As international pressure continues to pour on Malaysia, acting Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein has defended Malaysia's handling of the search MH370, stressing that international rules are being followed.
 
In facing more than 100 reporters at a press conference today, Hishammuddin said the matter is being handled in according to protocols set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) since the beginning.
 
In addition, he said Malaysia has done nothing that would jeopardise the search and rescue (SAR) efforts, and spared no expense and no effort to search for the missing aircraft.
 
"There are times when we have not been able to reveal information - for example, some radar signals -because they require analysis and confirmation by other agencies before being released.
 
"To release such information before it was ready could have compromised the investigation or the search efforts – and added to the anguish of the relatives. Malaysia has nothing to hide," he said.
 
He added the MH370 crisis is unprecedented, and the SAR effort has been a difficult and complex operation involving a multinational team of 80 ships and aircraft.
 
However, he said Malaysia remains focused on the SAR effort, and will expand and intensify it until the missing Boeing 777-200ER is found.
 
To a question whether he felt any progress has been made since contact was lost with the aircraft, Hishammuddin replied: "Until we find debris or more positive confirmation, I will never feel that we are anywhere forward."
 
CNN, NYT slams Malaysia
 
Malaysian authorities have come under intense criticism from the international media regarding its handling of the incident as well as allegedly offering conflicting information.
 
Prominent news organisations as such the New York Times and CNN has been among the most vocal critics thus far.
 
Earlier today, a CNN television programme The Lead had interviewed former US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) managing director Peter Goelz accusing Malaysian authorities of not adhering to a treaty with regard to handling the MH370 incident.
 
Both Goelz and the interviewer never named the treaty, but it is likely that they were talking about Annex 13 to the Convention of International Civil Aviation regarding Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigation, of which Malaysia is a signatory.
 
During an appearance on a talk show broadcasted on CNN, Goelz, in response to a question, said the Malaysian authorities' responses and actions were the "worst I have seen in recent times".
 
According to him, there is a treaty, which Malaysia is a signatory to, that spells out the actions which must be taken. 
 
"There's a reason for this. You know, anytime there's an accident, an international one like this, there's chaos during the first 24, 36 hours. That's why there's a treaty that everyone signs, the Malaysians have signed," he said.
 
The treaty, he explained, stipulates the procedures and process of how an investigation of this magnitude must be executed as well as how to involve other countries that have an interest and how to control rumours and release factual information.
 
"To this day, the Malaysians have not followed that treaty," he added.
 
Hisham: FAA and NTSB help sought
 
Goelz also noted that the Americans are not being involved in the search and rescue mission in the manner that they are supposed to.
 
Despite being there under an international treaty, he said, the Americans are not given adequate access.
 
"And that’s the reason why the radar data could have been mis-analysed," he added.
 
However, Hishammuddin said Malaysia is already working with the US Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) and NTSB to analyse its radar data and has also shared it with other countries including the US and China.
 
"We would not ordinarily release raw data from our military radars, but in this case we have put the search effort above our national security," he said.
 
He added that the FAA and NTSB found that based on the information available there is a reasonable basis to search the west side of the Peninsula in case MH370 had attempted to turn back.
 
"Under the circumstances, it is appropriate to conduct a search if the evidence suggests there is a possibility of finding the missing aircraft," he said.