WITNESSES SAY a helicopter flying guests from a wedding reception of the Malaysian prime minister's daughter exploded mid-air and crashed, killing six people, including two top Malaysian government officials.
Grief-stricken prime minister Najib Razak said early on Sunday that "no stone will be left unturned" to establish the cause of the crash that came amid a bitter power struggle in Malaysia's ruling United Malays National Organisation (UMNO).
State news-agency Bernama reported the commercially-chartered twin-engine Daughin helicopter exploded in heavy rain about 40 kilometres from Kuala Lumpur while flying guests from the wedding reception in Pekan, the central peninsular royal seat of Pahang state late Saturday.
Bernama quoted a witness as saying that after the explosion "the debris, tail and blades were thrown all over the place".
The bodies were recovered amid debris in a rubber plantation.
Among those killed were Mr Najib's chief of staff Azlin Alias and Malaysia's special envoy to the United States Jamaluddin Jarjis.
Mr Jamaluddin, a close personal friend of Mr Najib's, has led Malaysia's efforts to improve business and diplomatic ties between the US and Malaysia since 2008.
He was Malaysia's ambassador in Washington from 2009 until 2012.
Killed with him were Kedah businessman Huat Seang, the pilot Clifford William Fournier, operations assistant Aidana Baizieva and Mr Jamaluddin's bodyguard Razakan Seran.
Hours before the crash, as Mr Najib and his wife Rosmah Mansor mingled with guests at the wedding reception of their second-oldest 27-year-old daughter Nooryana Najwa Najib, former strongman prime minister Mahathir Mohamad openly called on Mr Najib to step down, saying it was the only way UMNO could stay in power.
"If they want to survive, I think they must change the prime minister," Dr Mahathir told reporters after attending a forum near Kuala Lumpur.
No government officials have suggested the helicopter crash is linked to the leadership struggle.
But the crash is a deeply personal tragedy for Mr Najib as he faces the call for him to resign by 89-year-old Dr Mahathir, who still wields significant power in UMNO.
Dr Mahathir, who led Malaysia for 22 years, has been criticising Mr Najib for weeks over his handling of state investment fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad that has more than US$11 billion ($14 billion) in debts and is now relying on government cash injections.
Mr Najib set up the fund and chairs a committee that oversees it.
Writing in his blog on Thursday, Dr Mahathir also called for the re-opening of an investigation into who ordered the killing of glamorous Mongolian translator Altantuya Shaariibuu who was shot dead as she begged for the life of her unborn child and blown up with explosives, a case linked to allegations of high-level corruption in Malaysia's purchase of two French submarines when Mr Najib was defence minister in 2006.
Mr Najib denied ever meeting Ms Shaariibuu and the government denies any wrongdoing in the submarine purchases.
Sirul Azhar Umar, one of Mr Najib's bodyguards at the time, fled to Australia ahead of his January conviction for the murder where he has claimed from Sydney's Villawood immigration detention centre he was ordered to carry out the murder but has not revealed by whom.
Dr Mahathir's comments have brought UMNO's power struggle into the open following the government's jailing for five years of charismatic opposition Anwar Ibrahim on a charge of sodomy that was widely seen as politically motivated.
Mr Najib's government has escalated a crackdown on freedom of speech and civil rights in recent weeks, arresting dozens of people and charging them under a draconian Sedition Act that carries possible jail terms of up to two years.
Grief-stricken prime minister Najib Razak said early on Sunday that "no stone will be left unturned" to establish the cause of the crash that came amid a bitter power struggle in Malaysia's ruling United Malays National Organisation (UMNO).
State news-agency Bernama reported the commercially-chartered twin-engine Daughin helicopter exploded in heavy rain about 40 kilometres from Kuala Lumpur while flying guests from the wedding reception in Pekan, the central peninsular royal seat of Pahang state late Saturday.
Bernama quoted a witness as saying that after the explosion "the debris, tail and blades were thrown all over the place".
The bodies were recovered amid debris in a rubber plantation.
Among those killed were Mr Najib's chief of staff Azlin Alias and Malaysia's special envoy to the United States Jamaluddin Jarjis.
Mr Jamaluddin, a close personal friend of Mr Najib's, has led Malaysia's efforts to improve business and diplomatic ties between the US and Malaysia since 2008.
He was Malaysia's ambassador in Washington from 2009 until 2012.
Killed with him were Kedah businessman Huat Seang, the pilot Clifford William Fournier, operations assistant Aidana Baizieva and Mr Jamaluddin's bodyguard Razakan Seran.
Hours before the crash, as Mr Najib and his wife Rosmah Mansor mingled with guests at the wedding reception of their second-oldest 27-year-old daughter Nooryana Najwa Najib, former strongman prime minister Mahathir Mohamad openly called on Mr Najib to step down, saying it was the only way UMNO could stay in power.
"If they want to survive, I think they must change the prime minister," Dr Mahathir told reporters after attending a forum near Kuala Lumpur.
No government officials have suggested the helicopter crash is linked to the leadership struggle.
But the crash is a deeply personal tragedy for Mr Najib as he faces the call for him to resign by 89-year-old Dr Mahathir, who still wields significant power in UMNO.
Dr Mahathir, who led Malaysia for 22 years, has been criticising Mr Najib for weeks over his handling of state investment fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad that has more than US$11 billion ($14 billion) in debts and is now relying on government cash injections.
Mr Najib set up the fund and chairs a committee that oversees it.
Writing in his blog on Thursday, Dr Mahathir also called for the re-opening of an investigation into who ordered the killing of glamorous Mongolian translator Altantuya Shaariibuu who was shot dead as she begged for the life of her unborn child and blown up with explosives, a case linked to allegations of high-level corruption in Malaysia's purchase of two French submarines when Mr Najib was defence minister in 2006.
Mr Najib denied ever meeting Ms Shaariibuu and the government denies any wrongdoing in the submarine purchases.
Sirul Azhar Umar, one of Mr Najib's bodyguards at the time, fled to Australia ahead of his January conviction for the murder where he has claimed from Sydney's Villawood immigration detention centre he was ordered to carry out the murder but has not revealed by whom.
Dr Mahathir's comments have brought UMNO's power struggle into the open following the government's jailing for five years of charismatic opposition Anwar Ibrahim on a charge of sodomy that was widely seen as politically motivated.
Mr Najib's government has escalated a crackdown on freedom of speech and civil rights in recent weeks, arresting dozens of people and charging them under a draconian Sedition Act that carries possible jail terms of up to two years.
Twin engine helicopters ( if well maintained according handbook) do not 'just' explode in the air. These people must have been very rich to go to a wedding by helicopter, quite glamorous.
Posted by Kurt on April 5, 2015 12:37