Young Sons of Flight MH370 Passenger Sue Malaysia Airlines
Two children sued Malaysia Airlines and the government over the loss of their father who was on Flight MH370. This is the first lawsuit filed in Malaysia by relatives of those onboard the aircraft that disappeared eight months ago.
Jee Jinson, 13, and Jee Kinland, 11, are seeking damages for mental distress, emotional pain, and the loss of support after the flight, carrying their father Jee Jing Hang, vanished while en route to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur. He operated an Internet business earning a monthly income of nearly 17,000 ringgit ($5,200).
The lawsuit, which was filed by lawyers on behalf of the boys at the Kuala Lumpur High Court, claims that the airline was negligent and failed to pursue measures to ensure that the flight to Beijing was safe. They also accused the directors-general of civil aviation and immigration, the country's air force chief, and the government of gross neglect and breach of duty.
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The boys' lawyer, Arunan Selvaraj said, "We have waited for eight months. After speaking to various experts, we believe that we have sufficient evidence for a strong case. A big plane missing in this age of technology is really unacceptable."
Steve Wang, a Chinese citizen whose mother was on the plane, said that many Chinese families retained lawyers. But Wang thinks that none of them have filed a lawsuit yet.
"We are examining the laws to figure out how to best bring our cases—for example, if we should file the suits in Malaysia," said Wang.
"But without knowing where the plane is, evidence is lacking, and there are still possibilities that things may change. For now, it looks very difficult for us to bring a suit against the Malaysian government and its military," he continued.
The search for Flight 370 is believed to be progressing well, but an Australian official said that it could take many months because of the huge area involved. The plane is believed to have crashed in a remote part of the southern Indian Ocean.
As of the moment, no debris from the missing plane has been found.
