Acting Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein says there is a need to strengthen Malaysia's military assets, especially after the incident involving the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 aircraft.

He said apart from the radar system, other technological capabilities should also be reviewed to equip the Malaysian Armed Forces with better assets.

"Malaysia made a very courageous decision to talk about our defence capabilities. And now, Najib (Razak) has got to find me the money to change our radar system because the whole world now knows our defence capabilities, in terms of radar," Hishammuddin, who is also defence minister, said in jest.

"We did that, putting aside national interests to find MH370. What more do the people want from the government of Malaysia and from the ATM (Malaysian Armed Forces)?" he asked.

He said this at a media conference with local media on the missing jetliner yesterday.

Asked if there was a need for Malaysia to have technologies such as sonar system for naval ships and submarines, he said they were needed in the context of national security and military, including its position as Asean member.

Not just Malaysia but many other countries in the world also needed to review their assets and military technological strengths, noted Hishammuddin.

"If you noticed, the information we detected was from commercial satellites, not military. So, the military forces of the world will have to relook at their capabilities. I believe all are doing that now. But my duty here is only to find MH370," he said.

The aircraft which carried 227 passengers and 12 crew members went missing on March 8, one hour after taking off from the KL International Airport at 12.41am. The aircraft was scheduled to arrive in Beijing at 6.30am on the same day.

On Monday, 17 days after the search operation, Najib announced that based on satellite data analyses by Inmarsat and AAIB of the United Kingdom, Flight MH370 ended in the southern Indian Ocean.

‘I will never surrender’

Hishammuddin, 52, who had undergone angioplasty barely four months ago, admitted he had not slept much after the incident (disappearance of MH370).

"I hardly sleep because of the time zone. Information comes from different time zones. Information in real time is a roller-coaster of sorts for me.

"Before I intend to sleep, someone says they found oil slicks, the next day, it turns out negative. Subsequently, when I want to retire to bed, they say a life jacket was found. When I wake up the following day, it is said the information is negative.

"This is what I go through with cabinet members, especially the prime minister," said Hishammuddin.

His empathy for the families has been openly expressed before, and he hopes the next-of-kin of those on board the aircraft will realise that the Malaysian government was doing its best in the never-before-happened incident in aviation history.

On those ridiculing Malaysia's search efforts, he said: "I have no regrets. In fact, I'm very proud to be the acting transport minister and defence minister.

"I'm proud of our search and rescue team and also Malaysia as a whole. We stand together as a nation.

"I will not surrender. Everything happens for a reason. I will do my best and leave the rest to God," he said.

- Bernama