GEORGE TOWN (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - Capt Zaharie Ahmad Shah, 53, the pilot of flight MH370 was a Penangite.

A fellow classmate from Penang Free School, Jason Lee, 53, said that he last met Zaharie in 2010 during their batch's reunion dinner.

"It was his long time ambition to be a pilot and he always told us back then how nice it was to fly around," he said on Saturday, adding that Zaharie was really a friendly person.

Lee said that Zaharie joined Malaysia Airlines in 1981 right after he completed his pilot training.

Another schoolmate Franklin Lim, said that Zaharie was a brainiac.

"He was a really nice guy to hang around with.

"He left for Mara after Form 5 and I have not seen him since then," Lim said.