Authorities continue to focus their investigation in the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 on Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah and his co-pilot First Officer Fariq Ab Hamid.

Investigators Focus On Pilots Of MH370

After finding that the plane was likely hijacked and gathering information suggesting that the flight was deliberately going off course, investigators have begun to focus their efforts on the pilot and co-pilot of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370. On Saturday, March 15, authorities searched both men’s homes for any clues of information, and confiscated a homemade flight simulator from Shah’s home.

Shah, 53, is a seasoned pilot who also acts as a flight instructor. According to CNN, he has 18,365 flight hours to his name – an experienced pilot with no apparent record of deviant behavior. Hamid, 27, in contrast, is relatively new to his role as First Officer. He joined Malaysia Airlines in 2007 and has accumulated 2,763 flight hours. In light of the mystery surrounding the missing flight, a South African woman has come forward saying that Hamid once flirted with her and invited her and a friend to ride in the cockpit with him for the duration of their flight. The woman also alleges that Hamid and the pilot, who was not Shah, were smoking throughout the flight.

Hamid is believed to have sent the last verbal communication from the plane after one of the plane’s communications systems had been turned off and just before the plane’s transponder stopped emitting a signal. The message was, “All right, goodnight,” and is believed to have had no sense of urgency or indication that anything was amiss.

Captain Shah Suspected Political Ties To Anwar Ibrahim

As Shah and Hamid become a focal point for media and professional investigations, rumors about their political affiliations and personal lives have been growing in popularity. Shah has been accused of being anti-government and it is being suggested that he hijacked the plane to make a political statement. Shah was reportedly a supporter of Anwar Ibrahim, the leader of the People’s Justice Party and the Malaysian government’s opposition. On the day before the doomed Flight 370 took off, Ibrahim faced sodomy charges, which many believe to be politically motivated. As a result, one theory being circulated is that Shah hijacked the plane to make a political statement in support of Ibrahim, but the theory lacks any concrete evidence.

Shah’s Family Releases Tribute Video

Peter Chong, a friend of Shah’s, insists that Shah is innocent of any crime, saying, “I would trust that man with my life. He loves people and being involved in something like that would hurt people. I would not believe he was involved in any way at all. If I went on a plane and was allowed the choice of a pilot, I would choose Captain Zaharie.”

Shah’s family members are also equally certain that he had nothing to do with any alleged hijacking. A tribute video supposedly created by a member of Shah’s family has been posted to YouTube. The video features a slideshow of family photos and implores Shah to return home.

“Uncle Ari, we patiently and anxiously await your safe return along with the rest of your crew members and passengers, Insyaallah.”

The video offers “a brief insight into his family life,” though its authenticity has yet to be confirmed.

Search Area For MH370 Grows

Meanwhile, authorities continue to look into members of the crew and passengers for any possible connections to terrorist organizations or any indication of involvement in the assumed hijacking. Malaysian officials are also currently strategizing how to best conduct the search for the missing plane. The search has now been expanded to include the entirety of the Indian Ocean, in addition to surrounding countries following two possible trajectories – one north and one south.

“Malaysian officials are currently discussing with all partners how best to deploy assets along the two corridors. Both northern and southern corridors are being treated with equal importance,” declared the Malaysian Transport Ministry in a statement.

– Olivia Truffaut-Wong

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