SEPANG, March 16 — All 227 passengers on Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 were cleared by several security agencies vetting the backgrounds of those on board, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said today.

Among the countries whose security agencies have given the passengers a clean bill of health include India and China, whose nationals made up the bulk of the 239 people on board.

But the Malaysian police chief said the ongoing investigation, which has been classified under Section 130C of the Penal Code dealing with hijacking, sabotage, terrorism, and all offences under the Aviation Offences Act, still encompassed all those aboard the flight.

“There have been no negative records,” Khalid told reporters here today, referring to the passengers.

He, however, declined to identify the foreign intelligence agencies that had cleared the passengers.

When asked if this meant that the focus of the investigation would shift to pilot Zaharie Ahmad Shah and co-pilot Fariq Abdul Hamid, Khalid insisted that the probe will cover everyone aboard the Boeing 777-200ER.

Acting Transport Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, who was also at the press conference, said that according to MAS, Zaharie and Fariq did not request to fly together on MH370.

“I cannot comment on speculative theories as to what might have caused the deviation from the original flight path, as I do not wish to prejudice the ongoing investigation,” he said.

“Out of respect to the families, and the process itself, we must wait for the investigation to run its course,” Hishammuddin added.

Khalid said that the police have taken Zaharie’s flight simulator during their search of his home yesterday, and reassembled it for “experts” to investigate.

Local newspapers reported today that Zaharie, a veteran pilot who has been with MAS for over three decades, had assembled the Boeing 777 flight simulator on his own.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said yesterday that MH370 was diverted deliberately after someone on board switched off the plane’s communications systems, an act which experts say would require extensive flight experience.

He also said investigation into the disappearance of MH370 will now refocus on the crew and passengers.

*An earlier version of this article incorrectly referred to Section 130C of the Penal Code as Section 130 (c).