Tough for Malaysia if foreign govts slow to react or not forthcoming with info

KUALA LUMPUR: National self-interest and confusion about operational control looked to be unsettling the already daunting 26-nation search for a missing Malaysia Airlines jet, with boats and planes sitting idle pending clear orders.

Malaysia has underlined the im­­portance of outside help in scouring two land and sea corridors equivalent in size to the entire land mass of Australia.

But Indonesia acknowledged yesterday it had only just provided clea­rance for surveillance aircraft from Australia, Japan, the United Arab Emirates and Malaysia to overfly its territory, while saying its own vessels await instructions from Kuala Lumpur.

“It is not that Indonesia does not want to issue permits, but we have a mechanism to follow that we have to respect,” military spokesman Is­­kandar Sitompul said, insisting Ja­­karta was not trying to “slow down” the process.

“It must go through the foreign ministry first before being submitted to the armed forces,” he said.

MH370 went missing early on March 8 with 239 passengers and crew, spawning a massive international search across Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean.

The hunt has turned up no trace of wreckage as the clock ticks down on the 30 days that the aircraft’s black box transmits a signal.

Malaysia has sought help from more than two dozen countries in the form of radar and satellite analysis, as well as surveillance vessels and aircraft.

Australia and Indonesia had ag­­reed to take the lead in the southern corridor across the Indian Ocean, with China and Kazakhstan doing the same in the northern corridor, stretching from northern Thailand into South and Central Asia.

Many of the countries involved are not used to such close cooperation – especially when it comes to sha­ring sensitive radar data.

Many countries in the region, and beyond, have offered and provided technical and logistical support, but bureaucracy and lingering confusion appear to be delaying their operatio­nal deployment.

Indonesia said it was facing delays in deploying its own resources as it waits for a green light from Ma­­laysia.

“Five navy warships temporarily halted their search of the Malacca Straits on Monday, as we await further information from Malaysia or elsewhere,” Sitompul said.

India has similarly suspended search operations in the Andaman Sea for several days.

“No instructions received. ANC (Andaman and Nicobar Command) on standby awaiting further instructions,” a navy spokesman said in a message sent to AFP.

“It is not for us to take a call on this. It is between governments. We have to simply follow instructions. We are awaiting orders,” said a source in the Indian defence ministry in New Delhi.               

Paul Yap, an aviation lecturer at Temasek Polytechnic in Singapore, expressed sympathy for the Malay­sian authorities, saying it was always going to be tough to steer so many countries in one direction.

“Right now, I think it is out of Malaysia’s hands, ” Yap said.

“Malaysia crucially needs the part­ners involved to play ball... but I won’t be surprised if some are not doing that. It is all about self-interest.

“For radar data, no country is going to reveal information that will show the shortcomings of their capability,” he said.

“So I wouldn’t like to be in Ma­­laysia’s shoes.” — AFP