MH370 families angry after briefing cancelled at the last minute

Families of victims on board Malaysia Airlines MH370 turned up at the Department of Civil Aviation office in Putrajaya today only to find out that a scheduled press conference had been called off. Chinese national Kelly (left) says she has been in the country for a few weeks and had hoped to meet the transport minister. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Nazir Sufari, January 29, 2015.

Malaysian civil aviation authorities today called off a press conference about the 10-month mysterious disappearance of flight MH370, citing unforeseen circumstances much to the surprise of families of those on board the Malaysia Airlines jet.

They had turned up at the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) office in Putrajaya where the press conference was scheduled to be held at 3.30pm, but at 4.05pm, an officer from the Information Department told media personnel the briefing had to be called off.

The officer said a new date will be announced to "selected" media later.

It is believed that the briefing was called off due to the presence of family members.

"What are they hiding from us? One minute they wanted to tell us and the next, they say it's called off. Be truthful," said Mohd Sahril Shaari, whose cousin Mohd Razahan Zamani had been on board the flight.

Invitations to the briefing had earlier been sent to the media amid talk that the Malaysian authorities would possibly revise the status of the search on the plane that disappeared less than an hour after departing from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8, last year.

There were 239 people on board, most of whom were Chinese nationals.

The briefing was to have been broadcast live on local television news channels, and some Twitter users who had been waiting for it, reacted to the cancellation.

"Kesian juga families day menunggu and you just cancelled it like that," said @rajifusama (Pity the families who have been waiting.)

"If you ain't ready, don't shout 'wolf'!! Yikes! Malulah muka Malaysia lagi," tweeted @rahmatomar (Embarrassing for Malaysia once again).

At the press conference venue, more next-of-kin expressed their frustration at the cancellation.

Sahril said he found out about the press conference from reading the news and wanted to hear the announcement for himself.

"I was here since 3pm. It is frustrating and upsetting. I was told that this was about announcing that the plane is lost. What are they trying to do? This is unacceptable. Other families are upset, too," he said.

Intan Maizura, wife of crew member Hazrin Hasnan, and son Muhammad at the cancelled press conference today. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Nazir Sufari, January 29, 2015.Jacquita Gonzales, the wife of MH370 flight attendant Patrick Gomes was emotional as she spoke to the media.

"I came all the way here and this is it?" she said.

She also questioned the possibility of declaring the plane's status as "lost".

"What is the definition of lost? Tell me.

"My husband wants to come home. Every lost person wants to come home. Intan Maizura's husband wants to come home. Muhammad has not seen his father. We are concerned more about the person," said Gonzales before excusing herself from the media.

Intan Maizura, the wife of crew member Hazrin Hasnan and Muhammad their son, had also come to the briefing today.

A Chinese national who gave her name as Kelly said she was a family member of one of the passengers and had been in Malaysia for a few weeks to get an appointment with Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.

"I would like to ask them to give us the Inmarsat data in Chinese so the family can analyse it ourselves," she said.

Malaysia Airlines later issued a statement saying “due to the presence of next-of-kin at the briefing, it was not appropriate to continue, and the briefing was cancelled”.

Arrangements have been made for the director-general of the DCA to record a statement, which will be aired by the Malaysian broadcaster RTM at 6pm, MAS added.

- TMI