Malaysian Opposition Leader Calls Speculation About Pilot of Missing Jet ‘Absurd’

Video of a Channel 4 News interview with the Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim on Friday.

Malaysia’s opposition leader, Anwar Ibrahim, dismissed speculation that the pilot of the missing Malaysia Airlines jet, a supporter of his movement for democratic change, might have hijacked the plane for political reasons, in an interview with Britain’s Channel 4 News on Friday.

As The Lede explained on Wednesday, the pilot, Capt. Zaharie Ahmad Shah, was reportedly described by an unnamed government official as a “fanatical” supporter of Mr. Ibrahim, a remark that was widely misinterpreted by journalists and bloggers.

Speaking to the Channel 4 correspondent Jonathan Rugman, Mr. Ibrahim criticized the Malaysian government’s handling of the investigation into the missing Flight 370 as “clear incompetence” and said that any attempt “to cast aspersions on the pilot purely on the basis of political leanings is absurd.” Captain Zaharie was, according to Mr. Ibrahim, “very passionate about freedom and democracy,” and “a good professional pilot,” who simply did not fit the profile of an Islamist radical.

Days after Malaysian officials stunned international television viewers by grabbing relatives of missing passengers and dragging them away from reporters, Mr. Ibrahim said that the ruling coalition, which has been in power since 1957, was unable to deal with journalists who are not under state control. “They have been used to a compliant and controlled media,” he said. “And now, facing a more critical international audience, they have a problem. They fumble.”

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