungkinan 100 nautical miles tadi dibesarkan? Kalau diikutkan 2.40, 2
jam selepas berlepas MH370 hilang. Ada 6 hours lagi. Dalam 6 hours scale,
ke mana pesawat itu boleh pergi? Selain daripada Straits Malacca?
A: Very difficult to say because the point, we don’t know exactly what happened
to the aircraft. We just cannot speculate, we just cannot do guess work. It got
to be scientific work because the parts we can study what actually happened.
Question 10
Q: Skala itu akan diperbesarkan dalam skala 6 jam penerbangan?
A: Skala itu dikembangkan oleh kerana apa yang kita lakukan mula-mula 50 itu
tidak dapat any object then kita kembangkan supaya kita cover seluruh
perairan that we calculate.
Question 11
By Dester, Straits Times
Q: If there’s bad weather conditions tonight and incoming days, what do you
expect and how does it affect SAR operations?
A: As for the weather for the last few days and night has been fair for SAR
operation so we hope that with the current weather will stay.
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Question 12
Q: How about haze?
A: Haze no problem because we’re flying low and the ships doing surface search.
Question 13
By CNBC
Q: At this point of time is it still SAR operation or has move beyond that. Is this
now disaster recovery?
A: It’s still SAR. The term is missing aircraft.
Question 14
Q: Please comment in warning of possible threat from China received by Taiwan
based before the aircraft missing?
A: I don’t have report official to us. We cannot comment on that.
Question 15
By Mani, Bloomberg
Q: Possible is it stolen one or is it human trafficking?
A: That’s what I said just now, there is another angle of investigation of possibility
of stolen passport syndicate.
Question 16
By CNN
Q: The two people that you’re investigating as stolen passport concern, is this the
major focus of your investigation and MAS investigation or you also investigate
other related lead?
A: We are looking at every possibilities, every angle.
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Question 17
Q: Can you share what you, Police and Immigration?
A: That is something that we cannot reveal. We relook at the security part of it
and they’re gone to full protocol of security. That means they’re gone through
screening. The baggage has been screened and to us that’s comply fully the
protocol of aviation security.
Question 18
By Jason
Q: Can you tell us MAS what is your policy when it comes to locking the cockpit
door?
A: We comply to the recommendation of ICAO and all authorities. Cockpit door is
kept locked all the time.
Q: Can the cockpit open from outside?
A: Cannot be opened from outside in order to go into cockpit. It has to be opened
from inside like all aircrafts. These days you have video camera pointing
actually who actually outside. Decision to open to allow somebody through is
taken inside the cockpit.
Question 19
Q: What are the leads you’re working on expand SAR area? Is it just the flying
path?
A: Yes, the flying path. We look at the areas where was reported lost on the radar
and the possibilities craft air turn back and its very important to say here that
we have to find the aircraft or parts of the aircraft.
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Question 20
Q: Can you clarify about the oil spill, the one that was tested, is that the only oil
spill or is that same one that was seen on Saturday from aircraft?
A: The sample has been taken by APMM. We have been in ground for more 20
hours. We have fly our 3 choppers and 1 fixed wing aircraft. So through out
our flight during those period, we identified if there is any spots we send the
ship to collect sampling that kind of thing. If there is suspicious that oil belong
to the Boeing and definitely we will bring it to the shore for proper identification
but other than than, we can see greases kind of that. So, no requirement to
bring as we know that is not belong the to aircraft.
We can confirmed with you whatever is on the surface of the sea has been
identified for example the orange object we saw from the air, we sent our ship
to collect it. It’s a canvas, it’s not a life jacket. Just to confirm with you, I think
we comply with IMSAR volume. We internationally recognize and I think it’s
standard practice all over the world.
Question 21
Q: So there is only one major oil spill, one slick since Saturday?
A: We suspect.
Question 22
Q: There is report the identity of stolen passport has been identified, can you
confirm it, where he’s from?
A: We cannot do that, we will check on it.
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Question 23
Q: Why you cannot do that?
A: Because as I told you there is angle they’re looking at, syndicate of stolen
passport.That’s what they’re looking at. I have to repeat the security part of it
has been looking to and we satisfied whatever gone through the protocol at
the airport.