Boeing must take responsibility for missing plane, says Dr M

Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has slammed Boeing for the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, saying the aircraft-maker must take responsibility for the missing airliner.

In a blog post, Dr Mahathir also said national carrier Malaysia Airlines is not to blame for the plane which went missing on March 8 carrying 239 people on board.

More than a month on, the search for the plane continues.

“Boeing built this aircraft. Boeing must explain how all these means of tracking the plane can be disabled, can fail. Either Boeing technology is poor or it is not fail-safe.

“I would not like to fly in Boeing aircraft unless Boeing can explain how all its system can fail or be disabled,”  Malaysia’s longest serving premier said.

He also took the aircraft maker to task for its silence.

“It is standard practice that when a plane crashes, a team of experts would arrive at the scene soonest so as to find the cause of the crash. Boeing and the authorities in the manufacturing country should be looking out for the plane.

“Maybe the plane type should be grounded. But Boeing has shown no interest and had said practically nothing.”

Mahathir said even if the pilot had wanted the plane to disappear the co-pilot and the crew should have been able to do something. In the  event, no one had done anything.

The complete disappearance of the aircraft must have been because its whole communication system has been disabled, he added.

“Boeing must demonstrate possible ways for the communications system to be disabled. Boeing must accept responsibility for building an aircraft that can disappear in mid-air so completely,” he said.

Mahathir said relatives of passengers on the flight are blaming the wrong people.

“Malaysia Airline flew a plane fully expecting it to perform the task. But the plane has somehow behaved differently. Who is responsible? Not MAS but certainly the makers of the plane ― Boeing Aircraft Corporation,” he added.