Four MH17 families prepared to accept compensation, ministry says

KUALA LUMPUR, March 19 — Four families of those on board Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 are ready to receive a “full and final compensation” from the flag carrier, Parliament was told yesterday.

The amount given out to these families would differ based on their individual “proof of loss”, unlike the US$50,000 (RM175, 000) that was given out to 158 families in the form of an advanced compensation, the Transport Ministry said.

“At this time, only four families of victims of the MH17 crash are ready to make a judgement on the final compensation amount,” the ministry said in a written reply yesterday.

“In relation to the amount of compensation that has been paid thus far to the MH17 passengers’ next-of-kin, the full and final compensation that should be received by the family of the victims is subject to proof of loss that is unique for each passenger,” it added.

Over RM28 million has so far been paid out by MAS to the 158 families through insurance companies.

This was in contrast to Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai’s remark last week that a total of 164 next-of-kin of the downed MH17 have received advance compensation payment from the government as of March 6.

The ministry also explained in a separate written reply that all the family members of those on board MH370 were informed of the declaration of the plane’s disappearance an accident one hour before the official announcement was made.

“For the information of Yang Berhormat, MAS contacted all the next of kin of MH370 passengers via phone, short messaging service (SMS) and email one hour before the  announcement officially declaring MH370 an accident,”

This comes after Malaysia, on January 29, officially declared passengers and crew members of Flight MH370 dead, just under 11 months after the ill-fated jetliner’s mysterious disappearance on March 8, 2014.

The declaration was made pursuant to International Civil Aviation Organisation’s (ICAO) Chicago Convention, allowing the family members of the 239 passengers onboard to proceed with their claim for damages.

The news left families distraught, and moved some to demand that Malaysia withdraw the declaration until physical evidence of the plane is retrieved.

MAS was hit by two air disasters last year, with MH370 disappearing en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8, 2014 and MH17 shot down in Ukraine as it was flying over the troubled country.