Acting Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein's statement that the search for Flight MH370 is "above politics" shows he is "not consistent", said Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim.

"I welcome the statement after 10 days of searching, but he has to also discipline the Umno-controlled media and Umno cybertroopers,” he told reporters in Kajang last night.

"He said this was above politics but the briefing (on the search for the missing aircraft) was only for BN MPs ... I would say it is not consistent, he does not honour his commitment.”

Anwar said the manner in which the crisis has been handled to date has been "full of contradictions".

"The radar is back on them on issues of governance, free media, independence and transparency," he said.

Media reports, including that of UK tabloid The Daily Mail linking Anwar to the missing plane, are "grossly and manifestly unjust to the (pilot's) family members".

Even locally, there are attempts to "shame me", he said, because Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah (right) is a PKR member who was said to be in court for the ruling on the government’s appeal against his acquittal of sodomy.

"I know Zaharie through his membership in the Subang PKR division and because he sympathised with me over the sentence. But I think many others also sympathised," he said.

He added that he is in touch with Subang PKR chief R Sivarasa to assist Zaharie's family.

"We are very guarded and careful now because it will be used by the BN and Umno to suggest we are interfering or inciting or whatever," he added.