MAS ill-fated airliner gets limelight at JASA dialogue with foreign correspondents club

Issues regarding two ill-fated Malaysia Airlines (MAS) aircraft and the influence of the so-called IS militant group took centre stage at the special dialogue between the Special Affairs Department (JASA) and the Foreign Correspondents Club (FCC) here on Thursday night.

Other issues that sparked the interest of the foreign journalists were the Sabah security issue, measures taken by the Malaysian government to curb corruption, the debate involving the Sedition Act 1948, and the Cameron Highlands landslide tragedy.

The foreign journalists raised the difficulties in gathering information during the press conference on the missing MH370, to which JASA director-general Datuk Fuad Hassan admitted that it happened due to lack of experience back then.

"Yes, we were caught unprepared when MH370 went missing. We did not have the experience (on how to handle the situation) because it was new to us back then.

We have to conduct the press conference and it was the first time we were dealing with huge number of pressmen.

"But we learned from experience and I think we were much better when dealing with the MH17 tragedy.

But there were boundaries we still have to safeguard, as we have to think about the sentiments of the families," he said.

Fuad also said the Malaysian government was aware that the media were trying their best in delivering information to the readers and the freedom of the press concept, but JASA was also expecting responsible writing.

Meanwhile, FCC president Shannon Teoh lauded JASA for organising the dialogue session to give them a platform to raise issues and difficulties pertaining to foreign journalists in this country.

"It is not often we could meet with government agency in a cozy atmosphere like tonight, and I hope this would be a beginning for a better cooperation in the future," he said.