MH370: Cargo had nothing to do with flight’s disappearance, says Aziz Kaprawi

KUALA LUMPUR: The Government has denied allegations that dangerous cargo on board Malaysia Airlines (MAS) Flight MH370 caused the disappearance of the aircraft.

Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Abdul Aziz Kaprawi (pic) said the Interim Report and Factual Information on MH370 issued by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) probe team which was released on March 8, revealed that the plane's cargo had nothing to do with the disappearance of the aircraft.

"The 600-page interim report has clarified the flight's preparation records, communications between the cockpit and air traffic control, flight path based on satellite data, and on the crew and cargo," he said.

He was replying to a supplementary question from Datuk Kamaruddin Jaffar (PAS-Tumpat) who claimed that the government had not disclosed the cargo carried on the ill-fated flight.

The Beijing-bound Boeing 777-200ER aircraft, with 227 passengers and 12 crew on board, disappeared about an hour after leaving the KL International Airport at 12.41am on Mar 8. It was scheduled to arrive in Beijing at 6.30am on the same day.

A multinational effort to search for the missing jetliner has so far drawn a blank.

To the original question by Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing (BN-Bintulu) on the standard operating procedures (SOP) of auxiliary police in airports on handling dangerous goods carried by commercial aircraft, Abdul Aziz said it was subject to the ICAO and the Malaysian Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) guidelines.

"According to the guidelines, all prohibited items such as guns, sharp weapons and ammunition are not allowed into an aircraft, and if they are found, they will be seized and disposed off.

"Any passenger who has an individual licence to carry firearms in an aircraft is also subject to the airline's procedures," he said.

Abdul Aziz said ICAO had also issued provisions concerning the transportation ban on liquids, aerosols and gels for all passengers on international flights except for a volume of no more than one litre per passenger.

Any seized items would be disposed of in accordance to the procedures, he said. – Bernama