Malaysian minister talks to MH370 families about financial help
As submarine continues search, relatives are urged to submit a plan for cash assistance
The move came as an unmanned submarine continued to search for any signs of the Malaysia Airlines jet.
Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Hamzah Zainuddin met families in Kuala Lumpur to talk about where to go next. Financial assistance was discussed and family members were urged to submit a plan for consideration. He declined to elaborate further, but said a fund could possibly be set up by the government or Malaysia Airlines.
"We realise this is an excruciating time for the families of those on board," said Hamzah, who heads a committee overseeing the needs of the next of kin. "No words can describe the pain they must be going through. We understand the desperate need for information on behalf of the families and those watching around the world."
He added that he would soon visit Beijing to shore up bilateral relations between Malaysia and China. Two-thirds of the missing plane's 227 passengers were Chinese, and many of their family members have been angered by Malaysia's handling of the investigation, with some accusing the government of lying, incompetence or participating in an outright cover-up.
After nearly a week of sweeping the bottom of the southern Indian Ocean with sonar, the unmanned sub began its eighth mission yesterday. The yellow device has already covered about half of its focused search area, but has yet to uncover any clues that could shed light on the mysterious disappearance of the plane more than six weeks ago.