MH370: Malaysia, Australia, China to work together in phase two of search

Malaysia, Australia and China will work together under a trilateral agreement in the deployment of effective assets in the second phase of the search mission for Malaysia Airlines (MAS) Flight MH370 which went missing since last March.

Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said the agreement involved several assets, including ship.

"I am discussing with China on their contribution, while Australia has deployed several vessels from private companies for the search mission.

"In the previous search, I want to confirm here that no country is claiming a single cent from us," he told reporters after opening the Bukit Gantang Umno delegates meeting here Saturday.

Hishammuddin said several committees had been formed for phase two of the search mission for MH370.

The GO Phoenix Mother Vessel, belonging to Petronas, was now on its way to Perth, Australia, to participate in the search for the missing MH370, he said, adding that he and Petronas president Tan Sri Shamsul Azhar Abbas would be in Perth next month to get details on the search.

Flight MH370 dropped off radar on March 8 as it flew from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 227 passengers and 12 crew on board.

The Boeing 777 aircraft has yet to be found, even after an exhaustive search in the southern Indian Ocean where it is believed to have gone down after veering off course.