Govt ready to meet Ocean Infinity on new MH370 search

On the 10th anniversary to mark the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, Transport Minister Anthony Loke today reiterated the government’s commitment to restart search operations.

Specifically, Loke said he will seek the cabinet’s approval for the government to sign a new contract with US-based marine robotics company Ocean Infinity Ltd.

"The Malaysian government’s position is consistent - we will consider a further search operation when new information and credible evidence is ascertained.

“To this end, I have instructed the Transport Ministry to invite Ocean Infinity to Malaysia to brief me on their latest ‘no cure, no fee’ proposal.

“We are now waiting for them to provide suitable dates and I hope to meet them soon,” Loke said at a commemorative exhibition in Subang Jaya.

Speaking to reporters, Loke said there has been no reluctance from the government to resume search operations for the plane that carried 227 passengers and 12 crew members.

He said while there will be no cost paid for Ocean Infinity to resume the search, the government is anticipating that the missing plane will eventually be found.

“If they can find the plane, the cost is something which the government has to bear,” he added.

Memories and hopes

The commemorative event and exhibition also gathered next-of-kins and family members who shared their memories and hopes for the future.

MH370 was flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8, 2014, before it went off the radar.

Underwater searches for the plane in the Indian Ocean have covered 120,000 sq km and cost about RM605 million.

The search was suspended in January 2017.

Malaysia first signed an agreement with Ocean Infinity in January 2018 to begin a new search for MH370.

At the time, Ocean Infinity embarked on a three-month “no cure, no fee” search covering about 112,000 sq km in the southern Indian Ocean, which concluded with no discovery.

In 2022, then transport minister Wee Ka Siong said Ocean Infinity was prepared to resume the search for the missing flight if called upon to do so, but the government’s stand was that there must be "new credible evidence” before another search can begin. - Mkini