Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Hussein has dismissed a CNN report that the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) had scrambled its jets on March 8 – the same day Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 and the 239 people on board disappeared from radar.
Hishamuddin sent angry texts to fz.com to respond to CNN’s reported claim that the RMAF had sent out search aircraft to look for Flight MH370 at 8am on March 8, but did not inform Malaysian authorities untul three days later.
In the CNN report, senior international correspondent Nic Robertson quoted sources saying the RMAF deployed the aircraft before authorities could verify data that Flight MH370 had turned back from its intended flight path, but did not inform the Department of Civil Aviation until March 11.
“It’s a total fabrication,” Hishammuddin told fz.com this morning. “CNN losing all credibility.”
Hishamuddin said that if RMAF jets were deployed, it would have been announced at the daily press briefings – especially since the Air Force was criticised for not being vigilant enough in monitoring and following up data from its primary radars, whoch could have indicated Flight MH370’s course change.
Story: fz.com
