BATU GAJAH: Malaysia says it would respect Australia's decision if the latter decides to end the search for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.
Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Abdul Aziz Kaprawi said Australia would have made its decision after seeking extensive expert advice.
"Australia, which is leading the search (via the Australian Transport Safety Bureau) would have come to the decision following advice from experts and Malaysia would respect that decision," he said in response to a question from the press, here today.
Martin Dolan, chief of the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, was quoted as saying that there was a "decreasing possibility" of finding the wreckage of MH370 in the search area in the Southern Indian Ocean.
The search effort covers a 120,000 sq km search area. There is still 15,000 sq km to go until the search area is completed.
Dolan was quoted by Britain's The Guardian newspaper as saying that the possibility of not finding the aircraft had to be contemplated.
Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai last week said a tri-partite ministerial meeting between Malaysia, Australia and China would be held next month to discuss the progress of the search.
MH370 went missing on March 8, 2014, while en route to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur with 239 passengers and crew on board.