First rites set for MH370; Malaysia says 'face reality'

Mohamad Sharil Shaari, 36, nephew of Razahan Zamani, a passenger on the missing Malaysian Flight MH370, shows a wedding picture that he took of Razahan and Razahan's wife Norli Akmar Hamid, on his mobile phone during an interview near his house in Taman Sri Sentosa in Kuala Lumpur May 2. [Photo/Agencies]

Despite the most intensive air, sea and underwater search in commercial aviation history, no trace of Flight MH370 has been found since it vanished on a scheduled service from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8.

Almost eight weeks later, Malaysia Airlines (MAS) has said it will close assistance centers it has set up in Beijing and Kuala Lumpur for the families of the 239 passengers and crew on board the Boeing 777-200ER jet.

Many of the bereaved are Chinese.

On Friday, Malaysia's deputy foreign minister said it was time for relatives to be "realistic".

"We have been waiting to come up with a statement and all of us, be it the family members or the whole world, is actually looking for the answer," Hamzah Zainudin told a news conference.

The airline, he said, had been looking after and supporting family members in Beijing for 55 days.

"And that's the reason it's about time for us to actually accept the reality that the family members should go back and wait for the answer in their hometowns."

Families, Malaysian officials said, would be told of developments in the search and those who qualified would receive prompt compensation.

Some families in Beijing have left for home, but others were resisting.

"Do you think I will leave? How many things do we need to do if we go back home? What will life be like after returning home?" said Wang Bao'an, the father of a passenger.

"Our life has been ruined by this. We are not able to face our relatives if we go back."

Another relative, Zhang Yongli, said: "Malaysia Airlines has promised that they would not ask families to leave the Lido Hotel until they figured out what had happened and had found the plane. But now they go back on their words."

Families of other passengers were moving on.