UPDATES FROM THE #MH370 PRESS CONFERENCE AT KLIA 19th March 2014 @ 5:30PM *DS Hishammuddin: The search for MH370 continues. It is a truly international effort. Our focus remains the search and rescue operation. We are working on narrowing the search corridor by: (a) gathering satellite information (b) analysing radar data (c) increasing air and surface assets, and (d) increasing the number of technical experts. (e) We are also taking further steps to address the needs of the families at this difficult time. * DS Hishammuddin: The search for MH370 involves diplomatic, technical and logistical challenges. *DS Hishammuddin: The main technical team organising the search and rescue operation has been broken into three groups: a diplomatic team, led by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; an assets deployment and logistics team led by the Armed Forces; and a technical group retaining overall operational control, which is led by the Department of Civil Aviation. *DS Hishammuddin: Although the search is still co-ordinated by Malaysia, our partners are increasingly taking the lead in their own territory and in agreed search sectors. *DS Hishammuddin: I can confirm that we have received some radar data, but we are not at liberty to release information from other countries. * DS Hishammuddin: Regarding reports that the plane was sighted in the Maldives, I can confirm that the Malaysian Chief of the Defence Force has contacted his counterpart in the Maldives, who has confirmed that these reports are NOT true. *DS Hishammuddin: I can confirm that the aircraft flew on normal routing up until the waypoint IGARI. There is no additional waypoint on MH370’s documented flight plan, which depicts normal routing all the way to Beijing. *Inspector General of the Police: All passengers, crew and ground staff handling the aircraft are being investigated. Inspector General of the Police: We have received passenger background checks from all countries apart from Ukraine and Russia, both of which had nationals on board. So far, no information of significance on any passengers has been found. *DS Hishammuddin: Local and international expertise has been recruited to examine the pilot’s flight simulator. Some data had been deleted from the simulator and forensic work to retrieve this data is on-going. *DS Hishammuddin: All passengers, the pilots and the crew remain innocent until proven otherwise. For the sake of their families, I ask that we refrain from any unnecessary speculation that might make an already difficult time even harder. *DS Hishammuddin: Our immediate focus is the search and rescue operation. We are pursuing every means possible to narrow the two search corridors.
Posted on: Wed, 19 Mar 2014 10:19:01 +0000
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