New MH370 search ops may cost RM296 MALAYSIA may fork up to US$70 million (RM296 million) in new search missions for missing Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370. Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Ab Aziz Kaprawi said the government, through the MH370 response team, was in talks with international subsea exploration company Ocean Infinity on the use of latest technology to search for the plane. Negotiations with the United State company include the cost of conducting the search for the Boeing 777 aircraft. “The government is in the process of evaluating fees to be paid for search missions. Ocean Infinity has offered to provide search missions on a ‘no cureno pay’ basis (payment depends upon success and the recovery of property),” Ab Aziz said. He said the negotiations touched on other aspects, including payment terms and schedule, such as whether fees would be paid after the wreckage of the plane was found. He said it was required that the wreckage be certified as MH370 by the plane’s manufacturer, Boeing. “These details are being looked into as the cost is high,” he said in a reply to Dr Tan Seng Giaw (DAP-Kepong) during the minister’s question and answer session at Dewan Rakyat. Tan had asked if the government embarked on new efforts to locate the aircraft. Ab Aziz said Malaysia, Australia and China, in line with the spirit of tripartite cooperation, would consider further search operations should there be new, credible leads. He said the final report of investigations was being prepared. The report will be issued within one year from the suspension of the search operation, which was announced on July 22 last year. On March 8, 2014, MH370, carrying 239 passengers and crew, vanished over the southern Indian Ocean after leaving Kuala Lumpur en route to Beijing. It sparked a massive underwater search in the Indian Ocean, which ended in January after no trace of the plane was found. Additional reporting by Arfa Yunus which would be announced today, would allow for more partnerships between retailers and the government to attract tourists. “We want to work with the government to promote the tourism industry. “We hope to attract three million Chinese tourists next year. A lot of them come to Malaysia because cosmetics and watches are 30 to 35 per cent cheaper here. “In China, there is a 10 to 15 per cent import duty and 70 per cent value-added tax. “Here, they get to reclaim the six per cent Goods and Services Tax,” Cheng said. The convention and exhibition brings together 2,000 retail delegates from 18 countries in Asia-Pacific. With the theme “Transformation, Creativity and Beyond”, the three-day gathering, which ends today, explores insights, trends and strategies in addressing customer engagement, shopping experience, loyalty and retail disruptions in marketing. SOURCE: NEW STRAITS TIMES | M/S:14 | 27 OCTOBER 2017 .