Jacquita Gonzales also questioned Abbott’s motive for making the claim at this time.

Abbott was reported as telling a Sky News documentary that he was told by the “highest levels” of Malaysian officials that the pilot might have committed murder-suicide.

The Malaysia Airlines flight carrying 239 people – including Gonzales’ husband Patrick Gomes – vanished some 40 minutes after leaving Kuala Lumpur for Beijing on March 8, 2014.

Its disappearance is considered one of aviation’s biggest mysteries and culminated in the longest and most expensive search mission in history.

There have been several conspiracy theories on the plane’s disappearance, including one that claimed 53-year-old senior pilot Zaharie Ahmad Shah had deliberately steered the plane away from its normal route.

The “rogue pilot” theory was, however, rejected by Zaharie’s friends and fellow pilots.

Gonzales, however, is furious with Abbott for not revealing this earlier, arguing that it could have led to follow-up investigations.

“Who do we go after now? He had the opportunity to put the matter to rest when he was the prime minister, but he didn’t take it.

“I wish he could have said it earlier. It’s is very frustrating and it is unfair that he says it now,” she told FMT.

Gonzales added that if Abbott had gone on record earlier, the next-of-kin wouldn’t have to endure the pain which they go through at every anniversary of the missing flight.

She also said that Abbott’s revelation, six years after the incident, has made it very difficult to believe, especially as there is no evidence to support it.

“I don’t know what to say, with all the back and forth, it is so hard to accept (what Abbott is saying).”

She also said that Abbott’s remarks have given her the impression that high ranking government officials were in cahoots with each of them giving the next of kin “false information”.

“If it was indeed the pilot’s doing, why didn’t they just come out and say it? Were they afraid of hurting us?”