INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Investigators have so far confirmed that three pieces of debris washed up on western Indian Ocean (File)Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia:
The hunt for missing flight MH370 is being reviewed and may be scrapped, Malaysia's prime minister said Wednesday, as the
country's new government seeks cuts in public spending.The Malaysia Airlines jet disappeared in March 2014 with 239 mostly Chinese people
onboard while en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.No sign of the plane was found in a 120,000 square kilometre (46,000 square mile) sea
search zone and the Australian-led hunt, the largest in aviation history, was suspended in January last year.The former Malaysian government
struck a "no find, no fee" deal with exploration firm Ocean Infinity to resume the search in an area north of the original zone, that
scientists now believe is the likeliest crash site.The search restarted in January and Ocean Infinity stands to make as much as $70 million
if the jet is found.However Malaysia's new government, which came to power after a surprise election victory on May 9, said they may not
continue the deal."We are reviewing the contract," Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad told reporters after chairing his first cabinet meeting
since the poll."We may terminate it if it's not useful."The new administration has said the country's finances are in bad shape partly due
to allegations that billions of dollars were looted from a state fund by ousted leader Najib Razak and his cronies.Najib is now being probed
over his role in the scandal
He denies any wrongdoing.Mahathir announced Wednesday that members of the cabinet would have their base salaries cut by 10 percent to
demonstrate the government was concerned about the nation's finances.Mahathir's coalition, the Pact of Hope, unseated the once-powerful
Barisan Nasional, which had ruled the country uninterrupted for 61 years.(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by
TheIndianSubcontinent staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
