Malaysia Airlines captain supports opposition leader, but police suspect no wrongdoing from either pilot after searching homes
Zaharie Ahmad Shah is said to have been a devout supporter of Malaysia’s opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim. But after searching the homes of Shah and co-pilot Fariq Abdul Hamid, authorities say they have no reason to suspect the pilots of flight MH370 did anything wrong.
Their careers were flying high — until they inexplicably disappeared into a cloud of mystery.
The pilots of the missing Malaysia Airlines jet were by most accounts respected, community-minded men. But since Malaysian officials said the plane was hijacked by someone with flying experience, a fresh coat of suspicion covers the pilot and first officer.
Police were scouring their homes around the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, more than a week after the plane vanished. Despite the searches of the their homes, authorities say they have no reason to suspect the pilots did anything wrong.
A police car comes out of a main gate of the missing Malaysia Airlines pilot Zaharie Ahmad Shah's house in Shah Alam, outside Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
AP
A police car comes out of a main gate of the missing Malaysia Airlines pilot Zaharie Ahmad Shah's house in Shah Alam, outside Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Zaharie Ahmad Shah, 53, adored aviation, judging by his posts to message boards and social media. He joined Malaysia Airlines in 1981 and had more than 18,000 hours of flying experience.
The bald captain and grandfather was so confident in his skills in a range of areas that he posted a series of instructional YouTube videos he called “a community service.” In the videos he demonstrated how to make air conditioners more efficient, how to waterproof window panes and how to repair a refrigerator icemaker.
Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah is said to have been a devout supporter of Malaysia’s main opposition leader, Anwar Ibrahim. Pray For MH370 via Facebook
Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah is said to have been a devout supporter of Malaysia’s main opposition leader, Anwar Ibrahim.
Shah is also said to have been a devout supporter of Malaysia’s main opposition leader, Anwar Ibrahim.
Ibrahim was sentenced March 7 to five years in prison on a sodomy charge — a development that many Malaysians regard as political payback.
Before the doomed flight, Shah had even reportedly told friends he was planning on attending the People’s Justice Party leader’s high-profile trial.
Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim was sentenced to five years in prison on a sodomy charge — a development that many Malaysians regard as political payback.
Lai Seng Sin/AP
Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim was sentenced to five years in prison on a sodomy charge — a development that many Malaysians regard as political payback.
Shah was “very nice, very friendly and safety-conscious,” said one flight attendant, who didn’t want to be named because of company policy prohibiting employees from speaking to the media.
His Facebook page reveals he was a flying fanatic.
Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370 pilot Zaharie Ahmad Shah sits in front of his home flight simulator and explains how to tune up your air-conditioning system in a video he posted on YouTube on Jan. 10, 2013.
Zaharie Shah via YouTube
Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370 pilot Zaharie Ahmad Shah sits in front of his home flight simulator and explains how to tune up your air-conditioning system in a video he posted on YouTube on Jan. 10, 2013.
When not in a real airplane he flew remote-controlled ones. His collection included a lightweight, twin-engine helicopter and an amphibious aircraft. He also worked as a flight instructor, according to reports.
And in an online forum for flight simulator enthusiasts, Shah bragged about an elaborate flight simulator he built in his home in Shah Alam, outside Kuala Lumpur, that ran two complex Microsoft computer games. The setup featured three touchscreens and an imitation center console of a cockpit.
“Time to take to the next level of simulation,” he wrote. “Looking for buddies to share this passion.”
The CEO of Malaysia Airlines said Friday he saw no problem with Shah’s obsession, saying “everyone is free to do his own hobby.”
By comparison, co-pilot Fariq Abdul Hamid, 27, was a relative novice.
Journalists wait outside the house of Fariq Abdul Hamid, co-pilot of the Malaysia Airlines missing flight, in Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia.
AHMAD YUSNI/EPA
Journalists wait outside the house of Fariq Abdul Hamid, co-pilot of the Malaysia Airlines missing flight, in Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia.
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/police-search-homes-malaysia-airlines-pilots-suspect-wrongdoing-article-1.1723044#ixzz2w70mOJHS
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