A man looks at messages of support left for family members and passengers onboard the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 at The Curve, Petaling Jaya March 18, 2014. — Picture by Yusof Mat Isa

KUALA LUMPUR, March 19 — Malaysians have swarmed to social networks to unleash their pent-up fury at China after the Asian giant chided Putrajaya for the government’s management of the missing flight MH370.

They pointed out the incongruity that China, a rising global superpower known to be parsimonious with information, was criticising Malaysia for its reluctance to share state secrets that risks the country’s security amid a global search for the Malaysia Airlines plane that flew off radars with 239 people onboard 11 days ago.

“Secretive China is demanding transparency from msia. thats what happen when your country don’t have google and facebook,” Stevie Chan, 47, posted on Twitter under the name YouTiup.

When contacted, the freelance media practitioner told The Malay Mail Online that it was hypocritical of China to demand transparency from others.

An image in support of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 is seen on the Umno building in Kuala Lumpur March 19, 2014. — Reuters pic Malaysians hold candles during a special prayer for passengers onboard the missing MH370 in Kuala Lumpur March 19, 2014. — Reuters pic Malaysian women hold candles during a special prayer for passengers onboard missing MH370 in Kuala Lumpur March 19, 2014. — Reuters pic A woman holds a candle during a special prayer for passengers onboard missing MH370 in Kuala Lumpur March 19, 2014. — Reuters pic A woman holds a candle during a special prayer for passengers onboard missing MH370 in Kuala Lumpur March 19, 2014. — Reuters pic Police block reporters from following Chinese family members of the missing MH370 passengers at a hotel near KLIA March 19, 2014. — Reuters pic A journalist breaks free from the police who stopped media chasing after Chinese family members of passengers onboard the missing MH370 at a hotel near KLIA March 19, 2014. — Reuters pic Chinese family members of passengers onboard the missing MH370 are escorted away from the media at a hotel, near KLIA March 19, 2014. — Reuters pic A Chinese family member of a missing MH370 passenger is escorted away from the media at a hotel near KLIA March 19, 2014. — Reuters pic A Chinese family member of a missing MH370 passenger is escorted away from the media at a hotel near KLIA March 19, 2014. — Reuters pic A Chinese family member (red shirt) of a missing MH370 passenger is escorted away from the media at a hotel near KLIA March 19, 2014. — Reuters pic A Chinese family member of a passenger onboard the missing MH370 screams as she is being brought into a room at a hotel near KLIA March 19, 2014. — Reuters pic A Chinese family member of a passenger onboard the missing MH370 screams outside the media conference area at a hotel in Sepang March 19, 2014. — Reuters pic A combination photo shows various artwork put up by members of the public for missing MH370 at a viewing gallery in KLIA March 19, 2014. — Reuters pic A woman walks past screens showing flight information and a ‘Pray for MH370’ sign at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport March 19, 2014. — Reuters pic A visitor hangs a card with well-wishes for passengers onboard the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 and their families, in Kuala Lumpur March 19, 2014. — Reuters pic Visitors write well-wishes for passengers onboard the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 and their family, in Kuala Lumpur March 19, 2014. — Reuters pic A woman writes a message on a board dedicated to passengers onboard the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 and their family members, in Petaling Jaya March 19, 2014. — Reuters pic A relative of a passenger onboard the missing flight MH370 asks questions to officials from Malaysia Airlines during the company's briefing to family members at a hotel in Beijing March 19, 2014. — Reuters pic A poem (top) for missing flight MH370 and announcements from Malaysia Airlines are attached on a pillar of a room for family members and friends of passengers onboard the flight at a hotel in Beijing March 19, 2014. — Reuters pic A relative of a passenger onboard the missing flight MH370 is seen through a door while he waits for news at a hotel in Beijing March 19, 2014. — Reuters pic A relative of a passenger onboard missing flight MH370 is seen through a door while he waits for news at a hotel in Beijing March 19, 2014. — Reuters pic Relatives of passengers onboard missing flight MH370 complain to an official from Malaysia Airlines after the company's briefing to family members at a hotel in Beijing March 19, 2014. — Reuters pic People attend a special event for the passengers of the missing Malaysia Airlines MH370 in central Kuala Lumpur March 18, 2014. — Reuters pic Messages of support are hung during a special event for the passengers of the missing Malaysia Airlines MH370 in central Kuala Lumpur March 18, 2014. — Reuters pic Women pray during a special event for the passengers of the missing Malaysia Airlines MH370 in central Kuala Lumpur March 18, 2014. — Reuters pic People turn the lights of their phones towards the sky during a special event and prayer for the passengers of the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 in central Kuala Lumpur March 18, 2014. — Reuters pic Pakistani Christians hold candles to pray for the passengers and crew members of the missing Malaysia Airline flight MH370, in Islamabad March 18, 2014. — Reuters pic A Pakistani Christian girl holds a candle to pray for the passengers and crew members of the missing Malaysia Airline flight MH370 in Islamabad March 18, 2014. — Reuters pic A child leaves a message of support for family members and passengers onboard the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) in Sepang, outside Kuala Lumpur March 18, 2014. — Reuters pic Peter Chong holds a smartphone displaying a picture of himself with missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah (right) during an interview with Reuters at a hotel in Sepang March 18, 2014. — Reuters pic Previous Next

“I lived in China for a couple of years in Shanghai. If you work there and you need to Google for research, you can’t do anything.

“If you Google for images, half the page is blank. Can’t use Facebook either. Everybody is on VPN,” he said, of the tech jargon short for virtual private network, a system of encrypted data that links private users across public space on the Internet.

Another Malaysian condemned China for the attack, describing it as a case of the “pot calling kettle black” in a Facebook comment on The Malay Mail Online's article, “In MH370, secretive China is demanding transparency from Malaysia”.

“China has opened up economically in a major way over the last three decades, but this economic glasnost has not been matched by a parallel political openness.

“If they are demanding that Malaysia show more transparency in disclosing information on MH370, they in turn should also be more open in disclosing whatever relevant data they possess on the same subject,” said the 36-year-old writer, who asked not to be named, when contacted.

He pointed to the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests, claiming it to be one of the biggest cover-ups in modern China history as the Chinese government has to date denied there were any deaths arising from that demonstration. Media reports have placed the unofficial death toll at numbers between 180 and 6,000.

John Ling, a Malaysian author based in New Zealand, told The Malay Mail Online that because China sees itself as the preeminent power in the region, it believes it has an obligation to project the image it can protect its citizens far beyond the country's borders.

“In imperial times, China had this concept called ‘All Under Heaven’. Which means China is so vast and so great that it’s expected that diplomats from other lands ‘must’ come to China to pay their respects and acknowledge Chinese sovereignty.

The 30-year-old observed that China’s concern for the plane now was because close to two-thirds of the 227 passengers aboard MH370 were its citizens, adding that it was likely a “blow to their prestige”.

“They need to save face. That’s the bottom line,” Ling said in an interview over Facebook.

More Malaysians took to Twitter with pointed jabs at China's complaint, which they felt to be unfairly prejudiced against a sovereign nation.

Alan KW Wong, who tweets under the handle, Crabbicalamari, said, “China wants M’sia to be transparent over missing jet… Like China knows what transparency is.”

Another Twitter user, Hadi Harun, who uses the nickname Hadiharhar said, “China telling Malaysia to have a freer flow on information? did i just woke up to an alternate reality? damn you afternoon nap. #MH370”.

“When a country like China which is known to jealously keep its secrets accuse our gov of keeping secrets.. Priceless..” said another Twitter user identified only as

Raja Horny VIP, under the handle, IMPetani.

Malaysians continued to strike back at China for its selective criticism, zeroing in on satellite images of debris floating in the South China Sea its space agency released three days after the Beijing-bound plane disappeared, with some fearing it had crashed into the waters off Peninsular Malaysia's east coast shortly after departing from the Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

The images were later recalled after the lead failed to pan out, with China saying it had “mistakenly” sent out the pictures.

“U accused Msian govt & agencies of withholding info, not transparent, yet u hold a crucial piece of info since 9/3. What gives China? #MH370,” said an account user known only as QueenKBee75.

“China blames Malaysia for lack of info & then releases 3-day-old satellite photos of 'possible crash site'?”, one Imran Syed Jaafar posted.

However, under the cloak of anonymity, some social network users treaded on the thin border separating vulgarity and decency in their tirade against China.

“If China wants to criticise Malaysia’s effort in locating MH370, maybe they shouldn’t send us s*** satellite images and waste precious time,” said one Twitter user identified only as Sir Liver Stabber, on the microblogging account DarthEditor.

State-owned Chinese media and agencies have churned out stinging editorials and other articles critical of Malaysia's pace and management of the airline crisis, claiming conflicting information is being disseminated and driving rumours of a cover-up in the mystery of the jumbo jet carrying 141 Chinese passengers.

The Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777-200 aircraft with 239 people onboard, took off from the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) at 12.41am on March 8 for Beijing, and fell off civil aviation radar less than an hour later although military and satellite trackers showed it changing its route midflight.

An international hunt for the missing plane involving 26 countries and more than 100 vessels and aircraft enters its 12th day today.

Investigators are now sweeping 2.24 million square nautical miles of land and sea space covering two possible flight paths the jetliner may have taken after it deviated from its original Beijing run.