It's back to drawing board in search for MH370 - Liow

Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai has again said that search officials and experts will continue to analyse all available data to find Flight MH370.

"We suspended the search so that we can go back to the drawing board and revisit the deep sea water search data, debris data, drifting pattern and satellite data.

"The Australian Transport Safety Bureau will continue to analyse whatever data they have while the Commonwealth Scientific and Research Organisation will continue to analyse the drifting pattern of debris," he told a press conference after launching the Anih Bhd road safety campaign here today.

Moreover, Liow said, Malaysia had set up a response team led by Department of Civil Aviation director-general Datuk Seri Azharuddin Abdul Rahman to look into the debris and would contact all countries surrounding the Indian Ocean to assist Kuala Lumpur in finding remains of the Malaysia Airlines plane.

Liow, who had just returned from Perth where he met the crew of the last vessel to leave the search area, said the Australian authorities had agreed to contuinue to work closely with Malaysia to solve what has been described as the greatest mystery in modern aviation history.

Liow also said his ministry would hold dialogue sessions with the next-of-kin of MH370 victims to address their concerns and answer questions especially on the search suspension.

"I have instructed the DCA DG to work with the ATSB (Australian Transport Safety Bureau) and Malaysia Airlines Bhd to offer an explanation to the families of MH370 victims.

"We will plan a series of dialogues with the next-of-kin probably after Chinese New Year to keep them posted on our findings. We don't want them to think that we had suspended the search just like that with no updates on the matter. We want to look for an answer to this mystery together with them," he said.

Last Tuesday, Malaysia, Australia and China issued a joint communique announcing the suspension of the search for the Boeing 777-200ER aircraft after unsuccessfully scouring 120,000 sq km of the southern Indian Ocean.

Flight MH370 vanished from the radar with 239 passengers and crew members on board while en route to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur on March 8, 2014. -- Bernama