KUALA LUMPUR, March 12 — China’s ambassador here today added to his country’s criticism of Malaysia’s “chaotic” communication on a missing jetliner with 153 of his country’s citizens aboard.

Speaking after meeting with the relatives and families of those aboard Malaysia Airlines (MAS) MH370 that has now been missing for nearly six days, Ambassador Dr Huang Huikang said what little information they have received has shown to be unreliable.

“At the moment, there are two problem areas: the information is becoming more uncoordinated, and all sorts of speculation, even lies, are flying around. This is not good,” Huang told the media present at a hotel in Cyberjaya where the families were staying.

The ambassador said requests have been made of Malaysia to provide correct information on the efforts to find the missing Beijing-bound plane and its passengers.

Huang said the embassy has also requested a direct line to the rescue operations, to allow it to obtain news first hand without having to filter through news reports.

The envoy later asked the press to allow the estimated 200 family members, who began arriving yesterday from Beijing, their privacy during the difficult situation.

“So I hope the media would try not to alarm them in these very trying times, to allow them to face such difficult situations in a quieter and more comfortable environment,” Huang added.

Earlier today, China’s foreign ministry expressed unhappiness over conflicting reports originating from Malaysia over MH370’s location.

“So right now there is a lot of information, and it’s pretty chaotic, so up to this point we too have had difficulty confirming whether it is accurate or not,” a ministry spokesman told news service AFP.

The refusal by the Malaysian envoy in Beijing to clarify a report that military radar had tracked MH370 to the Straits of Malacca — hundreds of miles from where it was thought to be — also caused tempers to flare in the Chinese capital.

This evening, acting Transport Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein acknowledged the growing complaints from China over search efforts, which he said was “understandable” given the number of Chinese passengers on MH370.

He also said the frustration expressed by families was only natural given the lack of progress despite a massive aerial and naval search for the plane and the 239 onboard.

Hishammuddin also denied there was confusion surrounding the search and rescue efforts involving 12 nations and headed by Malaysia.