MH370: Family support groups split over what to do next

(THESTRAITSTIMES)Theflightwith239passengersandcrewonboard-153ofthemChinesenationals-vanishedasitflewfromKualaLumpurtoBeijing.ExpertsbelievetheplanedetouredtothesouthernIndianOcean-believedtobethelikelycrashsite-althoughthesearchforwreckagehassofarfoundnothingthere.

Apieceofdebris,however,wasfoundlastweekontheMozambiquecoast,thousandsofkilometresfromthesearchzone,andisbeinganalysedforanylinktoMH370.LastJuly,awingpartfoundonanIndianOceanislandalsooutsidethesearchareawaslaterconfirmedtobefromtheplane.

MostChinesefamilymembersinterviewedbyTheSundayTimessaytheywantthesearchtocontinuebutarenolongerinagreementastohowtogettheirmessageacross.

Some,forinstance,makedailytripstotheMASofficeinBeijingtopressforanswers.Otherssaytheypreferrelyingmoreonthelawandpublicpressureintheirquestforthetruth.

MrStevenWang,amemberofthefamilies'representativecommitteesetupin2014,saidrelativesarenowmakingtheirdecisions"independently"ratherthaninconsultationasagroup.Thecommitteeisnolongerfunctioningactively.

"Weallhavedifferentconsiderations,"hesaid."Ofcourse,bandingtogethershowsunityandputspressureonMASbutrelativescanchoosehowtheywanttodoso.Smallgroupsoflike-mindedpeoplearenowworkingtogetherinstead."

InMalaysia,familiessaytheycontinuetokeepintouchviaaWhatsAppgroupandtrytomeetasoftenaspossible,butthishasbecomehardernowthatmanyaresingleparentswithyoungchildren.

Asatwo-yeardeadlinetofilelawsuitsoverairaccidentsundertheMontrealConventionapproaches,however,manynextofkinhavechosenthelegalrouteintheirquestforanswers.

ApartfromtargetingMAS,somealsoplantosueMalaysia'scivilaviationauthoritiesandmilitaryforlosingtrackofMH370,andatleastonewilltargetaircraftmakerBoeing.

MrWang,27,whose57-year-oldmotherwasontheflight,said:"InvestigationshavereachedastalemateandI'mhopingthatalawsuitcanreinvigoratetheprocessandbringmorefactstolight."

MrG.Subramaniam,61,thefatherofMalaysianpassengerS.Puspanathan,33,saidthefamilyissuingtheairlineandeightotherdefendantsforaboutRM32million(S$10.8million).

Butothers-42families,accordingtoMAS-haveacceptedtheairline'scompensationpackage.

Thereisacatch,however,toacceptingthepayout,saidMsGraceSubathiraiNathan,28,daughterofMalaysianpassengerAnneCatherineDaisy,56.

"Youwouldhavetowaiveyourrighttosueanyone-youcannotsueMAS,youcannotsueBoeing,"shesaid."Itwasquiteahugeclause,sothisismorelikeasettlement."

Familiesofcrewmembersalsoseemcaughtinatighterbind.NotpartytotheMontrealConventionastheywerenotpassengers,thecrew'snextofkinhavenomeansofsuingforcompensation.

MsJacquitaGonzales,53,wifeofin-flightsupervisorPatrickGomes,55,saiditwasdifficulttosueastheplanehadnotbeenfoundandthecauseoftheaccidentwasyettobedetermined.

"Ourlawyerstoldusthatwithouttheplane,wedon'thaveanythingtogoon,"shesaid.