We won't let you down, say Abbott and Najib

The Australian Prime Minister says the Aussies will not rest until they find the missing MH370 jetliner.

PETALING JAYA: Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and his Australian counterpart Tony Abbott, today, reiterated their resolve to locate the missing MH370, saying that they were doing their best to achieve this aim.

Speaking at a joint press conference with Najib in Perth, this morning, Abbott said the Australian government, which is leading the eight-nation operation in the Southern Indian Ocean to find the ill-fated plane, will do 'everything that we can to solve the mystery'.

'We are doing our best, working on the small pieces of information and putting the jigsaw puzzle together.

'However, we owe it to the families of the passengers on board the ill-fated flight and to our good friend Malaysia that we will solve the mystery.

'We know that it is a devastating time, but we would not let you down. Although we cannot be certain for success on the search for MH370, we would not rest until we do everything we humanly can (to find the plane),' he said.

Describing the effort as a 'very difficult search ever undertaken' and the 'most difficult in human history', Abbott expressed confidence of the best possible outcome of the search due to the technical capacities of the various nations involved in the search operations.

'This is an extraordinary international effort and is an example of how the countries of the world can work together,' he said.

Najib, on the other hand, said the government knows that families of those on board the missing jetliner can't start to grieve until the plane is found.

'I cannot imagine what they must be going through. But I can promise them that we will not give up,' he said.

Commitment won't be forgotten

The Malaysian Prime Minister also thanked the hundreds of people who have journeyed thousands of kilometres to help, and said the world owe them a debt of gratitude.

'They have searched through stormy seas and freezing fog. They have sailed through storms to find the plane. Their commitment will not be forgotten,' he said.

Najib who earlier met sailors and aircrew at the Pearce Air Force Base said he also spoke to the commanders of the seven nations who were there to search for the plane.

'They told me of the difficulties of a search like this; of distance, and weather, and of maintaining morale over a long period.'

Currently, 10 aircraft and 9 ships are searching the Indian Ocean for any sign of the missing plane.

'The search area is vast, and the conditions are not easy. But the new refined search area has given us new hope,' he said.

He also thanked Abbott for accepting Malaysia's invitation for Australia to participate as an Accredited Representative in the investigation, and said they will continue to work closely with the Australian government to draw up a comprehensive agreement on the search.

'At this difficult time, Australia has proven an invaluable friend. The Australian authorities, like so many others, have offered their assistance without hesitation or delay.

'I would like to sincerely thank Australia for all they have done, and are doing, to find the plane.'

MH370 disappeared from the radar on March 8 while on its journey from KLIA to Beijing, carrying 239 passengers and crew members.

Investigators found that the plane's communications and transponder were deliberately disabled, and the plane flying away from its original journey towards the Indian Ocean.