The next-of-kin and family members of passengers in the Malaysia Airlines (MAS) MH370, who are now placed at the Everly Hotel, Putrajaya, will be taken to the KL International Airport (KLIA) to be flown to an undisclosed location at 9am today.     

A next-of-kin of one of the passengers who declined to be identified said they were informed that Prime Minister Najib Razak and wife, Rosmah Mansor, were scheduled to meet them after dawn.     

The management of MAS, as well as the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA), the Malaysian Army, the Royal Malaysian Navy and the Royal Malaysia Air Force, is scheduled to hold a media conference at a hotel at KLIA on the latest development pertaining to the missing aircraft later today.     

Meanwhile, checks by Bernama at KLIA early today found the situation at the report returning to normalcy with a few local and foreign journalists still there waiting to get the latest information on the missing Boeing 777-200.     

The MH370 aircraft from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, which carried 227 passengers, including two infants, and 12 crew members, disappeared from the radar screen after taking off from the KL International Airport at 12.41am yesterday.

It should have landed in Beijing at 6.30am.

 

Foreign gov'ts pitch in

The Malaysian government said it welcomed and appreciates the assistance and cooperation from five foreign countries in deploying their assets to support and assist in the search and rescue operations.     

The five countries are Vietnam, China, Singapore, the Philippines and the United States.     

Foreign Affairs Minister Anifah Aman said he had contacted the Singaporean, Vietnamese and Philippines foreign ministers, in the context of Asean, to seek their assistance.     

"The Malaysia government also looks forward to welcoming similar assistance from other countries and international organisations in the search and rescue operations.     

"The government is sparing no efforts to galvanise the resources within its disposal in the ongoing search and rescue efforts," he said in a statement in KL today.     

"We have established a National Coordination Centre at the National Disaster Control Centre (NDCC), Pulau Meranti, Cyberjaya to monitor the development of the situation."     

Anifah stressed the government recognises the anguish and anxiety of the next of kin and family members of those on board of Malaysian Airlines (MAS) flight MH370.     

"The government joins all Malaysians in this moment of anguish and anxiety over the tragedy that befell the passengers and crew of MAS aircraft MH370 en-route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.     

"Our thoughts and prayers are with them especially for all the passengers and crew of the aircraft," he said.     

Anifah noted Malaysia through the Foreign Affairs Ministry will provide its fullest cooperation to the respective Foreign Missions in Malaysia whose nationals are passengers of flight MH370.     

The ministry has set up an operation room in Putrajaya, and can be contacted at 03-88874570 or via email at dutyofficer@kln.gov.my     

- Bernama