KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia might pursue further discussions with China and Australia to launch a new search mission for the Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 if credible evidence is obtained on the matter.
The Transport Ministry, in a statement today said, it would consult the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) on the matter after the latter completes reviewing documents produced by British aeronautical engineer, Richard Godfrey.
In the documents, Godfrey asserted that he had identified new leads to locate the missing aircraft.
Godfrey, in December 2021, told the BBC that the Boeing 777 aircraft crashed into the Indian Ocean, about 2,000km west of Perth, Australia.
However, similar to the ATSB, the Transport Ministry said it could not comment on the validity of Godfrey's assessment without third party review and verification.
"The ministry will be consulting the ATSB following the conclusion of its review.
"Any further discussions will be held with China and Australia based on credible evidence, which can lead to producing results in any new search for the missing aircraft.
"The ministry remains sympathetic to the family members of the victims and is also of the view that careful consideration and study should be given to any new credible evidence which may be put forth to identify the location of the aircraft," it said in a statement today.
ATSB Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell, on Wednesday, said the agency had requested Geoscience Australia to review the data acquired previous search missions to re-validate that no items of interest were detected in the search zone recommended by Godfrey.
Mitchell said the review would be concluded in the coming weeks and the outcome would be published on the agency's website.
However, he reaffirmed that the decision to conduct further searches for MH370 is Malaysian government's prerogative.
The underwater search for MH370 – that disappeared with 239 people on board in March 2014 – was ended in January 2017 after the three-year mission to scour the Indian Ocean floor hit a dead end.