KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 18 — The test results on four pieces of debris that could belong to the missing Malaysia Airlines plane, Flight MH370, are expected to be known in less than three months.
Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said the pieces of debris were found along the coastal areas of South Africa, Mozambique, Mauritius and Tanzania.
“We believe that soon, we will know the test results...just like on the piece found in Tanzania, which took two and a half months to ascertain whether it belonged to the (missing) aircraft,” he told reporters after opening the 3 on 3 Basketball Competition at Wisma MCA, here, today.
Last Friday, Liow said 22 pieces of debris had so far been found along South Africa, Mozambique, Mauritius and Tanzania. Two were confirmed and four believed to almost certainly belong to the missing aircraft, while the rest were difficult to be identified as they have no serial numbers or other details on them.
Liow said the confirmed debris from MH370 were a flaperon found on Reunion Island in July, last year and a piece from the wing found on Pemba Island in Tanzanian waters in June, this year.
Liow said the search for MH370 in the remaining search area of 10,000 sq km was expected to be completed by the year-end.
To date, the search effort has covered 110,000 sq km of area in the southern Indian Ocean, off the west coast of Australia.
Flight MH370 went missing on March 8, 2014 while en route to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur, with 239 passengers and crew on board.
Meanwhile, Liow who is also MCA president, ticked off DAP Member of Parliament for Jelutong, Jeff Ooi over his remarks through his Twitter account, which showed disrespect to the death of PAS spiritual leader Datuk Dr Haron Din.
Ooi had written, “Adios Harun Din, let there be peace.” Liow said Ooi should apologise to the family of the late Haron as his death should not be made a political ammunition.
“Although having a different political ideology, the late Haron had contributed to political development,” he said.
On the basketball tournament, Liow said it would be held nationwide from next year to foster unity among youths.
About 250 teams participated in the competition this time. — Bernama
