Now DCA denies MH370 hijacked

(MM) – The “conclusive” hijacking of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 has now been disputed by the Department of Civil Aviation.

Speaking to a reporter from the British newspaper The Daily Telegraph here today, DCA director-general Datuk Azharuddin Abdul Rahman said investigators have not settled on foul play in the disappearance of MH370.

“It is not conclusive. I’m heading the investigation and nobody is saying that. It’s not true. We are looking at the possibility, we’re looking at all possibilities. We’re doing every profile of the passengers and crew but there is no firm evidence or leads so far,” Azharuddin told the daily.

Earlier today, an unnamed official told the Associated Press that a hijacking was “conclusive”.

During a press conference today, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said new information showed that the transponder and Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System (ACARS) was manually disabled before the plane was lost by military radar.

“Up until the point at which it left military primary radar coverage, these movements are consistent with deliberate action by someone on the plane,” he said in Sepang today.

Najib similarly cautioned against deciding on hijacking as the reason for the plane’s disappearance, but said the investigation will now refocus on the 239 crew and passengers of MH370.

MH370 lost contact with ground control shortly after departing Kuala Lumpur for Beijing at 12.40am March 8, but was captured by military radar as it made its way across peninsular Malaysia.

Today, Najib also announced that satellites received a transmission from MH370 at 8.11am the same day.

The plane had enough fuel to stay in the air until 8.30am.