PUTRAJAYA: The government will only consider re-launching the search for Malaysia s flight MH370 if solid, new evidence come to light.
“We have come to a stage where we cannot keep searching for something we cannot find. The coverage area is a vast one but we have yet to find any evidence," Mahathir told a press conference after chairing the Cabinet meeting on Wednesday.
“If we find any new information, we may resume the search.
“But for now, we have to end it," he said.
Dr Mahathir said the decision was a tough one to make, and that the government understands the feelings of the next-of-kin.
“It is a tough decision, and we understand the feelings of the families. But we cannot continue this search forever,” he said.
Flight MH370, carrying 239 people, vanished on a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8, 2014, becoming one of the world's greatest aviation mysteries.
A privately-funded underwater search by US-based company Ocean Infinifty, for the missing jet ended on Tuesday.
Ocean Infinity in a statement said that in its search, it collected high quality data from an area spanning more than 112,000 square kilometres.
Malaysia in January this year signed an agreement with Ocean Infinity to search for the aircraft. The agreement is based on a ‘no cure, no fee’ deal which means that payment would only be made if the jetliner is found.
Meanwhile, Transport Minister Anthony Loke said the full report on the search for MH370 is expected to be disclosed to the public in July.
Loke said he has asked the Malaysian International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Annex 13 Safety Investigation Team for MH370, represented by 19 nations and headed by Malaysia, to finalise the report as soon as possible.
Loke said although the government has decided to call off the search, the government is open to ideas if any parties can provide new, compelling evidence based on the report.
“There are many people interested in studying the report, including the never before-released data.
“We are only presenting what we have. If any experts can provide evidence which can help us track the aircraft, we will revisit the location.
“For now, I do not want to draw any conclusions before the report is released,” he said.
Reports by : By Manirajan Ramasamy, Veena Babulal, Irwan Shafrizan Ismail and Mohd Nasaruddin Parzi