MH370: Pakatan MPs unhappy over 'closure without a closure'

KUALA LUMPUR: Pakatan Rakyat MPs have expressed their dissatisfaction with the Government's handling of the MH370 case, referring to it as "closure without a closure".

DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang said there should be a parliamentary select committee to investigate the MH370 incident.

"The answers that have been given thus far do not have substantial base to back them up, in turn bringing about more questions.

"I said last night in Dewan (Parliament) that I had 1,001 questions but now I have 1,002 questions," he said.

Lim questioned why there was a hurry by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to present the statement Monday night.

"All the Opposition leaders and I thank the PM. However, why would the acting Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein mislead the parliament by announcing that search operations in the South China Sea were ongoing?

"It was less than two hours prior to the announcement by the PM, does that mean he had not known what the PM was going to say," he asked during a press conference at Parliament Tuesday.

Pakatan adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim alleged there was a lack of transparency by the Government over the issue, which affected the nation’s credibility.

He said Hishammuddin, who had prior knowledge of Najib's press conference, should have been more forthcoming in his briefing to law makers on Monday night.

"However, the families need a proper closure, and hence, we ask for a parliament select committee to be formed to investigate this."

PAS president Datuk Seri Hadi Awang said the search operations must carry on.

Najib arrived in Parliament at 11.50am, while the press conference was ongoing.

On Monday, Hishammuddin appeared in Dewan for the first time after 17 days of the plane's disappearance to brief lawmakers of search-and-rescue’s mission progress.

However, at 8.45pm, he received news that Najib would be holding an emergency press conference and announced this to lawmakers.

He indicated to reporters that the announcement would be on the search being narrowed down.