MH370 PRESS STATEMENT BY MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT, MALAYSIA

This is the full transcript of a press statement by the Ministry of Transport, released on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak's Facebook page at about 2:40pm, 16 March 2014. 

MH370 PRESS STATEMENT
BY MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT, MALAYSIA
SUNDAY, 16 MARCH 2014

1. Search and rescue operational update
a. The search and rescue operation continues to be a multi-national effort, led by Malaysia.

b. Malaysian officials are contacting countries along the northern and southern corridors about MH370. These countries include: Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, China, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Australia and France. Officials are requesting assistance from these countries.

c. Malaysian officials are currently discussing with all partners how best to deploy assets along the two corridors.

d. Malaysian officials are also asking countries to provide further assistance in the search for the aircraft, including: satellite data and analysis; ground-search capabilities; radar data; and maritime and air assets.

e. Both the northern and southern corridors are being treated with equal importance.

2. Update on the police investigation into MH370’s crew and passengers

a. As per normal procedure, the Royal Malaysia Police are investigating all crew and passengers on board MH370, as well as engineers who may have had contact with the aircraft before take-off.

b. Police searched the home of the pilot on Saturday 15 March. Officers spoke to family members of the pilot and experts are examining the pilot’s flight simulator. On 15 March, the police also searched the home of the co-pilot.

c. We appeal to the public not to jump to conclusions regarding the police investigation.

-ENDS

The original posting is here.