Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

====Before 2016====
Air force experts raised questions and the Malaysian opposition levelled criticisms about the state of Malaysia's air force and radar capabilities. Many criticised the failure of the Royal Malaysian Air Force to identify and respond to an unidentified aircraft (later determined to be Flight 370) flying through Malaysian airspace.<ref name="20110708themalaysianinsider"/><ref name="BBC_2014-03-16"/><ref name="malaysiakini"/><ref name="Time RMAF response">{{cite news|last1=Campbell|first1=Charlie|title=Another Lesson from MH370: Nobody is Watching Malaysian Airspace|url=http://time.com/26883/malaysian-air-force-slammed-for-failing-to-intercepted-mh370/|access-date=20 November 2014|magazine=Time|date=17 March 2014|archive-date=26 January 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150126223709/http://time.com/26883/malaysian-air-force-slammed-for-failing-to-intercepted-mh370/|url-status=live}}</ref> The Malaysian military became aware of the unidentified aircraft only after reviewing radar recordings several hours after the flight's disappearance.<ref name="malaysiakini"/> The failure to recognise and react to the unidentified aircraft was a security breach, and was also a missed opportunity to intercept Flight 370 and prevent the time-consuming and expensive search operation.<ref name="malaysiakini"/><ref name="Time RMAF response" />

The Malaysian Prime Minister, [[Najib Razak]], responded to criticism of his government in an opinion piece published in ''The Wall Street Journal'' in which he acknowledged mistakes had been made, and said time would show that Malaysia had done its best, had helped co-ordinate the search, and would continue to provide support. Najib went on to emphasise the need for the aviation industry to "not only learn the lessons of MH370 but implement them," saying in closing that "the world learned from [[Air France Flight 447]] but didn't act. The same mistake must not be made again."<ref name="WSJ Najib Razak opinion">{{cite news|last1=Razak|first1=Najib|title=Malaysia's Lessons From the Vanished Airplane|url=https://online.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702303627504579559170123401220|access-date=22 November 2014|work=The Wall Street Journal|date=13 May 2014|archive-date=5 December 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141205210140/http://online.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702303627504579559170123401220|url-status=live}}</ref>

Opposition leader [[Anwar Ibrahim]] criticised the Malaysian government regarding its response to Flight 370's disappearance and the military's response when Flight 370 turned back over the Malay Peninsula; he called for an international committee to take charge of the investigation "to save the image of the country and to save the country."<ref name="HendersonMarch 4, 2014"/> Malaysian authorities have accused Anwar—who was jailed on contentious charges the day before Flight 370 disappeared—of politicising the crisis. Flight 370's captain was a supporter of Anwar, and the two men were acquainted.<ref name="HendersonMarch 4, 2014"/>

Questioned about why Malaysia did not scramble fighter jets to intercept the aircraft as it tracked back across the Malay Peninsula, acting Transport Minister Hishammuddin noted that it was deemed a commercial aircraft and was not hostile, remarking: "If you're not going to shoot it down, what's the point of sending [a fighter jet] up?"<ref>{{cite news|title=Multiple authorities let Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 disappear: ABC|url=https://au.news.yahoo.com/world/a/23664489/multiple-authorities-let-malaysia-airlines-flight-mh370-disappear-abc/|access-date=22 November 2014|work=Yahoo News 7|date=20 March 2014|archive-date=20 May 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140520091610/https://au.news.yahoo.com/world/a/23664489/multiple-authorities-let-malaysia-airlines-flight-mh370-disappear-abc/|url-status=live}}</ref> According to former air force pilot major Ahmad Zaidi of [[RMAF Butterworth Air Base|RMAF Butterworth]], no pilot stays on the base during the night, so the aircraft could not have been intercepted.<ref>{{cite web|last=admin|date=13 January 2015|title=Meet Major Zaidi, people's hero|url=https://www.therocket.com.my/en/meet-major-zaidi-peoples-hero/|access-date=6 January 2021|website=The Rocket|language=en-US|archive-date=8 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210108065818/https://www.therocket.com.my/en/meet-major-zaidi-peoples-hero/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=26 July 2017|title=VIDEO. Vol MH370 : l'armée malaisienne a-t-elle commis une "grosse bourde" ?|url=https://www.francetvinfo.fr/monde/asie/boeing-disparu/video-vol-mh370-la-grosse-bourde-de-l-armee-malaisienne_2294339.html|access-date=6 January 2021|website=Franceinfo|language=fr|archive-date=7 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210107074616/https://www.francetvinfo.fr/monde/asie/boeing-disparu/video-vol-mh370-la-grosse-bourde-de-l-armee-malaisienne_2294339.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

The response to the crisis and lack of transparency in the response brought attention to the state of media in Malaysia. After decades of tight media control, during which government officials were accustomed to passing over issues without scrutiny or accountability, Malaysia was suddenly thrust into the spotlight of the global media and unable to adjust to demands for transparency.<ref name="Crikey-Criticism Malaysian government">{{cite news|last1=Kingsbury|first1=Damien|title=A sclerotic Malaysian government stumbles in MH370 crisis|url=http://www.crikey.com.au/2014/03/20/a-sclerotic-malaysian-government-stumbles-in-mh370-crisis/|access-date=22 November 2014|work=Crikey|date=20 March 2014|archive-date=21 February 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150221144830/http://www.crikey.com.au/2014/03/20/a-sclerotic-malaysian-government-stumbles-in-mh370-crisis/|url-status=live}}</ref>