Japan to assist as long as needed

KUALA LUMPUR: Japan has promised to continue assisting Malaysia to find Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 which has been missing for more than a month.

“Well ... as long as the Malaysian government needs,” Japan’s Ambassador to Malaysia Dr Makio Miyagawa responded when asked how long Tokyo would help Malaysia in this endeavour.

He was met by reporters after he had called on Acting Transport Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein here yesterday.

Miyagawa commended the Malaysian government’s efforts in co- ordinating the ongoing search operation which was into its 34th day yesterday.

“I think the Malaysian government has been doing very well. We commend the efforts,” said the newlyappointed envoy.

Miyagawa said the MH370 tragedy was unique and therefore needed strong collaboration among the international community.

The Japan Maritime SelfDefence Force yesterday deployed two P3 Orion aircraft with 40 crew members to Perth, Australia, to join the multinational search for the missing Malaysian jetliner.

Flight MH370, carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew, left the KL International Airport at 12.41am on March 8 and disappeared from radar screens about an hour later, while over the South China Sea.

The Boeing 777 plane was to have arrived in Beijing at 6.30am on the same day. but is said to have veered off course and ‘ended in the southern Indian Ocean’. — Bernama