MH370: Prime Minister's address at 2:00pm, 15 March 2014

At roughly 2:00pm, 15th March 2014, Malaysian Prime MInister Dato Seri Najib Razak made an announcement in a press conference with regards to the ongoing investigation on the dissapearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370. Below is a transcription:

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Seven days ago, Malaysia airlines flight MH370 disappeared. We realise this is an excruciating time for the families of those on board. No words can describe the pain they must be going through. Our thoughts and our prayers are with them.

At the beginning of the operation i ordered the search area to be broadened. I instructed the Malaysian authorities to share all relevant information freely and transparently with a wide investigation team. I requested our friends and allies to join the operation. As of today, 14 countries, 43 ships and 58 aircraft are involved in the search. I wish to thank all the governments for their help at such a crucial time.

Since day one, the Malaysian authorities have worked hand in hand with our partners, including neighboring countries, and a multinational search force, many of whom were here on the ground since Sunday. We have shared information in real time with authorities who have necessary experience to interpret data; we have been working non-stop to assist the investigation and put our national security second to the search for the missing plane. It is widely understood that this has been a situation without precedent. We have conducted search operations, over land, in the South China Sea, the Straits of Malacca, the Andaman Sea and Indian Ocean. At every stage, we acted on the basis of verified information, and we followed every credible lead - sometimes these leads have led nowhere.

There has been intense speculation; we understand the desperate need for information, on behalf of the families and those watching around the world. But we have a responsibility to the investigation and the families to only release information that has been corroborated, and our primary motivation has always been to find the plane.

In the first phase of the search operation, we searched MH370’s last known position in the South China Sea. At the same time, it was bought to our attention by the Royal Malaysian Air Force that based on their primary radar, an aircraft - the identity of which could not be confirmed - made a turn back. The primary radar later showed the aircraft proceeding on the flight path which took it to an area north of the Straits of Malacca. Given this credible data, which was subsequently corroborated with the relevant international authorities, we have expanded the area of search to include the Straits of Malacca, and later to the Andaman Sea.

Early this morning, I was briefed by the investigation team, which includes the FAA, NTSB, the AAIB, the Malaysian authorities, and the acting ministry of Transport on new information that sheds further light on what happened to MH370.

Based on new satellite communication, we can say with a high degree of certainty that the Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System or ACARS, was disabled just before the aircraft reached the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia. Shortly afterwards, near the border between Malaysia and Vietnamese air traffic control, the aircraft transponder was switched off. From this point onwards, the RMAF primary radar data showed that an aircraft, which was believed - but not confirmed - to be MH370, did indeed turn back. It then flew in a westerly direction, back over Peninsular Malaysia before turning northwest, up until the point at which it left military primary radar coverage. These movements are consistent with deliberate action by someone on the plane.

Today, based on raw satellite data, which was obtained from the satellite data service provider, we can confirm that the aircraft shown in the primary radar data was MH370. After much forensic work and deliberation, the FAA, NTSB, AAIB and the Malaysian authorities, working separately on the same data, concur. According to the new data, the last confirmed communication between the plane and the satellite was at 8:11am Malaysian time on Saturday March 8. The investigation team is making further calculation which will indicate how far the aircraft may have flown after the last point of contact. This will help us refine the search.

Due to the type of satellite data, we are unable to confirm the precise location of the plane when it last made contact with the satellite. However, based on this new data from the aviation authorities of Malaysia and their international counterparts, the plane's last communication with a satellite was in one of two possible corridors:
- A northern corridor stretching approximately from the border of Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan to northern Thailand
- A southern corridor stretching approximately from Indonesia to southern Indian ocean.

The investigation team is working to further refine the information.

In view of this latest development, the Malaysian authorities have refocused investigation into the crew and passengers on board. Despite media reports that the plane was hijacked, I wish to be very clear; we are still investigating all possibilities as to what caused MH370 to deviate from its original flight path.

This new satellite information has significant impact of the nature and scope of the search operation. We are ending operations in the South China Sea and reassessing deployment of assets. We are working with relevant countries to request all information relevant to the search including radar data.

As the two new corridors involve many countries, the relevant foreign embassies have been invited to a briefing on the new information today by the Malaysian foreign ministry and the technical experts. I have also instructed the foreign ministry to provide a full briefing to foreign governments which have passengers on the plane.

This morning, MAS has been informing families of passengers and crew of this new development. Clearly the search for MH370 has entered a new phase; over last 7 days we have followed every lead and looked into every possibility. For the families and friends of those involved, we hope this new information brings us one step closer to finding the plane.

Thank you.