KUALA LUMPUR: Putrajaya may consider Ocean Infinity’s proposal on a new search location for the ill-fated MH370 flight, says Anthony Loke.
“The new search location that was proposed by the Ocean Infinity company is based on information and latest data analysis by experts and researchers that the company had referred to,” the Transport Minister said during question and answer time in the Dewan Rakyat on Tuesday(Nov 5).
“Ocean Infinity’s proposal for the search operation is credible and can be considered by the Malaysian government in its capacity as the country where the flight MH370 had been registered,” he added.
Loke was responding to a question by Chong Zemin (PH-Kampar) on whether the government still intends to continue the search for the Beijing-bound flight that disappeared on March 8,2014.
Loke said if there is credible evidence, the government will consider further search operations.
“This is the government’s consistent stance,” he said.
He said the ministry is looking into the offer by marine exploration company Ocean Infinity that was made to the ministry in June.
Loke said the new search location is estimated to include some 15,000 square kilometres in the Indian Ocean.
This search, he added, will be on a "no find, no fee" basis.
The government will not have to make any payment to the company if it is unable to find the remnants of the flight.
Previously, Ocean Infinity had conducted searches in the Indian Ocean from 2017 until the end of 2018.
In March, the Texas-based firm claimed that it had found new scientific evidence on the last location of MH370.
Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 went missing on March 8, 2014.
The plane, a Boeing 777-200ER, was en route from KL International Airport to Beijing Capital International Airport in China.
However, it disappeared from radar screens less than an hour after take-off. There were 239 people on board; 12 of whom were crew members.
