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Kuala Lumpur. — Malaysia has spent 33,46 million ringgit ($10 million or R112 milion at R11,20/$) to date in the search and rescue operations after two tragedies hit its national airline this year, an official said.
Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai said 3 732 Malaysian civil servants have helped in the massive multinational search and rescue operations for Malaysia Airlines flights MH370 and MH17.
“Up till today, the government has spent 33,461,861.50 ringgit to cover the search and rescue operations cost to recover MH370 and MH17,” he said in a written reply to a colleague in the parliament.
Beijing-bound MH370, carrying 239 people, disappeared about an hour after it took off from Kuala Lumpur International Airport on March 8.
A multinational search operation led by Australia is being conducted in the southern Indian Ocean where the plane was suspected to have crashed.
Flight MH17, with 298 people on board, was en route to Kuala Lumpur from Amsterdam when it crashed on July 17 in eastern Ukraine after it was hit by a missile. The Malaysian state sovereign fund Khazanah Nasional also said it would pump 6 billion ringgit into the ailing Malaysia Airlines to rehabilitate the national carrier.
This announcement comes on the back of a controversial statement by commercial director of Malaysia Airlines Hugh Dunleavy who said the airline was working towards formally announcing the loss of the Boeing 777 next month. — News24.
Online Reporter