As of last month, the government has spent RM231.5 million in operations to locate Malaysia Airlines (MAS) Flight MH370 which vanished on March 8 last year.

Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said in the case of MAS Flight MH17 which was shot down over the eastern Ukraine territory on July 17, the same year, the government spent RM12.9 million.

"However, the overall estimated cost for the search (of MH370) cannot be determined because the search operations are still being conducted," he said in a written reply to Teresa Kok Suh Sim (DAP-Seputeh) in the Dewan Rakyat today.

Liow said MAS had offered advance compensation payments and crew assistance packages amounting to US$50,000 (RM215,000), as part of the full compensation to the families of the passengers and crew of both flights.

He said the amount given was calculated based on the Montreal Convention 1999, subject to proof of loss borne by each passenger.

To date, Liow said 236 family members of victims in the MH17 tragedy and 74 family members of the MH370 victims had received the advance compensation payment, involving a total of US$16,600,000 (RM71,363,400).