The final investigation report on Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, which went missing on March 8, 2014, is expected to be completed by this year.

Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said the government had asked the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Annex 13 Safety Investigation Team for MH370 to complete the report this year.

"After we suspended the search, we asked the ICAO Annex 13 Safety Investigation Team to come up with the final report on the entire investigation...the technical report should likely be completed by this year," he added.

Liow, who is also MCA president was asked to comment on the latest development on MH370 following suspension of the search operation.

He was met by reporters at Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) after launching the Tun Tan Cheng Lock Centre for Social and Policy Studies here today.

Also present were UTAR Chancellor, Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik and Women, Family and Community Development Deputy Minister Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun.

Liow said the search for Flight MH370 had not been permanently stopped as Malaysia had a memorandum of understanding with South African coastal nations to look for debris.

"If they find any debris, they will contact us, our response team will go in and pick up the debris.

"Lately, we picked up two more pieces of debris, so now, total debris collected stands at 27 pieces," he said, adding that details on the latest find would be announced later.

On Jan 18, Liow had said the search operation for Flight MH370, spanning over 120,000 square kilometres in the southern Indian Ocean had been suspended, after almost three years since the plane disappeared while on its way from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

He said the search for the plane carrying 239 passengers and crew members which had to date cost US$112.47 million (RM500 million), would only be resumed if there was new information and concrete evidence in the future.

On that fateful day, Flight MH370 vanished from the radar. Subsequently, search missions were carried out continuously in the Indian Ocean to detect the Boeing 777-200ER aicraft. -- Bernama