MH17: Mindef to focus on three priorities

PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia's Defence Ministry has outlined three foci in its participation in the operations involving the Malaysia Airlines (MAS) Flight MH17 crash in Ukraine.
They are access to the crash site; safety of team personnel; and, ensuring evidence, including debris and crash site, are not tampered with.
Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein (pix) said the chances of entering the crash site would require diplomatic approach since the site was controlled by separatists.
He said Wisma Putra, which had also been roped in to be on board, would facilitate in diplomatic engagements.
He said Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai would head to Ukraine's capital Kiev for talks to facilitate the operations of the Malaysian investigating team.
"The time (to access to the site) would depend on Liow's discussions in Kiev," he said when mobbed by reporters after joining a meeting of the next-of-kin of those on board Flight MH17, with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak here today.
Hishammudin said international cooperation would also facilitate efforts to access to the site.
"Three things we want to focus - get access to the site and make sure team gets there safely and make sure the debris is not tampered with. We want to get to the bottom of this whole incident," he said.
Meanwhile, Deputy Foreign Minister Datuk Hamzah Zainuddin, who was also met by reporters after the meeting said Malaysia would seek cooperation from the Ukrainian Government to talk to the rebels to enable safe access for the Malaysian team to the crash site.
"We are asking the Ukrainian Government to talk to the rebels for cooperation to at least, allow us to bring the bodies out. Investigations into the incident will not be easy...all of us are angry but we have to work together," he said.
Flight MH17 was flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur when it went down in Ukraine. It was carrying 298 people - 283 passengers and 15 crew.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak said Ukrainian authorities believed that the Boeing 777 aircraft was shot down.
MH17 had left Amsterdam at 12.15pm (Netherlands time) Thursday and was to have arrived in Kuala Lumpur at 6.10am (Malaysian time) Friday. – Bernama