Faced with criticism from the international community over the handling of the MH370 crisis, Deputy Defence Minister Abdul Rahim Bakri said a lengthy period to locate debris is not unusual.

"Air France took five days to get debris, Adam Air seven days. Police and the Department of Civil Aviation are looking at all sorts of angles and we should give them our trust. I hope the critics understand," Rahim ( left ) told reporters in Kajang today.

He was referring to Air France flight 447, which crashed into the Atlantic Ocean in 2009, and Adam Air flight 547 that crashed into the Makassar Strait in 2007.

Malaysia Airlines' MH370 disappeared off the air traffic controllers radar screens while flying over the South China Sea with 239 people on board at 1.30am on March 8.

Rahim said the Malaysian government, too, was doing its best to provide information to the public but must withhold some information due to legal implications.

"If we have not fully investigated it, we cannot release it to avoid someone taking legal action against us," he said.

He also admitted there were "discrepancies of information" from different agencies, but said, "finally, we will get the real answer".

"(The foreign media) must understand this is not easy work. When an accident like this happens, we will do the best we can.

"In the search for truth, there will be differences in information, but this does not compromise the integrity of the search and rescue (SAR) mission," he said.

Largest ever search in an airplane disaster

Rahim was responding to harsh criticism in several foreign newswires today, questioning contradicting statements and lack of transparency from Malaysia.

There has been no sign of debris more than four days since the search begun. The multinational search is the largest SAR mission for an airplane disaster in history.

Rahim ( left ) also said that theories put forward by numerous international aviation analysts "do disrupt the SAR a little", but the government cannot tell them to stop weighing in.

"We live in a borderless world now and people can give all sorts of information, even onthe social media, where everyone now is a journalist.

"We cannot stop it and investigators will consider all credible information," he said.

Rahim was standing in for Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein, who is busy with the SAR mission, to honour armed forces veterans at SK Leftenan Adnan today.

The deputy minister handed out 55 Pingat Jasa Malaysia medals to those who served during the communist insurgency.

The ceremony coincided with the second day of the Kajang by-election campaign, with polling day scheduled for March 23.