Top politician Anwar Ibrahim denies link to captain of missing Malaysia Airlines jet
Anwar Ibrahim reveals he saw pilot at party meetings but didn't know him personally, as he accepts China's criticism over handling of hunt
Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim had seen the captain of the missing Malaysia Airlines plane at meetings of his political party, he told the South China Morning Post yesterday.
But he did not know him personally and criticised attempts to link the captain's political affiliations to the plane's disappearance 10 days ago.
He also said China's condemnation of Malaysia's handling of the search for the Boeing 777 was "absolutely justified".
Flight MH370 lost contact and disappeared from civilian radar screens less than an hour after it took off from Kuala Lumpur on March 8 under the command of pilot Zaharie Ahmad Shah. There were 239 passengers and crew on board, including 154 Chinese.
It is absolutely understandable for the Chinese to express anger and even disgust
"I don't recollect the name, but when the photographs were shown I remembered I had seen him at party meetings," Anwar said of Zaharie at the headquarters of his People's Justice Party outside Kuala Lumpur. "He doesn't hold positions in the party, but is an active member in the sense that he has been seen with the party's parliamentary leaders, taking photographs with them," Anwar added.