Malaysian authorities have completed a preliminary report on the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 but have not made it public despite angry accusations by the relatives of passengers they have been withholding information.
Malaysia has sent the report to the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), a United Nations agency headquartered in Quebec Canada that oversees aviation.
Azharuddin Abdul Rahman, head of Malaysia’s Department of Civil Aviation, revealed the existence of the report when asked a question during a press conference at the Kuala Lumpur hotel.
“We have issued a preliminary report. We’ve sent it to the ICAO but we have not made a decision to release to the media or public,” he said.
Authorities in Kuala Lumpur have faced a barrage of international criticism over their handling of the disappearance of the Boeing 777 with 239 people on board during a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8.
Many relatives of passengers who have accused Malaysia of withholding information still believe those on board are still alive and say they will not give up hope while no debris from the plane has been found.
The country’s Acting Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein told reporters the report would eventually be made public.
“With public interest globally there is no way we can avoid making it public,” he said.
Malaysia’s cabinet has approved the appointment of international team to investigate the disappearance of Flight 370.
“It is imperative for the government to form an independent investigation team. It is not only competent and transparent but also highly credible,” Mr Hishammuddin said.
“As I constantly said since the beginning, we have nothing to hide,” he said.
The team will not be responsible for the ongoing criminal investigation, which remains the responsibility of Malaysia’s police.
