The daughter of MH370's pilot has accused a British tabloid of "making up" an article in which the paper quoted her saying her father was unstable before the flight, a report said Monday.
The Daily Mail, whose coverage of the three-week-long missing-plane crisis has been questioned before, said in a report Sunday that family members described captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah, 53, as "disturbed".
Authorities are closely investigating the backgrounds of Zaharie and his co-pilot Fariq Abdul Hamid, 27, over the mysterious disappearance of the Malaysia Airlines flight on March 8 with 239 people aboard. Malaysia says it was deliberately diverted.
But Aishah Zaharie, the captain's daughter, said the Daily Mail report was bogus.
"Dear Daily Mail, You should consider making movies since you are so good at making up stories and scripts out of thin air," she said in a posting late Sunday on her Facebook page, according to news portal Malaysian Insider.
"May god have mercy on your souls. You can bet your ass I will not forgive you," the 28-year-old added.
AFP could not confirm the comments due to the restricted-access settings on Aishah's Facebook page. She did not immediately respond to an AFP message seeking comment.
The tabloid had said Zaharie was "on the brink" of divorcing his wife of 30 years.
Quoting a "source close to the pilot's family", it said Zaharie's wife Faizah Khanum Mustafa Khan told investigators that he stopped speaking to her in the weeks before the flight and "retreated into a shell".
Aishah was quoted as saying: "He wasn't the father I knew. He seemed disturbed and lost in a world of his own."
Malaysian police have questioned the families of Zaharie, co-pilot Fariq and other crew, and seized a flight simulator from the captain's house. No evidence has emerged to implicate anyone.
Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim had previously criticised an earlier Daily Mail report that described Zaharie as a fanatical supporter of Anwar.
Just hours before MH370 took off, Anwar was convicted of sodomy -- illegal in the Muslim-majority country -- in a controversial case that he said was fabricated to ruin his political career. Anwar, who faces five years in jail, is appealing the verdict.
A Facebook tribute page called "Friends of Captain Zaharie MH370" and set up by a schoolmate of the captain also expressed outrage at the Daily Mail article.
It had attracted more than 25,000 followers as of mid-day Monday.
Zaharie's family has shied away from the media, but his 26-year-old son Ahmad Seth dismissed speculation his father may have intentionally diverted the plane for sinister purposes in an interview with Malaysia's New Straits Times last week.
Other friends and colleagues have also come to the defence of Zaharie, who flew for Malaysia Airlines for 33 years and was a respected senior pilot.
AFP
Mon Mar 31 2014
Mokhzani letak jawatan pengerusi Maxis, Hamidah dilantik pengerusi sementara
Maxis Bhd hari ini mengumumkan bahawa Pengerusinya, Tan Sri Mokhzani Mahathir akan meletak jawatan berkuat kuasa 30 Jun, 2024.
Jemaah haji diingatkan tidak terlibat aktiviti politik
Selain nasihat berwaspada dengan cuaca panas, bakal haji yang berada di tanah suci dingatkan hanya tumpukan kepada ibadah sahaja dan elak daripada terlibat dalam aktiviti yang berunsurkan politik
50 pelajar SK Zainab (1) pamer bakat dalam sukan badminton
Kota Bharu, Kelantan menjadi destinasi pilihan seterusnya buat Kem Badminton Astro mencari bakat baru. Seramai 50 orang pelajar Sekolah Kebangsaan Zainab (1) dari darjah empat hingga enam hadir ke Dewan Badminton Tengku Anis, mempamerkan bakat dan kebolehan mereka di atas gelanggang.
The Experts, saji pengalaman rompakan berkeluarga terbesar
Filem The Experts mempertaruhkan jalan cerita yang diinspirasikan kejadian sebenar dan dipadatkan dengan elemen komedi, keluarga dan aksi.
AWANI Ringkas: Serangan balai polis | Bom petrol di pusat hiburan
Ikuti rangkuman berita utama yang menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari di Astro AWANI menerusi AWANI Ringkas.
Serangan Balai Polis Ulu Tiram: Tujuh individu akan direman esok
Tujuh individu yang ditahan awal pagi tadi kerana dipercayai mempunyai kaitan dengan serangan di Balai Polis Ulu Tiram akan dibawa ke Mahkamah Majistret esok bagi mendapatkan perintah reman.
Perekrutan ahli JI masih berlaku dalam keluarga - Pakar
Prof Dr Mohd Mizan Mohammad Aslam berkata gerakan JI dalam anggota keluarga disifatkan masih efektif walaupun kumpulan terbabit tidak berinteraksi antara satu sama lain.
Orang kampung sekitar Ulu Tiram rasa terancam
Situasi di Kampung Sungai Ulu Tiram, alamat terakhir suspek yang mati ditembak.
Firdaus Azil, Wartawan Astro AWANI
Firdaus Azil, Wartawan Astro AWANI
KBS harap siasatan insiden serangan terhadap pemain bola sepak diselesaikan
Kementerian Belia dan Sukan (KBS) berharap siasatan berkaitan insiden serangan melibatkan tiga pemain bola sepak negara baru-baru ini dapat diselesaikan secepat mungkin, kata Menterinya Hannah Yeoh.
FAM pertimbang wujudkan kembali program Harimau Muda
Persatuan Bolasepak Malaysia (FAM) sedang melihat potensi untuk mewujudkan kembali program Harimau Muda antaranya bertujuan sebagai platform kesinambungan kepada pembangunan pemain muda negara.
Anak juruterbang bidas laporan palsu akhbar Daily Mail
Anak juruterbang mengutuk dan menganggap laporan akhbar antarabangsa Daily Mail berkenaan ayahnya, Kapten Zaharie adalah fitnah.