MH17: Malaysia a nation in shock as it struggles to come to terms with twin tragedies
By South East Asia correspondent Samantha Hawley
Posted July 24, 2014 09:54:47
Photo: A woman lights a candle at a memorial for the MH17 victims in Kuala Lumpur (Reuters: Athit Perawongmetha)
Map: Malaysia
At 10:36pm on Thursday, July 17, Malaysia Airlines sends a message via its Twitter account.
It reads: "Malaysian Airlines has lost contact of MH17 from Amsterdam. The last known position was over Ukrainian airspace. More details to follow."
And so there it was; a second, unthinkable, unprecedented aviation disaster.
One hundred and thirty one days after MH370 disappeared without a trace, Malaysia is plunged back into the depths of disbelief, grief and anger.
External Link: Malaysia Airlines first MH17 tweet
The feelings are replicated around the world, of course, but in Kuala Lumpur there is a horrifying case of déjà vu.
Four months after the first tragedy, a room is cordoned off at the Kuala Lumpur international airport. Relatives of passengers who never reached their destination wait there for updates. Outside, for a second time, stands a large international media contingent, stalking for an interview, a picture, some vision of the grieving.
For a second time, a lull hangs over a normally bustling airport, as no-one really dares to make a noise.
Down the road, at the only airport hotel, a media room has been set up. For a second time, Malaysian government officials use it as a base to brief the world about what is unfolding.
And even as the days pass, the awful sense of déjà vu remains.
Who would have thought the Malaysian government would have a chance to refine its response to the unimaginable?
After MH370 disappeared, the government was heavily criticised for the slow and inaccurate release of information. The inconsistencies, tardiness and outright false information released made a mockery of the investigation and was highly offensive to the families.
As a result, widespread suspicion mounted over whether information was being hidden from the public.
Some 239 crew and passengers were on board MH370. In August, a fresh underwater search will begin for an aircraft that vanished without a trace. In all, 27 Malaysian Airlines crew members have died in the first half of this year.
Photo: A Malaysia Airlines flight attendant at Kuala Lumpur airport on July 21 (AFP: Mohd Rasfan)
Unsurprisingly, the hundreds of staff who have taken to the air ever since are apprehensive and even scared, according to their union and former colleagues.
Please stop for a moment and imagine if that was your workplace in the sky.
One former Malaysia Airlines flight attendant tells a story of how after the disappearance of MH370 passengers would ask staff: "Is your pilot really going to take us to our destination?" and "Are we going to arrive alive?".
They are hurtful comments for staff still reeling from the death of colleagues and friends.
At Kuala Lumpur airport, the Malaysian Airlines check-in counter sits largely idle.
Those who choose the carrier as a mode of transport are met with a questioning glance. Others at a corner counter are desperately trying to cancel flights.
One European couple, who have spent a month holidaying in Australia, explain how they're not trying for a refund but rather a transfer onto an affiliated airline.
"I just want to end the holiday happily, just as my family started it," the female traveller says.
Photo: People sit behind a Malaysia Airlines sign at Kuala Lumpur airport on July 21 (AFP: Mohd Rasfan)
Very early on, some Malaysians questioned whether this really was just a coincidence. They felt they were being targeted. How could it be? How was it possible? The more superstitious minds were in overdrive. Bad things happen in threes, they verbalised, in a belief there would be more to come.
Others pointed to prime minister Najib Razak as an unlucky charm for the Malaysian people, while some insisted an American conspiracy of some sort was underway. Social media was in overdrive.
Malaysia is a nation juggling two tragedies. A nation dealing with too much grief, in too short a time. Across Malaysia, in suburban homes, families are struggling to come to terms with two tragedies too hideous for words.
They're grieving for loved ones who won't come home. Just as they are in Australia and so may other countries around the world.
And just a small thought please for the journalists in Ukraine who have faced the unbearable task of reporting the unmentionable. Most have done so ethically. Their role in documenting what was unfolding was so important. It's a scene I'm sure will stay with them forever.
Topics: air-and-space, accidents, malaysia
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