As we approach the one-year anniversary of Malaysia Airlines’ Flight MH370 accident, the elder sister of MH370 pilot Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah released a statement asking people to stop blaming him for the mysterious disappearance of the plane. Since 8th March 2014, a variety of different theories have surfaced with regards to MH370, which vanished en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.
It is believed to have ended in the southern Indian Ocean.
Last known photo of MH370
In Sakinab Shah’s statement, she wrote about her brother, remembering him for the wonderful moments they’ve had together and the important role that he played in their family. She shared that he was a generous brother and uncle who often came bearing gifts from his overseas trips, and that he was always sought after by his sisters, brothers, nieces, and nephews alike.
From what we’ve read, Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah is a loving man who will stop at nothing to render help when it’s needed.
Sakinab then revealed that it has been a rollercoaster ride for herself and her family since that fateful day in March 2014, and that it has never really stopped – except perhaps momentarily.
Captain Zaharie Shah & family (Source: www.thetimes.co.uk)
Still, despite all that they’ve gone through, her family continued to pray that the bizarre mystery wold unravel soon and stood in “belief that no matter how long the night, dawn will still break”.
She said:
People can be very hard and callous. As if to rub salt into the wound, stories of Zaharie and Faizah abound in the media declaring their marriage was on the rocks, that there was an impending divorce suit in the Syariah Court… Blah, blah, blah… all junk, all rubbish. Sorry, but you the media failed us horribly.
To be fair, Sakinab’s above statement is true because there were previous reported “news” of an unnamed “source” telling the police that Captain Zaharie was on the brink of divorcing his wife after nearly 30 years of marriage, was shunning his loved ones, spent hours alone on his flight simulator, so on and so forth.
Other variations of his rumoured “emotional turmoil” included this report that cited Captain Zaharie’s “long-time friend”, who said that the pilot of doomed flight MH370 was distraught over his wife’s decision to move out of their family home. As such, this “long-time friend” suggested that Captain Zaharie could have taken the plane for a “last joyride” before it crashed into the southern Indian Ocean killing all 239 people on board.
Captain Zaharie Shah
This other report claimed that Captain Zaharie Shah deliberately killed himself and 227 passengers on board the doomed flight by turning off the oxygen supply, according to former chief executive of Kiwi International Airlines Ewan Wilson. He believed that the MH370 tragedy was planned as part of an “ultimate post-mortem triumph”.
Sakinab then reiterated:
There were many consoling and enlightening comments. This is very much appreciated but some of the media pounced upon it like hungry starved wolves with their twisted and conniving misinterpretations of the visuals. Disgusting! At one stage we issued a lawyer’s letter to a certain local media outlet to put a stop to their rumour mongering.
We continue to pray and hope that this bizarre mystery will unravel soon. We stand firm in the belief that no matter how long the night, dawn will still break. As things stand today, with no tangible evidence to show, NO ONE, be you politician, scientist, aviation expert, plane crash investigator, pilot, retired pilot, media or whoever else… NONE OF YOU have a right to blame Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah for any wrongdoing.
Captain Zaharie was 53 and was married with three children and one grandchild.
Read the full statement here.
Sources: news.com.au, Daily Mail, IBTimes, The Star Online.