No margin for mistakes for Malaysia post-MH17, warns Bloomberg columnist
The Malaysian government cannot afford to make any mistakes in its response to the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines (MAS) flight MH17, even though it is not to blame for the tragedy which killed 298 people, said a Tokyo-based journalist.
Writing on Bloomberg, William Pesek noted that the troubled national carrier was already the target of jokes by international air travellers.
"There is, of course, no room for humour after this disaster or the prospect that the money-losing airline might not survive – at least not without a government rescue.
"This company had already become a macabre punch line, something no business can afford in the Internet and social-media age," said Pesek, in his first major commentary on the shooting down of the Boeing 777 last Thursday in eastern Ukraine.
Last Thursday's incident is the second to hit MAS, after it was at the centre of another aviation first in the form of flight MH370, missing without a trace since March 8 after departing Kuala Lumpur with 239 passengers and crew.
Describing the saga of MH370 "a case study in government incompetence and insularity", Pesek said all eyes were now on the administration of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and its willingness to cooperate with investigations into the crash.
"Even if there was no negligence on the part of Malaysia Air this week, the credibility of the probe and the willingness of Prime Minister Najib Razak's government to cooperate with outside investigators – tests it failed with flight 370 – will be enormously important," he said.
It is not the first time Pesek has given a hard-hitting comment on the Malaysian government.
He had lashed out at Putrajaya's handling of the MH370 saga, and even made comparisons between Malaysia's response with the manner in which South Korea handled the ferry tragedy in mid-April which killed some 300 people.
"The grades so far? I’d give Korea an A-, Malaysia a D," he wrote in May, accusing the Malaysian government of indulging in propaganda.
For Pesek, the weaknesses in Malaysia's handling of the MH370 crisis have their origin in a political system that has only seen one party in the country's entire post-independence history.
“The country needs nothing less than a political revolution,” he had said then.
In the case of MH17, Pesek warned that although it is clear that the tragedy could befall anybody as shown by recent incidents such as the attack on a Pakistan International Airline jetliner last month, Najib should be prepared for the storm ahead.
"The days ahead will be filled with post mortems and assigning blame. That includes aviation experts questioning why Malaysia Air took a route over a war zone being avoided by Qantas, Cathay Pacific and several other carriers.
"The key is for Malaysian authorities to be open, competent and expeditious as the investigation gains momentum. Anything less probably won't pass muster," he said. – July 20, 2014.
