KUALA LUMPUR – PAS Information Chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari has come under fire for allegedly attempting to politicise the MH17 tragedy for political mileage.
The criticism came from Muhammad Kamil Abdul Munim, the Political Secretary to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, following Ahmad Fadhli’s call for the Prime Minister to address the downing of flight MH17 during his ongoing official visit to Russia.
Muhammad Kamil, who is also PKR youth Deputy Chief, urged all quarters not to be drawn into the geopolitical manoeuvring of world powers or risk becoming pawns in their agenda.
“‘Coincidentally’, the ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) report was only released late last night, a day before the Prime Minister arrived in Moscow. The invitation to the PM did not come from the Kremlin last week, but months ago.
“In fact, during the PM’s visit to Vladivostok last year, a similar invitation had already been extended.
“What matters now is that the report should not be exploited and hijacked by shallow and fringe elements.
“Politicising the MH17 tragedy is the lowest form of political opportunism,” he said in a statement on X today.
His comments come a day after the governments of the Netherlands and Australia urged ICAO to push Russia into formal negotiations over the 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17.
The Dutch government said ICAO had concluded on Sunday that Russia was responsible for the incident, which contravened the 1944 Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation.
Muhammad Kamil stressed that Malaysia remains steadfast in its pursuit of justice for the victims and their families.
“Malaysia’s record on the global diplomatic stage remains exemplary — wise, principled and firm, as demonstrated through various official visits and international engagements by the Prime Minister.
“Malaysia has no intention of shifting from this stance. God willing, this official visit to Russia will yield positive outcomes, sustain momentum, and benefit both the nation and its people — reinforcing Malaysia’s position as a dignified and resolute country,” he said.
Ahmad Fadhli had earlier issued his remarks in a Facebook post following Anwar’s arrival in Moscow for a four-day official trip.
He questioned the timing of the visit, calling it sensitive in light of ICAO’s latest determination that Russia was responsible for the 2014 tragedy in Ukrainian airspace. – May 14, 2025.