Kam Raslan’s Talking Edge

(Reprinted from The Edge – Options pullout, 28 July 2014 issue)

Dear Kam,
MH17. What?
Indignant & Bewildered

Unbelievably, it has happened again. Another MAS disaster. Can this really be happening? I feel a sense of shocked numbness when I see pictures of piles of luggage and so many black body bags lying in the Ukrainian summer heat next to chunks of what was once MH17. And somewhere else, there is or was a similar scene for MH370. Five hundred and thirty-seven passengers and crew have died on MAS flights this year. It seems inconceivable and yet it has happened. Like most Malaysians, I don’t know what to say. My heart goes out to the families and friends of those who have died in both these awful tragedies and to the MAS crews who carry on working despite having lost so many friends and colleagues.

In retrospect, it was probably an unnecessarily dangerous decision to allow commercial jets to fly over a war zone where planes and helicopters have already been shot out of the sky, albeit at a much lower altitude. But it was a mistake that was sanctioned by international air traffic authorities and many other airlines were on the exact same route. If the rocket had been launched a little earlier or later, it would have hit an Air India, Thai Airways or Singapore Airlines flight instead. The finger of blame cannot be pointed at MAS and quite probably also for MH370 when it is finally found.

On this occasion, the plane was blown out of the sky by a sophisticated ground-to-air missile launched by pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine. They did it. No other narrative fits the bill. After witnessing the ineptitude of Malaysian authorities in handling MH370, I just couldn’t bring myself to watch any press conferences for MH17. I am told they did a reasonably good job, although I am also told that they lacked a sense of indignation. MH17 is not our fault. This is mass murder.

Although I’ve never been to Russia, I’d love to go because I’m fascinated by Russian history. Everything seems bigger in Russia, from the sheer scale of human tragedy to the emotional grandeur of its music and, of course, the size of the country itself. Russia is the largest country in the world and in my opinion, if there has been one constant in Russian foreign policy, it has been expansion for the sake of expansion. Leaders are judged by how much land they have taken or lost. In much the same way that the British Empire had to keep growing, the logic seems to be that more territory is required to safeguard previously won territory. But if the British Empire was interested in making a profit, the Russian Empire, well, not so much. Despite its size, the Russian economy is only the eighth largest in the world, which means it is still smaller than the economy of California. I have some IKEA glasses that were made in Russia but other than that, nothing from Russia.

I’ve been following the Ukraine crisis very closely and watching the Russian stock market every day for the last few months. I wanted to see if news stories affected a stock market and if a stock market is actually an indication of anything at all. I witnessed the brief surge after Putin’s annexation of Crimea followed by a cooling down when investors presumably thought, “Wait a second, Crimea?” I never imagined that Malaysia would impact the Russian stock market as I saw it tumble 2% on the day after the disaster, having already dropped 2% the day before because of increased US sanctions. There will always be customers for Russian oil and gas but its economy is undiversified and without much future. With massive capital flight (estimates range from US$75 billion to US$222 billion this year), an ageing and ailing population and an over-dependence on oil and gas exports, Vladimir Putin’s adventurism in Ukraine is proving disastrous for the economy. And then a poorly organised militia managed to get its hands on surface-to-air missiles capable of destroying a commercial airliner. But Putin annexed Crimea and has an 80% approval rating in Russia as well as legions of non-Russian fans who are lapping up the alternative narratives of Russia Today. So maybe he doesn’t care?

I am feeling indignant. Pro-Russian separatists blew up a Malaysian plane. People on their way home, going on holiday, on their way to a conference on AIDS research in Australia or just doing their jobs, suddenly dead (mercifully, death was probably instantaneous). And at the time of writing, their bodies are decomposing in the heat with no indication when they will be returned to their families. I’m really sorry to say this but after the mismanagement of MH370, I have very little faith in the capabilities of the Malaysian authorities to handle this disaster. I really hope that they prove their competence and mettle but otherwise I think it would be best for everyone if they handed over any leadership role to somebody else. Malaysians can perform the important role of “good cop” but with 193 of the 298 dead coming from the Netherlands, this has been in many ways more a Dutch tragedy than Malaysian.

The Putin government is unlikely to ever admit any involvement or culpability in the destruction of MH17 and instead will probably continue blaming anyone else while Russia Today concocts some elaborate but strangely believable conspiracy theories. Personally, I don’t really care about that, I just want to see the remains returned to their families.

Once, when flying to London, I looked out the window and saw eastern Ukraine. Seemingly endless fields of golden wheat dotted with black spots where there are coalmines. I simply cannot process in my mind that a year later, a missile would come from that land and destroy a MAS plane.

Reprinted with the kind permission of