PETALING JAYA, Dec 7 — Malaysian aviation investigators have collected six pieces of suspected MH370 debris in Madagascar, two days after seven family members of victims arrived on the island on their self-funded search.

The family members believe the investigators were prompted to go to Madagascar because of their trip, but Department of Civil Aviation director-general Datuk Seri Azharuddin Abdul Rahman called it a "coincidence”.

Azharuddin told Malay Mail a Malaysian foreign mission near Madagascar was assisting in the retrieval of the debris.

"We also have an agreement with the authorities there that if there is debris found, they will inform us,” he said.

He said the six pieces of debris and personal items were handed over to investigators on Monday, who would bring them back to Malaysia.

"For the debris, we will discuss with our Australian counterparts and hand the personal items to the police.”

Azharuddin said the authorities would be taking a close look at some personal items found as they were "very important”.

"It’s not that we don’t want to take the debris. It’s far away, time consuming and costly to do so. We also have to get visa’s done and engage with the authorities before hand,” he said.

"We want to sign a memorandum of understanding between the countries (which have been discovering suspected debris) but that is not something we can do in just a month.”

Lawyer Grace Nathan, whose mother Anne Daisy was aboard the missing aircraft, posted on Facebook yesterday that the Malaysian investigators arrived in Madagascar after debris had been left for six months.

"Malaysian investigators arrived in Madagascar yesterday to collect debris, we are grateful that our initiative to come to Madagascar prompted the authorities to act,” she said.

The group, with the assistance of independent investigator Blaine Alan Gibson, had decided to go to Madagascar, Mozambique and Tanzania out of frustration over the inaction of authorities to search for the jet in the area where the debris was found.

Gibson was instrumental in the discovery of debris and personal effects on the islands south of Africa.

Grace yesterday also posted that they had held a press conference in French and English, and had exhibited maps and pieces of debris to raise awareness about "where to look, what to look for, and how to handle any debris found”.

She said they would split into three groups and be travelling to Tamatave, Isle of St Marie and Nosy Be island to cover as much ground possible to search for debris.

"Please keep us in your thoughts. If you have any information or contacts in these areas we would be grateful if you could share them with us,” she said.

The flight, carrying 239 passengers and crew, disappeared on its way from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8, 2014.

It sparked the world’s biggest international search in the southern Indian Ocean, covering more than 110,000 square kilometres. The search is ongoing but has been scaled down.