Malaysia optimistic on search to locate MH370

PERTH, 22nd October, 2014 (WAM) -- Malaysia is optimistic over the search effort for the missing Malaysia Airlines (MAS) flight MH370, whose final resting place is believed to be in the remote Indian Ocean, after it disappeared on March 8th, a senior Malaysian official told the Bernama news agency today.

"I am 99.9 percent optimistic in locating the missing aircraft but the ocean is huge," Malaysian Defence Minister, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein, said.

"And it all depends on various factors including the condition of the sea," he noted when launching the Malaysian contracted vessel, Go Pheonix and sophisticated underwater search equipment called ProSAS Towed Side Scan Sonar, at Freemantle Port on Wednesday.

Flight MH370, which was carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew members, left the KL International Airport at 12.41a.m. on March 8th and disappeared from radar about an hour later while over the South China Sea.

Hishammuddin also expressed his gratitude to the countries involved in the search mission, including Australia and China, and reiterated the Malaysian government's commitment to continue the search without any specific timeline.

At the same function, Petronas Vice President for Malaysia Petroleum Management, Adif Zukifli said Petronas had provided US$21 million (RM67 million) to fund the cost for the vessel, completed with crew members and the underwater search equipment.

"The funds will go to the lease of the search equipment for six months until February 2015," he said.

The vessel is expected to begin its 30-day search mission tomorrow, Thursday, in the southern part of the Indian ocean, about 3,000km off Perth.