Malaysia clears fresh bid to search for missing plane MH370

The Malaysian Cabinet has given the green light for a new attempt to find the ill-fated Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, which disappeared in 2014 in the southern Indian Ocean, The Strait Times reports.

Transport Minister Anthony Loke announced on Friday that US-based private marine exploration company Ocean Infinity has been tasked with resuming the undersea search for the plane’s wreckage within a 15,000 sq km area off the coast of Western Australia, according to the newspaper.

“They have informed us that the best time for searching is between January and April. We are trying to finalise the contract as soon as possible. They have committed that the search will begin once the contract is signed,” Mr Loke was quoted as saying.

He was cited as telling reporters in Putrajaya that the Cabinet agreed in principle on Dec 13 to proceed with another search.

The Transport Ministry reportedly is negotiating the terms of the contract with Ocean Infinity, and it will be finalised in early 2025.

The contract is based on a “no find, no fee” principle, meaning the government will not pay if nothing is found. Should the wreckage be found, Ocean Infinity is seeking a US$70 million (S$95 million) fee – similar to that proposed in 2018, The Strait Times further reports.

“The contract will last for about 18 months. All other terms and conditions will be finalised and brought to the Attorney-General’s Chamber for vetting,” Mr Loke was quoted as saying.

One of the key negotiating points is the definition of the wreckage size that triggers payment, he was cited as saying.

“It’s not just about finding one or two pieces (that will be) considered wreckage,” he was quoted as saying, noting that a team of experts will help to define and verify the exact terms that would qualify as wreckage found.

The latest effort is a show of the government’s commitment to providing closure for the families of MH370 passengers, Mr Loke was cited as saying.

“I made this commitment during the 10th anniversary of the MH370 remembrance in March 2024. I am sure this is what the next-of-kin have been waiting for. I truly hope that this time around it will turn out positively, and that wreckage can be found to at least provide some answers for the families.”

He was also cited as saying that some of the families of the MH370 victims had been privately informed before the press conference.

On March 8, 2014, the flight took off from Kuala Lumpur en route to Beijing, carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew members. But the Boeing 777 plane later vanished and was never seen again, according to the Singaporean newspaper.

After the disappearance, Malaysia, China and Australia conducted a joint search for the wreckage in a 120,000 sq km area in the southern Indian Ocean. But the countries ended their joint search in January 2017 after no significant findings, the newspaper notes.

Ocean Infinity’s first search effort, which started in January 2018 in a narrowed 25,000 sq km area in the southern Indian Ocean, reportedly ended in June 2018 without results.

In November 2023, a Beijing court began hearings on compensation claims from more than 40 families of Chinese passengers aboard the flight, representing two-thirds of the total passenger manifest, The Strait Times adds.

Following the start of the lawsuit, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin reportedly expressed appreciation for Malaysia’s continued follow-up on the incident, adding that he hoped all parties would maintain close communication.

The mysterious disappearance of MH370 was a major point of contention in Malaysia-China relations, according to the newspaper report.

In March 2014, 200 families of Chinese passengers aboard MH370 staged a rare protest outside the Malaysian Embassy in Beijing, two hours after learning that none of the passengers on the doomed flight had survived, The Strait Times further reports.

In the months that followed, according to the report, there were also calls for boycotts of Malaysia products and travel to Malaysia.