KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said on Wednesday that the search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 that ended this week with no trace found may be resumed if new clues come to light.
Flight MH370, carrying 239 people, vanished on a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8, 2014, becoming one of the world's greatest aviation mysteries.
"We have to come to a stage where we cannot keep searching for something we cannot find," Mahathir told a news conference.
"If we find any new information, we may resume the search," he said.
A search by U.S. seabed exploration firm Ocean Infinity, which had scoured the southern Indian Ocean for the aircraft since January, ended on Tuesday.
A previous A$200-million ($159 million) search by Australia, China and Malaysia across a 120,000 square-kilometre (46,332 square mile) expanse of the Indian Ocean last year was also fruitless.
Minister of Transport Anthony Loke said later on Wednesday the search had cost Malaysia about 500 million ringgit ($125.3 million).
Several pieces of aircraft debris have been found on Indian Ocean islands and along Africa’s east coast and three wing fragments were confirmed as coming from the missing Boeing 777.
Investigators said they were “almost certain" several other pieces, including some cabin interior items, were from MH370.
A full report into the disappearance would published in July, Loke said, adding that all data and information would be included and relatives of those on board would be given "full access" to it.
Families have urged the new government to review all matters related to MH370, including any possible falsification or elimination of records related to the maintenance of the
"My commitment is full disclosure regarding anything related to MH370," Loke said.
(Reporting by Rozanna Latiff; Writing by Praveen Menon; Editing by Robert Birsel)