MH370: MAS will continue to assist families

Malaysia Airlines (MAS) will continue to assist families of passengers in the missing MH370 by providing them three options as they await for updates on their loved ones, a MAS senior management officer, Ignatious Ong Ming Choy said here on Sunday.

The options are for them to continue to stay in Beijing, to return to their homes where MAS will bear all their transportation costs from Beijing and to fly to Malaysia.

He said those who would like to continue to stay here in Beijing, were welcomed to do so and MAS would provide transportation fees for those who wanted to return home.

As for those who wanted to go to Kuala Lumpur, he said, MAS would make hotel arrangements for them.

"We will inform them on the next arrangement," he told the Malaysian media here, adding that some relatives who had gone to Kuala Lumpur decided to return to China as they felt it was meaningless to wait there.

A family member from China's far west Xinjiang province said he and his family members would continue to wait in Beijing for the latest development on the aircraft.

On Saturday, a relative of a passenger from China's eastern Shandong province, Wen Wancheng told the media at Lido Hotel here that he and his wife would continue to stay in Beijing too.

On daily briefings for the families, Ong said from now on, MAS would only post them updates on their arrangements instead of on the search and rescue (SAR) operation.

The updates of the SAR operation would be channelled to them via proper news reports as currently the case was under investigation, he said.

On Sunday, every visitor at Lido Hotel had to undergo a tight security check as an airport baggage scanning equipment was placed in front of the entrance to the hotel.

The family members had to show their name tags and room number for identity verification by security guards before entering the ballroom where they were briefed daily on the development of the SAR for the missing aircraft.

Only selected media, for instance the state-run broadcaster CCTV, Hong Kong-based broadcaster Phoenix Television and Reuters, were allowed to enter the ballroom on Sunday.

The Malaysian press were banned from entering the ballroom since Saturday.