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by Rahman Azharuddin Abdul (Author)
Having always been in love with all things related to aviation since childhood, Azharuddin Abdul Rahman's dream came true when he was given a chance to enter the field of aircraft engineering. Serving as Director-General for eleven years with the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA), he had had many valuable experiences.
However, the two biggest tragedies that occurred in 2014, that of MH370 and MH17, had the greatest impact on his life, and affected not just the victims and their families, but the entire Malaysian aviation industry.
Azharuddin was directly involved in leading the search missions of the tragic disappearance of MH370 on 8 March 2014, and in a series of investigations concerning the downing of MH17 in eastern Ukraine on 17 July of the same year.
As Director-General, Azharuddin faced a heavy burden in the aftermath of the twin disasters, of which MH370 remains unsolved to the present day. No one was prepared for the MH370 tragedy despite all the training they had received. As for MH17, Azharuddin laments that the tragedy may have been prevented had full information on the level of conflict in Ukraine been made available during that time. In both cases, all passengers and crew on board were killed.
Both tragic events marked a new history in the aviation industry, both in Malaysia and in the international arena, causing new reforms to burst into action to ensure similar incidents will not happen again.
In writing this book, Azharuddin draws from personal experience, conducting his research with and around aviation industry professionals, and drawing insights from others involved in both incidents to present a full and raw take on the twin disasters of the Malaysian aviation industry in 2014.
