MH17: Study shows Malaysians satisfied over the handling of incident

While the country mourns for the victims of the MH17 tragedy, Malaysians indicated their satisfaction on how the government handled the whole episode and that they still have faith on the national flag carrier. This is what found by a study to gauge the general feelings and public perceptions on matters relating to the MH17 tragedy carried out by Professor Datuk Seri Dr Syed Arabi Idid and his research assistant Azrul Hisyam Wakichan of International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM). Using a random sample of 1003 respondents from various ethnicities, age group and educational background, the study conducted from July 31 to Aug 3 found 96 percent of the respondents being united in their grief and were ready to provide a helping hand to their affected compatriots. Unlike during the MH370 tragedy four months earlier, this time around Malaysians appreciated the level of transparency shown by the government and the speed the latest information was disseminated. A total of 92 percent of the respondents somewhat agree that the government was transparent in dealing with the tragedy while 94 percent of the respondents agreed it was a job well done by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and the government. The ill-fated flight was believed to have been shot down in east Ukraine on July 17 while enroute to Kuala Lumpur from Amsterdam, all 298 passengers and crew were killed. Most of the victims - 193 - were Dutch, while there were 43 Malaysians, including 15 crew members. Most of the respondents were also equally satisfied on how other nations extended a helping hand in the nation's hour of need. Dr Syed Arabi's study also found that since the July 17 crash, Malaysians have gone on overdrive in seeking information on what really happened to the ill-fated aircraft with most seeking information from the mainstream local media. A total of 43 percent of the respondents agreed that they placed their trust on the mainstream media for the information regarding the MH17 crash while 32 percent believed the social media. While 80 percent of the respondents said they still have faith on MAS despite of the series of breaches in its safety record of late, the majority of the respondents said the second incident involving the airline has affected Malaysia's image. Dr Syed Arabi, the former rector of UIAM has done a series of studies on politics and current developments affecting Malaysians over the years.