Parliament: More than RM230mil spent on MH370 search

Officers carrying pieces of debris from an unidentified aircraft, that later was confirmed to be from the flight MH370, apparently washed ashore in Saint-Andre de la Reunion, eastern La Reunion island, France, 29 July 2015. - EPA

KUALA LUMPUR: The Government spent more than RM230mil for the search operation of MH370 as of October this year, said the Transport Ministry. 

It said RM231,452,287 had been spent on MH370 as the search continues, with the Government spending RM12,873,961 so far to deal with the MH17 tragedy. 

It said that compensation had been paid to the next of kin of both tragedies based on the Montreal Convention 1999 subject to proof of loss borne by each passenger. 

"MAS (now renamed Malaysia Airlines Berhad) has offered Advance Compensation Payment and Crew Assistance Package amounting to US$50,000 (RM211,050) as part of compensation to the next of kin or families of the passengers and crew members of MH370 and MH17," said the Ministry in a written reply to Teresa Kok (DAP-Seputeh) Monday. 

Kok had asked the amount spent for the search of MH370 and the handling of the MH17 tragedy. 

The Transport Ministry also said that so far, 236 and 74 next of kin for MH17 and MH370 victims had received compensation amounting to US$16.6mil (RM70mil).  

MH370, with 239 people on board, disappeared from radar during a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8 last year. 

The aircraft is believed to have ended its journey in the southern Indian ocean. 

Flight MH17 en route to Kuala Lumpur from Amsterdam was shot down in eastern Ukraine by a Russian-made anti-aircraft missile on July 17 last year, killing all 298 people on board.