MH370: Malaysia needs to strengthen assets – Hishammuddin
(Bernama) – Acting Transport Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein says there is a need to strengthen Malaysia’s military assets, especially after the incident involving the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 aircraft.
He said apart from the radar system, other technological capabilities should also be reviewed to equip the Malaysian Armed Forces with better assets.
“Malaysia made a very courageous decision to talk about our defence capabilities.
“And now, Datuk Seri Najib (Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak) has got to find me the money to change our radar system because the whole world now knows our defence capabilities, in terms of radar,” Hishammuddin, who is also defence minister, said in jest.
“We did that, putting aside national interests to find MH370. What more do the people want from the government of Malaysia and from the ATM (Malaysian Armed Forces)?,” he asked.
He said this at a media conference with local media on the missing jetliner here Saturday.
Asked if there was a need for Malaysia to have technologies such as sonar system for naval ships and submarines, he said they were needed in the context of national security and military, including its position as Asean member.
Not just Malaysia but many other countries in the world also needed to review their assets and military technological strengths, noted Hishammuddin.
“If you noticed, the information we detected was from commercial satellites, not military. So, the military forces of the world will have to relook at their capabilities. I believe all are doing that now. But my duty here is only to find MH370,” he said.
The aircraft which carried 227 passengers and 12 crew members went missing on March 8, one hour after taking off from the KL International Airport at 12.41am. The aircraft was scheduled to arrive in Beijing at 6.30am on the same day.
On Monday, 17 days after the search operation, Najib announced that based on satellite data analyses by Inmarsat and AAIB of the United Kingdom, Flight MH370 ended in the southern Indian Ocean.
