PARLIAMENT The government has admitted that the families of MH370 victims were only given an hour’s notice prior to an announcement in late January declaring the MH370 incident as an accident.

The Transport Ministry in a written answer said that phone calls, short text messages and emails were sent merely an hour before the announcement, made by the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) on Jan 29.

The ministry said so in response to a question from Ramkarpal Singh (DAP-Bukit Gelugor) regarding the notice given to the kin before the announcement was made.

The Chinese next-of-kin of the passengers on that ill-fated flight, which disappeared en route to Beijing over a year ago, had previously complained about not being treated well in their attempts to meet Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai.

Meanwhile, the ministry also revealed that Malaysia Airlines (MAS) had paid RM28.4 million in compensation to the families of those on board the MH17 flight, which was shot by a ground-to-air missile while flying over Ukranian territory in July last year.

The payment to date had been made to 158 next-of-kin of those on MH17.