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Malaysia’s Anwar not so optimistic on breakthrough in MH370 flight mystery amid push to restart search

  • Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said a decision on resuming search for the wreckage would be taken soon, but relatives of the missing should not expect any breakthroughs
  • Flight MH370, carrying 239 people, disappeared in 2014 while en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing

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Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. Photo: dpa
dpa
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim warned on Friday against high hopes of finding answers to the disappearance 10 years ago of Malaysian Airlines flight MH370, after a modern robotics company said it could reopen the search.
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A total of 239 people, including more than 150 Chinese and 50 Malaysians, were on board the aircraft when it disappeared while flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8, 2014, in what is considered one of aviation’s most haunting mysteries.

Days before the 10th anniversary this month, Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke announced that a new search for the wreckage could be launched by US firm Ocean Infinity.

Anwar said a decision would likely be taken in the coming weeks, after reviewing the proposal by the Texas-based company. However, he warned that relatives of the missing should not expect any breakthroughs.

“I don’t want to give them a false hope that we can secure an answer,” Anwar said during a visit to Germany. “But I want to convince them that we are doing everything possible,” he added – even if it ended up costing “substantial funds.”

The premier, who was leader of the opposition in 2014, said he himself was mystified by the plane’s disappearance.

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