Press
Briefing by Hishammuddin Hussein, Minister of Defence and Acting Minister of
Transport
Monday, March 31, 06:15 PM MYT
+0800
Before I begin today’s briefing,
I would like to reiterate what Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbot said this
morning. The international co-operation underway in the search for MH370 is
nothing short of tremendous. The militaries of Malaysia, Australia, the United
States, New Zealand, China, Japan and Korea are all working to find the missing
plane.
I
should also like to point out that Indonesia has given clearance for 94 sorties
- by aircraft from nine different countries - to fly in their airspace, as part
of this search.
As Prime Minister Abbot said, it
is heartening to see so many different countries working together for a
humanitarian cause; to resolve this extraordinary mystery; and to bring closure
for the families of those on board.
This morning, the Prime Minister
spoke with Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbot. Prime Minister Abbot gave a
full update on the status of the search operations, headed out of Perth.
Our Prime Minister has decided to
travel to Perth on Wednesday for a working visit to Pearce Air force base, to
see the operations first hand and also to thank the personnel involved in the
multinational search effort, including the Malaysian personnel.
This afternoon, the Australian
High Commissioner to Malaysia briefed me on the creation of a new, Joint Agency
Co-ordination Centre (JACC), which will be based out of Pearce Air force base
in Perth.
The JACC will be headed by Air
Chief Marshal (ret.) Angus Houston, the former Chief of the Defense Force
Australia.
The JACC will co-ordinate
operations between all Australian government agencies and international search
teams.
As per the information that we
have received from the Australian authorities, the area of search today is 254,000
square kilometres.
Today,
nine military aircraft and one civilian aircraft travelled to the search area.
These planes were:
• two Malaysian C-130.
• one Chinese Ilyushin IL-76.
• one Japanese Coast Guard G5.
• one Australian P3 Orion.
• one New Zealand P3 Orion.
• one New Zealand civilian
aircraft.
• one American P8 Poseidon.
• one Japanese P3 Orion.
• one Korean P3 Orion.
Today eleven ships were also
deployed to the search area:
• Eight Chinese ships:
- the Xue Long,
- the Kunlunshan,
- the Haikou,
- the Qiandaohu Jian,
- the Jing Gang Shan,
- the Haixun,
- the Dong Hai Jian,
- and the Nan Hai Jian.
• Three Australian ships:
- the HMAS Success,
- the HMAS Toowoomba
- and MV Barkley Pearl, which is
currently transiting in the search area.
The Malaysian ship, the KD Lekiu,
is expected to arrive in the search area on 3 April.
The ADV Ocean Shield - fitted
with the towed pinger locator and a Bluefin 21 autonomous underwater vehicle -
is due to arrive in the search area on 3 April.
In terms of the sightings of
potential objects:
a) On Saturday, five objects were
retrieved by HMAS Success and the Haixun. However, it was found that none of
these objects were related to MH370.
b) On Sunday, an Australian P3
Orion made visual sightings of seven potential objects. A Korean P3 Orion also made
visuals of three potential objects.
The Chinese ship, the Haixun, was
tasked on Monday to retrieve these potential objects.
In my capacity as Malaysian
Defence Minister, I will leave tonight for the United States Pacific Command in
Hawaii.
I will attend the ASEAN Defence
Ministers’ meeting, which will be held from 1st to the 3rd of April.
The meeting is being convened by
US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel.
On behalf of the Malaysian
Government, I will share with my ASEAN counterparts, and the Government of the
United States, the latest developments regarding the search for MH370.
I will convey to our ASEAN
neighbours and the United States, Malaysia’s utmost appreciation for their
invaluable help in the multi-national search effort. I will also use this
opportunity to discuss the possibility of deploying more specific military
assets, in the event that we need to embark on a more complex phase of the
operation. I shall be discussing with
the United States, and our other friends and allies, how best we can acquire
the assets needed for possible deep sea search and recovery.
Today, I held a meeting with the
Indonesian Special Envoy and Special Advisor to the Foreign Minister, Madam
Wiwiek Setyawati Firman, and her delegation. The delegation included H.E. Mr.
Herman Prayitno, the Ambassador of Indonesia to Malaysia.
The Special Envoy expressed her
heartfelt gratitude to the Government of Malaysia and the multinational team conducting
the search operation.
The Special Envoy also stated
that Indonesia fully understands the complexity and the magnitude of the
challenge ahead, and reaffirms its unshakeable support for Malaysia.
Yesterday a group of families,
whose loved ones were on board MH370, arrived in Kuala Lumpur from Beijing.
The Government is due to hold a
high-level briefing soon for these families, to update them on the latest
developments regarding the search for MH370.
The briefing will include
international experts who were not available during the briefings in Beijing,
including experts from China. It will also be broadcasted live to other
families in Beijing.
The search for MH370 continues to
be a large, complex, multinational effort involving many countries and
international agencies.
Much of the research that has
been used to track MH370 has been provided to the Malaysian investigators by
our international partners.
This research is extremely
complicated, involving teams of highly specialised experts, many of whom are
based in different countries around the world.
The briefing will provide an
opportunity for the families to hear directly from some of these experts. The
experts will be able to explain the research, the data and the methodology that
has informed the search operation.
We understand that it has been a
difficult time for all the families. And
we appreciate that many families want to see physical evidence before they will
accept that MH370 ended in the southern Indian Ocean.
We find ourselves in a difficult
position. I repeat: the question that the families principally want answered,
is the question we simply do not have the answer to - namely, where their loved
ones are, and where is MH370.
On Saturday I met with the
Malaysian and Chinese families based in Kuala Lumpur. It was the most difficult
meeting I’ve ever attended.
The families are heartbroken. For
many, the strain of the past few weeks has been unbearable. But the one message
they delivered to me again and again is not to give up hope.
And I promised the families that
Malaysia, working with our international partners, will not give up hope. We
will continue with all our efforts to find MH370.
This is a promise that Malaysia
intends to keep. We will continue searching, and we will keep investigating,
and we will never give up until we find out what happened to MH370.
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