THE Joint Investigation Team (JIT) probing the Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 incident must include Malaysia as a full member to ensure smooth cooperation.
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar yesterday said it was difficult for Malaysia to extend its assistance if it was not given an active role in the investigation process.
“We must be included in the JIT. Otherwise, it would be hard for us to cooperate in the investigation.
“The parties in the JIT must include us in the team.
“Right now, we are just a participant,” he said during a press conference at the International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilisation here yesterday.
Khalid said he and Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail would leave for the Netherlands on Dec 3 to discuss the matter with the authorities carrying out the investigations.
He said they would have a meeting with JIT core members — the Netherlands, Belgium, Australia and Ukraine — to request for their support for Malaysia to be included in the investigations.
Khalid expressed his disappointment over the exclusion of Malaysia from the JIT.
When asked whether he was “appalled” that Malaysia had not been included in the team, Khalid replied: “Of course!”
Malaysia had repeatedly asked to be included as part of the JIT, which is led by the Dutch government.
It was reported that Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte had, during his one-day official visit here earlier this month, stated that it only made sense for Malaysia, as the owner of the ill-fated Boeing 777-200ER jetliner to be in the JIT.
Abdul Gani was later quoted as saying that Rutte’s statement had created the opening Malaysia was waiting for to be roped into the criminal investigation team.
However, he said the Dutch government was just one of the members, and the other countries must say “yes” first.
A total of 298 passengers and crew members from 10 nations on board the aircraft were killed when it was brought down in eastern Ukraine while en route to Kuala Lumpur from Amsterdam on July 17.