“WHY?”

This was the question asked by puzzled family members of the crew of flight MH370 in response to news that the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has invoked secrecy laws in rejecting a request for satellite data and expert opinions that were solicited to aid the search of the missing plane.

The search for Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777, which crashed on March 8, 2014, was suspended in January after 120,000sq km of the southern Indian Ocean were scoured.

Jacquita Gomes, wife of Patrick Gomes, the inflight supervisor of the ill-fated flight, said: “It’s as if there is something to hide, a cover-up. All along, they have been saying they are transparent.

“Every step of the way – transparent. So be transparent. Why not release the data? If others want to help, why not?”

She said the MH370 families just wanted the truth, insisting that the ocean or government files would contain the truth.

“If there’s a blunder, a mistake, why not admit it now and get on with it? Later, when it comes out, it will be worse. The world is waiting.”

Calvin Shim, husband of chief stewardess Christine Tan, was puzzled. “I thought all along ATSB was very transparent. Why now the withholding of information? That’s why I’m puzzled.”

He, however, refused to speculate on the reason for the Australian authorities’ refusal to release further information.

“I don’t know about anything being hidden… maybe they know a little bit more that is not convenient for the governments to release.

“I have had no doubts of ATSB’s transparency. Last year, when the families visited Australia, they were very helpful and gave a lot of information.”

Lee Khim Fatt, husband of stewardess Christine Foong, said: “It just makes me think there may be something to this cover-up idea. It just brings out more doubts. If there’s nothing wrong, why the refusal to release the info?”

Flight MH370 disappeared in March 2014 with 239 passengers and crew, most of them Chinese, on board en route to Beijing from Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur. 

Its disappearance has become one of the world’s greatest aviation mysteries, sparking the largest and most expensive search operation in aviation history.

However, Australia, China and Malaysia, which jointly coordinated and funded the search operation led by ATSB, announced in January the suspension of the search. – April 18, 2017.