Families of MH370 passengers, crew always on my mind - Hishammuddin

Knowing that family members of the passengers and crew of the missing Malaysia Airlines (MAS) MH370 aircraft were watching and hoping for something was the most difficult part.

"The families. The passengers and the crew. The hardest part for me is to go to the press conference, knowing that the families will be watching and hoping for something...that I can tell them that will give them closure or happiness," he said.

Hishammuddin, who is also defence minister, revealed this during an interview with the local media at the Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC) here Saturday.

The 52-year-old, who had undergone angioplasty barely four months ago, admitted he had not slept much after the incident (disappearance of MH370).

"I hardly sleep because of the time zone. Information comes from different time zones. Information in real time is a roller-coaster of sorts for me.

"Before I intend to sleep, someone says they found oil slicks, the next day, it turns out negative. Subsequently, when I want to retire to bed, they say a life jacket was found. When I wake up the following day, it is said the information is negative.

"This is what I go through with Cabinet members, especially the prime minister," said Hishammuddin.

His empathy for the families has been openly expressed before, and he hopes the next-of-kin of those on board the aircraft will realise that the Malaysian Government was doing its best in the never-before-happened incident in aviation history.

Flight MH370, carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew, left the KL International Airport at 12.41am on March 8 and disappeared from the radar screen about an hour later while over the South China Sea. It was to have landed in Beijing at 6.30am on the same day.

Following an unprecedented type of analysis of satellite data, United Kingdom company Inmarsat and the UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) concluded that Flight MH370 flew along the southern corridor, west of Perth, Australia.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak then announced on March 24 - 17 days after the disappearance of Flight MH370 - that its flight path "ended in the southern Indian Ocean'.

Hishammuddin is confident that the tragedy has brought a sense of blessing, in that Malaysians, irrespective of religion, race or political affiliation offered prayers in unison for those on board the missing aircraft, and defended the country when it was criticised by the foreign media.

Day in and out, Hishammuddin's social site was inundated with messages of support and encouragement, urging him not to give up.

"We see in the Twitter that many opposition leaders offer words of encouragement daily. This has never happened before. It is up to you, either you want to see things in the proper perspective," he said.

On those ridiculing Malaysia's search efforts, he said: "I have no regrets. In fact, I'm very proud to be the acting transport minister and defence minister.

"I'm proud of our search and rescue team and also Malaysia as a whole. We stand together as a nation.