Chaos has broken out at the media centre for missing flight MH370 after distraught Chinese family members of those on board the plane arrived to protest to Malaysian authorities.
It came just before Malaysian authorities held a press conference where they revealed files were recently deleted from the flight simulator of the pilot aboard the missing plane.
Frustration boiled over for the anguished families who have traveled from Beijing in a bid to get more information.
The relatives came to the media center at the Sama Sama hotel at Kuala Lumpur airport carrying a protest banner.
They were then dragged away by Malaysian security staff to a room with officials, with the area then erupting into chaos.
The protest banner being brandished by the relatives accused the Malaysian government of hiding the truth, wasting time and failing to find the missing jetliner.
A relative of one of the Chinese passengers appears to have been knocked to the ground in a stampede as police tried to stop relatives of family members from speaking to international media.
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Minister of Defense and Acting Minister of Transport Hishammuddin Hussein tonight said local and international experts have been recruited to examine the pilot's flight simulator.
"Some data has been deleted from the simulator and forensic work to retrieve this data is ongoing," he said.
"I'd like to take this opportunity to state the pilots, the passengers and the crew remain innocent until proven otherwise.
"For the sake of their families I ask that we refrain from any unnecessary speculation that may make an already difficult time even harder."
In response to a question from the media, he later elaborated by saying that data from the games on the flight simulator had been deleted last month.
Hussein said Malaysian authorities have received "some radar data" from other countries.
"I can confirm that we have received some radar data but we are not at liberty to release information from other countries," he told a press conference in Kuala Lumpur.
Hishammuddin Hussein (center) speaks at the press conference on Wednesday.Photo: Getty Images
"I appeal to all of our partners to continue volunteering all or any information that could help us with the search for MH370."
He denied reports that emerged today suggesting MH370 had been sighted flying low over the Maldives on the morning it went missing.
"Regarding reports that a plane was sighted in the Maldives, I can confirm Malaysia's chief of the defense force has contacted his counterparts in the Maldives who has confirmed that these reports are not true," he said.
"I am aware of speculation that additional waypoints were added to the aircraft's flights routine. I can confirm that the aircraft flew on its normal routine … There was no additional waypoint on MH370's documented flight plan, which depicts normal routine all the way to Beijing."
The minister said all passengers, crew and ground staff who handled the aircraft are being investigated.
"We are sharing all information relevant to case with all relevant international investigative agencies that required it," he said.
"We have received passengers background checks from all countries apart from Ukraine and Russia both of which had nationals on board.
"So far no information of significance on any passengers has been found."
Conspiracy? No, just "slack and incompetent"
Conspiracy? More like incompetence, says a leading security expert baffled by the search for Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370.
Dr. Michael McKinley from the Australian National University said revelations that the missing Boeing 777-200ER was picked up by military radar in several countries but was only reported several days later suggested the search effort had been "slack."
"The more that comes out, Malaysia and some of its neighbors are not covering themselves in glory on this," he said.
"It seems to be somewhere between slack and incompetent."
Overnight it emerged that Thai military radar detected a plane that may have been the missing aircraft just minutes after its communications went down, but didn't share the information with Malaysia earlier because it wasn't specifically asked for.
Air Vice Marshal Montol Suchookorn said the Thai air force had not closely watched the aircraft because it did not view it as a threat.
"We did not pay any attention to it," he said.
A US Navy sailor prepares to launch a P-3C Orion before its mission to assist in search and rescue operations for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.Photo: AP/ US Navy
"The Royal Thai air force only looks after any threats against our country, so anything that did not look like a threat to us, we simply look at it without taking actions."
It follows earlier revelations that Malaysian military radar tracked the plane until an hour after it disappeared but did not report this for several days.
Indian officials also said their installations on the Andaman and Nicobar Islands — within the search area for the missing plane — were probably switched off because they "operate on an as required basis".
McKinley said the security concerns of some countries could explain their slowness to provide full information to help the search effort.
"There are issues that some states don't want to disclose surveillance capabilities, but this shouldn't apply to Malaysia or Thailand," he said.
However, McKinley said some actions had been "bizarre, just bizarre."
He said diplomatic issues had undoubtedly "complicated" the response to MH370's disappearance on March 8, but stopped short of saying it had put the response off course.
McKinley's criticisms come as the search for MH370 enters its 12th day, with claims of fresh sightings — both online and real-world — and new theories about what happened to the aircraft.
Malaysians urged to put politics aside
Malaysia's opposition leader Anwar IbrahimPhoto: Getty Images
Malaysian authorities are being urged to put domestic politics aside and focus on finding the plane.
Defence and Acting Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein would not comment on the specifics of the police investigation which is currently underway into the pilot copilot, crew, ground staff, engineers and all the passengers.
"The search for MH370 is bigger than politics," Hussein said, urging all sides of politics to unite "during this difficult time."
His comments came after Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim has admitted he has a family connection to the MH370 pilot, who may have hijacked the plane in a political protest.
Hussein called on all parties to put politics aside and unite in the hunt for MH370 and attacked the foreign media for stirring up politics.
He was asked if he might call upon his arch political rival, Anwar, to help with the investigation.
"We have been very consistent. The Government's main focus from day one has been to search and rescue MH370. We didn't bring this up. In fact the issue of politics was raised by the foreign press, the Daily Mail and CNN. Our position remains this issue is above politics," Mr Hussein said.
And he appeared shocked then bemused at a question from the French media, inquiring if he was Prime Minister Najib Razak's cousin and was he protected.
"Where are you from?" he asked. "Yes I can confirm I am Najib's cousin. I don't know what I am supposed to be protected from.
This story originally appeared on News.com.au.
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