Malcolm Turnbull in tune with MH370 relatives’ requests to do more

Malcolm Turnbull has taken up the cause of the Australian families of MH370 victims with his Malaysian counterpart.

Danica Weeks’ husband Paul was on MH370. Danica with children Jack and Lincoln.

Malcolm Turnbull has revealed he has taken up the cause of the Australian families of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 victims with his Malaysian counterpart, making the disclosure following his receipt of a letter this week from a Queensland woman whose husband disappeared with the aircraft three years ago.

Danica Weeks, who was left a single mother looking after two young boys when her husband Paul was lost, wrote to the Prime Minister on Wednesday calling on him to press Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak to restart the search.

Mr Turnbull told The Australian he had already made representations in the interest of the families of the six Australians on board MH370, with his spokesman saying “the Prime Minister raises this issue with his Malaysian counterpart every time they speak”.

“Malaysia is the lead nation in the investigation into the disappearance of MH370, but Australia stands ready to assist in any way it can,” the spokesman said. “At present, the search for MH370 has been suspended, but if any credible evidence emerges, the Australian government will do everything it can in partnership with Malaysia to ensure the search is resumed.”

MH370 doubled back on a scheduled route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing 40 minutes into the flight, with its radar transponder turned off and radio contact terminated. Satellite tracking data showed it ended up somewhere along a band in the southern Indian Ocean.

At the request of Malaysia, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau ran what proved to be a fruitless $200m underwater search for the aircraft which ended in January.

While the ATSB has identified a new potential search area to the north of the last one, which it says is “highly likely” to contain the aircraft, the three governments involved — Malaysia, China and Australia — have insisted no new hunt will be undertaken without evidence indicating the specific location of the aircraft.

ATSB officials are known to be keen to resume the search.

In her letter to Mr Turnbull, Ms Weeks wrote of what she called “the daily torment Malaysia Airlines and ultimately the Malaysian government have imposed upon the families … in its dealing with this situation”.

“Time is no healer for us, that is a luxury only afforded to those who get a proper goodbye and who know what happened to their loved ones,” she wrote.

“I find it extremely distressing the Malaysian government’s inclination to cease searching and the perception they wish to ‘brush MH370 under the carpet’.”

Ms Weeks also expressed her dismay at the refusal of ATSB chief commissioner Greg Hood to release key material regarding the search for the aircraft.

Mr Hood has supported ATSB general manager for strategic capability Colin McNamara’s decision to knock back a freedom of information request from The Australian for assessments of the satellite data by experts, which the bureau claims supports what has become known as its “death dive” theory that the Boeing 777 went down in a rapid, unpiloted crash with 239 passengers and crew on board.

Mr McNamara said in his rejection of the FOI request that to release the material could “cause damage to the international relations of the commonwealth.”

In her letter to Mr Turnbull, Ms Weeks claimed the ATSB “is unwilling to be open about the basis of its findings.” Mr Turnbull’s spokesman said the FOI request was a matter for the ATSB.

The developments come as a Queensland barrister acting pro bono for some of the MH370 families, Greg Williams, is preparing an online survey to gauge their “satisfaction or dissatisfaction” with the performance of the ATSB, the Australian government, and Malaysian authorities.