MH370: China appreciates MCA efforts in assisting passengers' families

China has expressed appreciation over MCA's assistance in the management of the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 aircraft passengers' families from that country.

Chinese Ambassador to Malaysia, Dr Huang Hui Kang said Malaysia had, from the onset played a very vital role in the search and rescue (SAR) operation, having undertaken efforts to care for the next-of-kin of passengers from China.

"We also contributed in managing any family member of passengers, especially from our country, in the issuance of visas to Malaysia and are very appreciative of Malaysia's efforts, especially those from the MCA, in sending volunteers to help the families over queries, in terms of moral support," he said in his speech at the mass prayers for the missing Flight MH370 at Wisma MCA here Sunday.

The MCA also organised mass prayers, in collaboration with 16 Buddhist associations in Malaysia, including Young Buddhist Association of Malaysia, Theravada Buddhist Council of Malaysia and Fo Guang Shan Malaysia.

MCA president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai, his deputy, Datuk Wee Ka Siong and the other party leaders, as well as nearly 300 Buddhist devotees attended the one-and-a-half hour prayer.

On March 30, MCA deployed 48 members of its Crisis Relief Squad led by party vice-president Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun to provide support and aid to 29 Chinese nationals' next-of-kin who came to Malaysia.

Chew, appointed by the Cabinet as the special envoy to assist the Chinese family members, also accompanied the delegation led by Deputy Foreign Minister, Datuk Hamzah Zainudin to meet Chinese officials in China from March 31 to April 1.

On the mass prayers, Huang said it was not just for the well-being of the MH370 passengers, but also for their families and parties involved in the SAR mission.

Describing the search operations for MH370 as a tough and challenging task, he also expressed appreciation for Malaysia and 24 other countries in their continuous efforts to search for the missing aircraft.

"The participation of various countries in the SAR mission clearly proves that Malaysia has maintained close relations with many countries, and has given assistance to countries in difficulties," he said.

Flight MH370, carrying 227 passengers including 152 Chinese citizens, and 12 crew, went missing en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, about an hour after taking off from the KL International Airport at 12.41am on March 8. It was scheduled to land in Beijing at 6.30am, on the same day.

On March 24, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak announced that the flight path of MH370 ended in the southern Indian Ocean, based on the analysis by the UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch and Inmarsat's satellite data.