MH370 Malaysian newspapers today spotlighted Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah, the 53-year old grandfather and pilot who helmed the missing Flight MH370 after the government shockingly revealed yesterday that the missing Boeing 777-200ER may have deliberately changed course.

 

Eight days of international search-and-rescue operations has returned naught the police had yesterday zeroed in on the crew and passengers of the Malaysian Airlines flight. Local reporters also did their own digging.

 

The Sunday Star quoted Zaharie's schoolmates saying that he was a "gentle grandfather who never compromised his passengers' safety."

 

Friends of Zaharie said the veteran pilot had a loving wife and four grown-up children, and described him as a good cook. The newspaper said that Zaharie, who had logged 18,365 flying hours, joined MAS in 1981.

 

"Malaysian Airlines is the first and only company Zaharie has worked for," it said.

 

New Sunday Times ( NST ) reported that Zaharie learned to fly from the Philippines Airlines Aviation School in Pasay City. 

 

Yesterday, Bukit Aman police officers had paid a two-hour visit to Zaharie's home in Shah Alam. The police also went to co-pilot Fariq Abdul Hamid's home in Shah Alam and left after an hour. 

 

Inspector general of police Khalid Abu Bakar asked reporters to hold on to their queries until a press conference scheduled for later today.

 

NST however quoted  "a source familiar with the investigation" saying that Zaharie has been cleared of any involvement with terrorist or extremist groups.

 

NST reported that Zaharie had three-grown up children, including one currently residing in Melbourne, Australia.

 

On co-pilot Fariq, NST said that the 27-year old pilot graduated from Langkawi flying school and joined MAS in 2007 and has chalked up 2,763 hours of flying hours.

 

Fariq was reported to have lived a "lavish lifestyle and had a penchant for luxury high-performance cars."

 

Meanwhile, Umno-owned newspaper Utusan Mingguan detailed Zaharie's love of aviation gadgets and his Boeing 777 flight simulator found at his home. 

 

Set up in November 2012, the simulation is said to have comprised of six monitor screens with high-end graphic cards installed.

 

Zaharie, who hails from Penang, is said to be an avid cook, and can make fish curry, brocoli with mushrooms, and sambal tauhu (chilli beancurd), Utusan said.

 

Last week, international news media Reuters had quoted friends calling Zaharie an aviation geek who knew the ins and outs of a Boeing 777. 

 

Zaharie has flown Fokker F50s, Boeing 737s and the Airbus A300 in his three decades spent with MAS. 

 

He was also certified by Malaysia's Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) as an examiner to conduct simulator tests for pilots, said several officials from MAS.