Loke vows to push for MH370 settlement

PUTRAJAYA: Former transport minister Anthony Loke has promised to push for the new government to approve a Cabinet paper to provide settlement to the next of kin of the 239 passengers and crew members of MH370.

Speaking at the MH370 annual remembrance event yesterday, he said he would highlight the plight of the affected family members to his successor.

Once the new Cabinet is formed and the transport minister identified, Loke said he would personally meet the new minister and “appeal to him to bring that paper to Cabinet and get approval”.

“My biggest regret was my failure to settle the legal cases with the family members of MH370, ” he said.

Loke said before the political upheaval two weeks ago, he was supposed to present a paper to the Cabinet on Feb 26 on providing a sum of settlement to all MH370 families.

That sum does not only include those who brought court cases against the Malaysian government, but will also top up the amount of those who have already received compensation from Malaysia Airlines.

“That paper was the result of more than a year of negotiations with the lawyers of the next of kin, and all lawyers representing the families have agreed to a global sum to settle the cases out of court, ” he said.

He added that he had previously met former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad on the matter.

“As such, I thought that when I went to Cabinet, it was just a matter of endorsement and I could make an announcement a few days later.

“I know what the family members want is for the search to go on until the answer is found and until the aircraft is found – and that there is no closure until then.

“(But) at least there would be some comfort or relief in terms of financial support, ” he said.