MH370: 76 relatives apply to engage 2 US lawyers

Seventy-six relatives of 32 passengers of MH370 have applied for two lawyers from the United States to represent them in their negligence suit against Malaysia Airline System Berhad (MAS) and four others.

Counsel Michael Yap, who are representing the plaintiffs, said they were seeking to be allowed to engage Steven C Marks and Roy Kalman Altman.

Met by reporters after a proceeding before High Court deputy registrar Nor Azlin Othman in chambers today, Yap said the application was made under Section 18 of the Legal Profession Act 1976.

The application has been fixed for hearing on Oct 21.

Bar Council representative Farez Mohd Ali Jinnah had objected to the application saying, the two US lawyers did not meet the criteria under Section 3 of the same Act to represent the plaintiffs.

The 76 plaintiffs filed the lawsuit last March 7 in regard to their missing relatives who were aboard MH370 which was heading to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur on March 8, 2014 when it disappeared without a trace.

The plaintiffs comprising 66 Chinese nationals, eight Indian nationals and two American citizens, had named MAS, Civil Aviation Department director-general, Royal Malaysian Air Force and the Malaysian Government as defendants.

In their statement of claim, they alleged that the disappearance of MH370 and death of 239 passengers and crew was due to MAS' negligence.

They alleged that MAS had breached the contract of carriage it entered with passengers that it would be responsible for the airworthiness of the aircraft and safety of the passengers on board.