MH370: Hishammuddin announces high-level team to Beijing

Malaysia will send a high-level team to Beijing to brief on the situation and developments of flight MH370 to families of passengers and crew of the aircraft.

According to Acting Transport Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein, the team will consist of representatives from the Prime Minister's Office, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF), Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) and Malaysia Airlines (MAS).

“I would like to announce that in addition to the team that is already on the ground, Malaysia is currently assembling a high-level team that will immediately travel to Beijing.

“The team will give briefings and updates to the next-of-kin on the latest situation, and on search and rescue plans,” Hishammuddin said in a daily press conference at Sama-Sama Hotel, Sepang, on Wednesday evening .

He said the team will be led by the Royal Malaysia Air Force Operations Commander, Lieutenant-General Datuk Seri Haji Ackbal Abdul Samad and assisted by the Director of DCA (Air Traffic Services), Ahmad Nizar Zolfakar and a senior pilot of the Boeing 777.

In Beijing, family members of MH370 passengers from China expressed their frustrations when they failed to get a response about the missing MAS aircraft as the SAR entered its 12th day, AFP reported.

According to the families, they have no other way to express their frustrations than with anger and tears, and with pitiless hand gesture towards MAS representative.

The incident happened during a session with aviation officials and family members at a hotel in Beijing, China.

The operation to find MH370 intensified with the involvement of more parties and a wider search area and the emergence of some new possibilities regarding the loss of the aircraft.

The operation is led by Malaysia and joined by U.S. forces and regional countries including Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia and the Philippines, involving the movement of air and sea forces.

The MAS flight MH370 which carried 227 passengers and 12 crew lost contact about an hour after taking off from Kuala Lumpur International Airport on March 8th.

The aircraft was scheduled to land in Beijing at 6:30am the same day.