The families of six crew members on a Malaysian passenger jet shot down over Ukraine nearly two years ago filed lawsuits against Malaysia Airlines on Thursday for negligence and breach of contract.

Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur when it was hit by a surface-to-air missile on 17 July 2014, at the height of fighting in the Ukraine conflict.

Balan Nair Thamodaran, one of the lawyers working for the Thomas Philip law firm which is representing the families of the six flight MH17 crew, said he had been instructed by to take out a lawsuit against Malaysian Airlines Berhad (MAB), which Malaysian Airlines System (MAS) changed its name to after the crash.

The crew members are Nur Shazana Mohamed Salleh, Hamdazlin Sham Mohamed Arifin, Sanjid Singh, Mohd Ghafar Abu Bakar, Lee Hui Pin and Chong Yee Pheng.

The families of six crew members on a Malaysian passenger jet shot down over Ukraine nearly two years ago filed lawsuits against Malaysia Airlines on Thursday for negligence and breach of contract.

Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur when it was hit by a surface-to-air missile on 17 July 2014, at the height of fighting in the Ukraine conflict.

Balan Nair Thamodaran, one of the lawyers working for the Thomas Philip law firm which is representing the families of the six flight MH17 crew, said he had been instructed by to take out a lawsuit against Malaysian Airlines Berhad (MAB), which Malaysian Airlines System (MAS) changed its name to after the crash.

The crew members are Nur Shazana Mohamed Salleh, Hamdazlin Sham Mohamed Arifin, Sanjid Singh, Mohd Ghafar Abu Bakar, Lee Hui Pin and Chong Yee Pheng.

Kuala Lumpur - 2 June 2016

1. Balan Nair Thamodaran, Lawyer representing the families of six flight MH17 crew talking with reporters

2. Local press

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Balan Nair Thamodaran, Lawyer representing the families of six flight MH17 crew:

"We have been instructed by the family members of the cabin crew of MH17, to file a lawsuit against MAS (Malaysia Airlines System) as well as MAB (Malaysia Airlines Berhad). We will be filling it shortly, we just arrived in court. That filing will take place shortly."

4. Lawyer walking to court office to file lawsuit

5. Reporters taking notes

6. Lawyer discussing with reportes

7. Local photographer

8. Camera viewfinder

9. Lawyer with reporters

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Balan Nair Thamodaran, Lawyer representing the families of six flight MH17 crew:

"We say that had they been more careful in choosing what path they want to take (Ukraine), they could have avoided this and that's the position that we're taking now. So the negligence is basically is not, I would say not, taking seriously the warnings that were given by the parties as to the possible trouble that they may face (above Ukraine). So that's what we were saying."

11. Exterior courthouse

12. Close of courthouse with sign reading (Malay) 'Kuala Lumpur Court Complex'

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said those who downed Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 must be brought to justice, as he made his first official visit to Malaysia on Thursday.

Poroshenko was officially welcomed by Indonesian Prime Minister Najib Razak at a welcoming ceremony in Putrajaya, just south of the capital Kuala Lumpur.

The two leaders engaged in a bilateral meeting discussing various issues, including the MH17 airplane tragedy, before giving a news conference in which both stressed the need to identify and bring to justice the perpetrators.

The Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 was shot down over war-ravaged eastern Ukraine, killing 298 people on 17 July 2014.

President Poroshenko is due to leave Malaysia on Friday for the next stage of his Asian trip, when he will leave for Jakarta, Indonesia.

Putrajaya - 4 August 2016

1. Various of Malaysian Honour Guard

2. Ukrainian President, Petro Poroshenko, and Malaysian Prime Minister, Najib Razak, listening to national athem

3. Poroshenko leaving platform

4. Media

5. Various of Poroshenko inspecting honour guard

6. Najib and Poroshenko arriving at news conference

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Najib Razak, Malaysian Prime Minister:

"We are also committed to finding out the truth (of what happened to Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17), and to make sure that justice is done and seen to be done, and on this basis we are awaiting for the criminal investigation report that is expected to be tabled towards the end of this year."

8. Najib and Proroshenko at news conference

9. SOUNDBITE (English) Petro Poroshenko, Ukranian President:

"We confirm our common stance on need to complete investigation of the flight MH17. This tragedy, and I'm absolutely sure we engage all the possible means to bring the perpetrators to justice."

10. Various of Poroshenko and Najib at bilateral meeting

11. Various of Poroshenko greeting Malaysian officials

12. Ukrainian and Malaysian flags

13. Photo of handshake between Najib and Poroshenko

Locals and foreigners joined in a prayer session at a Buddhist temple in central Kuala Lumpur on Sunday to pray for the victims of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17.

Although the session was a regular one, prayers were dedicated to the 298 people who were killed when the plane was brought down over eastern Ukraine on Thursday.

French student Baptiste Le Sommer said his thoughts were with the victims' families, who had had no time to say goodbye to their loved ones.

1. Various of candles being lit for victims of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 (MH17)

2. Candles forming words reading (English) "Pray 4 MH17"

3. Wide of prayer session

4. Woman praying

5. Monks leading prayers

6. Buddha statue

7. Various of people in temple porch praying

8. Exterior of temple with people praying

9. Locals and foreigners reciting Buddhist passages

10. Monk spreading holy water as a blessing

11. Woman praying

12. SOUNDBITE (French) Baptiste Le Sommer, 21, student from Sarzeau, France:

"I come to the temple regularly to learn the principles of Buddhism and today I am here to think about the victims aboard MH17, who left us so fast. I'm thinking of the families who haven't had the chance to say goodbye to their relatives."

13. Various of people praying

The remains of nine more victims of the Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 tragedy were brought back to Malaysia for burial on Tuesday.

The nine included seven Malaysian citizens and two Dutch nationals, who will be buried near Kuala Lumpur as requested by their next of kin.

Honour guards escorted the coffins, draped in Malaysian flags, from the Malaysian Airlines plane into special hearses to be sent to their respected burial places.

It's expected that these were the last bodies to be repatriated to Malaysia from Amsterdam.

The remaining Malaysian passengers are still classified as missing.

All 298 people on board died when the plane heading to Kuala Lumpur from Amsterdam was shot down on July 17 over an area controlled by pro-Russia separatists in eastern Ukraine.

An international investigation is ongoing, but no one has been arrested.

AP TELEVISION

1. Malaysia Airlines plane taxiing

2. Photographers taking pictures of plane

3. Wide of plane

4. Media filming plane

5. Hearse ambulances arriving near plane

6. Unloading crane being raised

7. Relatives of people killed in the crash seated

8. Honour guard carrying coffin covered with Malaysian flag

9. Wide of ceremony

10. Honour guards carrying small coffins

11. Relatives watching honour guard carrying coffins

12. Honour guard carrying coffin

13. Relatives watching and crying

14. Buddhist monks watching

15. Wide of ceremony

16. Honour guard carrying small coffins into hearse

17. Relatives crying

18. Wide of media filming ceremony

19. Various of relatives praying

Malaysia is preparing to unveil the latest overhaul of its beleaguered state-owned airline, which is reeling from twin disasters months apart that killed hundreds of passengers.

Khazanah Nasional, the state investment company that owns 69 per cent of Malaysia Airlines, said in early August that it will announce details of the overhaul by the end of this month. Malaysian news reports said the announcement will come Friday.

Analysts expect Khazanah to slash jobs, drop money-losing routes to Europe and China, and replace top management.

Aviation analyst Mohshin Aziz said on Thursday that the company is on its "last legs" and that any attempt to cut routes to Europe and north Asia would mean a corresponding cut in staff as well.

A substantial revamp has long been likely for Malaysia Airlines, which was struggling with chronic financial problems even before it was hit by the double disasters this year.

Investigators continue to scour the southern Indian Ocean for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 which severed contact with air traffic controllers and apparently veered far of course while en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on 8 March with 239 people on board.

In July, 298 people were killed when Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was blasted out of the sky as it flew over an area of eastern Ukraine controlled by pro-Russian separatists.

AP TELEVISION

27 August 2014

1. Row of Malaysia Airlines parked at terminal

2. Ground crew at airplane nose

3. Malaysia Airlines logo on airplane

4. Malaysia Airlines plane being towed along runway

28 August 2014

5. Aviation analyst Mohshin Aziz at desk

6. Aziz typing

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Mohshin Aziz, Associate Director of research, equity markets at Maybank Investment Bank:

"It couldn't get any worse for Malaysia Airlines, basically at the last legs of survival, cash is running thin and losses that are coming out on a day-to-day basis is basically cutting its survival day-by-day."

27 August 2014

8. Malaysia Airlines sign at check in

9. Various of Malaysia Airlines check in counters

10. Empty check-in counter

11. Closed sign at check-in counter

12. Passengers queueing at check-in counter

28 August 2014

13. Aziz working with staff member

14. SOUNDBYTE (English) Mohshin Aziz, Associate Director of research, equity markets at Maybank Investment Bank:

"If they were to cut all of the European and north Asian routes, we're probably talking about easily one third of its entire network being clipped. And by that measure, a simplistic correlation, they probably have to get rid of one third of their workforce as well."

27 August 2014

15. Airport sign reading (English): "International Departures"

16. Various of Malaysia Airlines cabin crew walking through airport

A wake was held for one of the pilots of the downed Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 on Tuesday.

Friends and relatives of Eugene Choo Jin Leong gathered in his home town of Seremban to pay their respects, after his remains were returned to Malaysia earlier in the day.

All 298 people on board died when the plane heading to Kuala Lumpur from Amsterdam was shot down on 17 July over an area controlled by pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine.

An international investigation is ongoing.

AP TELEVISION

1. Picture of Captain Eugene Choo Jin Leong, one of the pilots of Malaysia Airlines flight 17, at top of memorial

2. Close of candle

3. Wide of memorial

4. Close of coffin

5. Close of incense

6. Group of pilots talking

7. Captain Azlan Aboo Bakar talking

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Captain Azlan Aboo Bakar, pilot for Malaysia Airlines:

"Eugene is a very gentlemen(ly) person, responsible and everyone loved him. I don't know anybody that don't love Captain Eugene, in the airline and outside the airline."

9. Flowers outside wake

10. Various of condolence messages

11. Close of order of service for Choo's wake

12. Close of sign reading (English): "In Memory of Captain Eugene Choo, The Coolest Motorcross Rider... Forever in Our Hearts, Forever In Our Thoughts"

13. Choo's brother in law Loi Kong Yaw

14. SOUNDBITE (English/Tagalog) Loi Kong Yaw, Captain Eugene Choo's brother in law:

"The incident, at first we got a shock and at the end you still have to accept it. What happened already happened, it can't be avoided, you have to accept it."

15. Visitors signing condolence book

16. Monk sitting near memorial

17. Condolence board where people leave messages

18. Malaysia Airlines staff talking

19. Close of flowers in woman's hands

20. Friend of Choo's burning incense and praying at wake

Malaysia will leave "no stones unturned" in its quest for justice in the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, the nation's defence minister said on Friday.

Hishammuddin Hussein was addressing journalists at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang after returning from Ukraine.

Flight MH17 went down on July 17 over Ukrainian territory held by pro-Russian rebels, killing all 298 passengers and crew on board.

Hishammudin Hussein, who also visited Russia and the Netherlands during the trip, said that Russia had said they will continue working with Malaysian authorities and had given a commitment that "they too want to find the truth".

He stressed Malaysia's own commitment to bringing back the remains of passengers of the plane that were still in the region

Meanwhile on Friday, the chief Dutch prosecutor overseeing the criminal investigation into the downing of the jet said the possibility that Flight 17 was shot down from the ground is the "most likely" scenario.

A separate Dutch air crash investigation concluded this week that the plane was hit from the outside by numerous high-energy objects, but stopped short of calling it a missile strike.

AP TELEVISION

1. Wide of Malaysian Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein arriving at news conference, zoom in

2. Mid of photographers

3. Wide of news conference

4. SOUNDBITE: (English) Hishammuddin Hussein, Malaysian Defence Minister:

"I must say that the Russians have indicated to me that they are working closely with us and they will continue to do that. They've given us, given me a commitment that they too want to find the truth."

5. Mid of reporters writing

6. Mid of cameramen

7. Pan from media to Hussein

8. SOUNDBITE: (English) Hishammuddin Hussein, Malaysian Defence Minister:

"No stones unturned when it comes to finding justice for MH17, to bring back the remains of the remaining passengers that are still there, not only from Malaysia but from the other nations also."

9. Mid of reporters writing

10. Close of cameraman

11. Mid of reporter

12. Hishammuddin Hussein exiting

Russia's Ambassador to Malaysia said on Tuesday that experts had confirmed that the black boxes of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 that crashed in eastern Ukraine "were not tampered with."

Lyudmila Vorobyeva said that Russia was not playing "the blame game," as claimed by some Western countries.

On Monday pro-Moscow separatists released a train packed with bodies of the plane crash victims and handed over the black boxes from the downed Malaysia Airlines plane, four days after it got shot down.

With body parts decaying in sweltering heat and signs that evidence at the crash site was mishandled, anger in Western capitals has mounted at the rebels and their allies in Moscow.

The bodies of the 298 victims, most from the Netherlands, have become a part of the conflict in Ukraine because they could hold evidence of what brought the plane down on July 17 as it was flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur.

AP TELEVISION

1. Car driving into Russian Embassy in Malaysia

2. Sign of Russian Embassy

3. Russian Ambassador to Malaysia sitting at press conference

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Lyudmila Vorobyeva, Russian Ambassador to Malaysia:

"The black boxes have been handed over to Malaysian experts and Malaysian experts have certified that they were not tampered with. That are the words by Malaysian experts."

5. Cutaway of Vorobyeva speaking

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Lyudmila Vorobyeva, Russian Ambassador to Malaysia:

"The rebels do not possess any defence systems that are capable of shooting a plane at the altitude of ten kilometres.They do not have this kind of systems. Russia has never supplied this kind of system."

7. Cutaway of media

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Lyudmila Vorobyeva, Russian Ambassador to Malaysia:

"In Russia, we are not playing these games that are our Western counterparts is engaging very much into - blaming someone and accusing some parties without any evidence. We are not doing that. We are calling for thorough investigation that could produce evidence of who is responsible for this tragedy."

9. Media filming

10. Vorobyeva leaving

11. Various of woman holding banner reading (English): "Justice for MH 17" in front of Russian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur

13. Security in front of embassy

Uncertainty and agonising waiting are still woven into the fabric of life for many relatives of the victims of last year's Malaysia Airlines crash in eastern Ukraine, a year after the incident.

The families of the 298 people killed when MH 17 was brought down on July 17, 2014 are still awaiting conclusive answers to their questions about the crash: Who brought down the plane? Will the perpetrators ever face justice? Why was the Boeing 777 flying over a war zone where just three days earlier an Antonov-24 military transport plane was blown out of the sky?

In Malaysia, family members of Dora Shahila Kassim are still coming to grips with the tragic event.

Dora was the Chief stewardess on board the flight.

For her mother, Hasnah Mohammad Yusof, moving forward has been very difficult.

"Its bad for me to think that way (that Dora is still alive), isn't it? But I just can't help it because there was no real farewell for her from me and I couldn't hug her for the last time," she says, fighting back tears.

Dora, a single mother, also left behind a teenage daughter, Nur Diyana Yazeera, who is 16 years old and currently studying at a boarding school.

Diyana hugs a pillow and sobs as she recalls growing up with her divorcee mother.

"I grew up without a dad and my mom was my dad as well. she was my best friend. I was close to her, now that she's not with me, its hard to cope with that," says the teen.

The Malaysian government held a remembrance ceremony in tribute to the crash victims last Saturday at Kuala Lumpur airport, which was attended by the families.

The families of the victims will also gather on Friday in the Netherlands.

Among them will be relatives of Dora, who will fly in from Kuala Lumpur.

A Dutch-led criminal investigation into the crash is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

Kuala Lumpur - 4 July 2015

1. Nametag of Malaysia Airlines flight attendant Dora Shahila Kassim

2. Set up shot of Hasnah Mohammad Yusof, Dora's mother

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Hasnah Mohammad Yusof, 72, Dora's mother:

"I don't feel like she (Dora) is no longer, you know...I'm just...every morning I was hoping that she will be at the gate there."

4. Framed certificate on shelf

5. Dora's name on certificate

6. Cutaway of Dora's mother

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Hasnah Mohammad Yusof, 72, Dora's mother:

"Its bad for me to think that way (that Dora is still alive), isn't it? But I just can't help it because there was no real farewell for her from me and I couldn't hug her for the last time and I couldn't see her for the last time also."

8. Various of Dora's daughter, Nur Diyana

9. Dora's nametag

10. Nur Diyana on her mother's bed

11. SOUNDBITE (English) Nur Diyana Yazeera, 16, Dora's daughter

"I grew up without a dad and my mom was my dad as well. she was my best friend. I was close to her, now that she's not with me, it's hard to cope with that."

12. Family photos

13. Close of family photo showing Dora with Nur Diyana as a toddler

14. Various of family photo showing Dora, her daughter and relatives

15. Dora's last photo with her daughter Nur Diyana

16. SOUNDBITE (English) Nur Diyana Yazeera, 16, Dora's daughter:

"Personally for me, I haven't had any closure because I haven't had a proper goodbye and I haven't seen her body and I didn't get to see her before she was buried so I think no closure for me."

17. Various of bag with Dora's picture inside

Kuala Lumpur International Airport - 11 July 2015

18. Screen at the airport, reading (Malay) "MH17 Tragedy Remembrance Ceremony, 11th July 2015 Bunga Raya Complex KLIA"

19. From left: Dora's sister Darlina Kwan, Nur Diyana and Dora's mother Hasnah

20. Wide of stage, flags of various countries being held by troops

21. Officials arriving with Dora's family in background

22. Nur Diyana laying her head on Darlina's shoulder

The Malaysian Australian Business council and the Australian High Commission organised a reception on Sunday for visiting Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott.

Abbot said Australian businesses must venture out in order to gain opportunities abroad, including in Malaysia.

He also said the way Australia and Malaysia "have worked so well together" in addressing the twin tragedies of flights MH370 and MH17 has strengthen the relationship between the two countries.

The ongoing search efforts for the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 were high on the agenda during Abbott's visit.

Malaysia aims to send a search team to the crash site in Ukraine of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 before winter sets in to gather physical evidence to prove that it was shot down, Prime Minister Najib Razak has said.

The plane plunged from the sky on July 17, killing all on board, while flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur over an area of eastern Ukraine controlled by pro-Russia separatists.

Searches of the crash site were halted on August 6 due to concerns that fighting in the immediate area was a threat.

AP TELEVISION

1. Tracking Prime Minister Abbott arriving at reception

2. Wide reception guest

2. Wide Prime Minister Abbott going on stage

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Tony Abbott, Australian Prime Minister

"We want our business to be going out to the world, because wherever there is a dollar to be made, wherever there is an innovation to be put into place, I want Australia to be there."

4. Mid of podium

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Tony Abbott, Australian Prime Minister

"The twin tragedies, or the tragedy of MH370 and the atrocity of MH17, but the way our two countries have worked so well together in addressing these issues reflects the underlying strengths of our relationship, which has been getting better and better over the last five or six decades "

6. Mid of Abbott talking to participants

7. Abbott talking to participant

8. Wide of the event hall

9. Mid of Abbott posing for photo opportunity with participants

Malaysia Airlines will cut 6,000 workers as part of a 1.9 billion US dollar overhaul to revive its damaged brand after being hit by double passenger jet disasters.

The staff reduction announced on Friday represents about 30 percent of its current workforce of 20,000.

Khazanah Nasional, the state investment company that owns 69 percent of the airline, said the overhaul includes the establishment of a new company that will take over the existing Malaysia Airline business and its reduced staff.

Analysts say the substantial staff cuts suggest the airline will reduce flights to Europe and China.

The airline will be removed from the Malaysian stock exchange and taken completely under the wing of the government.

Khazanah, which previously announced that it plans to take 100 percent ownership, aims to restore Malaysia Airlines to profitability by the end of 2017 and then relist its shares on the stock exchange by the end of 2019.

A substantial revamp has long been on the cards for Malaysia Airlines, which was struggling with chronic financial problems even before it was hit by the double disasters this year.

Investigators continue to scour the southern Indian Ocean for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 which veered far of course while en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8 with 239 people on board.

In July, 298 people were killed when Flight 17 was blasted out of the sky as it flew over an area of eastern Ukraine controlled by pro-Russian separatists.

The tragedies have scarred the airline's brand, once associated with high-quality service, though there are no plans to change its name.

The airline says passengers fell 11 percent in July from the year before.

In releasing its latest quarterly financial result, a loss, on Thursday, Malaysia Airlines said the worst financial impact from the disasters will come in the second half of this year.

Khazanah has begun a search for a new chief executive for the airline, which is likely to be completed by the end of this year.

Current CEO Ahmad Jauhari Yahya will continue to head Malaysia Airlines until its new incarnation is established in July next year.

AP TELEVISION

August 27, 2014

1. Various of Malaysia Airlines (MAS) plane

August 29, 2014

2. Azman Mokhtar, Managing Director of Khazanah Nasional (state investment company that owns 69 percent of Malaysia Airlines), arriving for news conference

3. Cameramen

4. SOUNDBITE: (English) Azman Mokhtar, Managing Director, Khazanah Nasional:

"I would like to announce the 12-point enabling plan for Malaysian Airlines System Berhad, MAS, to sustain a recovery to profitability and revive our, Malaysia's, national flag carrier."

5. Pan from cameramen to news conference

6. Mid of news conference

7. SOUNDBITE: (English) Azman Mokhtar, Managing Director, Khazanah Nasional:

"I think ironically and sadly, the events, the recent tragic events, as well as the ongoing difficulties at MAS, have actually created a perfect storm that is allowing this restructuring to take place."

8. Wide of news conference

9. SOUNDBITE: (English) Azman Mokhtar, Managing Director, Khazanah Nasional:

"It is a critical requirement that NewCo starts on a right footing in terms of its staff size and work practices. The estimation of a workforce of approximately 14-thousand represents a net reduction of six-thousand staff, or a net reduction of 30 percent from the approximately 20-thousand current staff in OldCo."

10. Khazanah logo

11. Mokhtar at end of news conference

Trading of Malaysian Airlines (MAS) stock was suspended on Friday after its largest shareholder, Khazanah Nasional announced plans to restructure the ailing airline.

Khazanah, which owns 69 percent, said the state takeover will represent the first stage of a "complete overhaul", and that detailed plans will be announced by the end of this month.

The takeover will cost 1.38 billion ringgit (429 million US dollars).

Malaysia Airlines has been hit by two major disasters this year, which added to its longstanding financial woes.

In March, Flight 370 from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing disappeared with 239 people on board after flying far off course.

The plane has still not been found, with a search in the southern Indian Ocean underway.

In July, 298 people were killed when Flight 17 was shot down over Ukraine.

It was heading to Kuala Lumpur from Amsterdam and was shot out of the sky over an area of eastern Ukraine controlled by pro-Russian separatists.

Before the disasters, the carrier's financial performance was among the worst in the industry, putting a question mark over its future even before its brand was tied to two almost unfathomable tragedies.

AP TELEVISION

1. Various of electronic stock price board showing price of Malaysia Airlines (MAS) shares

2. Close of screen showing price of MAS shares

3. Various of people gathered on floor of stock exchange

4. Pan of stock board

5. Various of board showing price of MAS shares

6. Man on telephone

The Malaysian government gave an update on Thursday on the search for missing Malaysian Airlines flight 370 and efforts to find those responsible for the shooting down of flight MH17 over Ukraine in July.

Defence Minister, Hishammuddin Hussein, said Malaysia would continue to "work closely with Australia and the Netherlands" in order to re-enter the crash site for flight MH17 before the onset of winter.

The plane went down on July 17 over Ukrainian territory held by pro-Russian rebels, killing all 298 passengers and crew on board.

Regarding flight 370, Hussein announced he is to hold further talks with China regarding the ongoing search for the aircraft in the southern Indian Ocean.

The flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing disappeared in March with 239 people on board.

The Defence Minister also commented on reports of alleged Islamic State (IS) activity in Malaysia.

Hussein was asked whether he had heard of any reports linking the BIFF (Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters) and the militant group Abu Sayyaf with Islamic State militants.

Both the BIFF and Abu Sayyaf are based in the southern Philippines near the coast of Sabah in eastern Malaysia.

Hussein told reporters he was not aware of these allegations, but any such reports would be studied very carefully.

AP TELEVISION

1. Malaysian Defence Minister, Hishammuddin Hussein, with reporters at news conference

2. SOUNDBITE: (English) Hishammuddin Hussein, Malaysian Defence Minister:

"We will continue to work closely with Australia and the Netherlands through the Combined Joint International Task Force (CIJTF) and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and other relevant authorities to re-enter the crash site before the onset of winter."

3. Photographer

4. Reporter taking notes

5. Media at news conference

6. SOUNDBITE: (English) Hishammuddin Hussein, Malaysian Defence Minister:

"I will hold further discussions with China next week with regards to the deployment of assets for the MH370 search operation involving two Chinese ships that was involved in the first phase of the search which is the Zhukezhen and the Hai Xhun."

7. Cameraman

8. Wide of news conference

9. SOUNDBITE: (English) Hishammuddin Hussein, Malaysian Defence Minister:

"I'm not aware of that report, but of course a report that involves ISIS (Islamic State group) will be studied by us very carefully, especially in the context of Sabah (Malaysian state on island of Borneo) and the context of BIFF (Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters) and Abu Sayyaf (militant group) recognising and supporting ISIS."

10. Various of reporters taking notes

11. Hishammudin leaving presser

The Malaysian Transport Minister said on Tuesday that a preliminary report into the MH17 crash confirmed that the aircraft was in an "airworthy condition."

Liow Tiong Lai was speaking at a news conference following the release of a report on the aviation disaster by the Dutch Safety Board.

Liow also said that Malaysia would pursue whoever caused the crash and would bring them to justice.

The preliminary report concluded that Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was likely struck by multiple "high-energy objects from outside the aircraft," causing it to break up over eastern Ukraine.

The report stopped short of saying the Boeing 777 was shot down by a missile, but its findings appear to point to that conclusion.

MH17 suddenly plunged out of the sky on July 17 over territory held by pro-Russian rebels in Ukraine, killing all 298 passengers and crew on board.

++QUALITY AS INCOMING++

AP TELEVISION

1. Malaysian Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai arriving at news conference

2. Liow and other officials standing at podium

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Liow Tiong Lai, Malaysian Transport Minister:

"The investigations confirm that the MAS (Malaysia Airlines) crew were qualified to conduct the flight and that the aircraft was in airworthy condition."

4. Pan of Liow at news conference

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Liow Tiong Lai, Malaysian Transport Minister:

"Somebody has to be responsible for this accident, somebody should have press the button to shoot down the plane. We would like to find out who is the person."

6. Two reporters at news conference

7. Liow and other officials at podium

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Liow Tiong Lai, Malaysian Transport Minister:

"So once we can determine the culprits then we will definitely demand justice and we will bring them to the arbitration or to the court. It can be international court or it can be Malaysian court."

9. Liow holding up copy of preliminary report into MH17 crash

10. Wide of Liow speaking at news conference

11. Three reporters on mobile phones

12. Liow leaving the news conference

Malaysia Airlines steward Sanjid Singh Sandhu was not supposed to be on Flight MH17 that crashed in eastern Ukraine.

But the 41-year-old swapped flights with a colleague to return home a day earlier to visit his parents.

AP Television spoke to Jijar Singh Sandhu, Sanjid's father, about the loss of his son.

"Nothing in this world can bring me back to be the normal person again. Now I realised losing a child, how hurting it is," said a grief-stricken Jijar Singh.

The tragedy came just 131 days after his daughter-in-law, who is also a flight stewardess, escaped death after swapping out of Flight 370 that vanished while en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

Jijar said Sanjid, called back on Wednesday just before he left Kuala Lumpur.

He spoke to his mother and told her that he would be back on Friday, when he would lunch with his parents.

Jijar said he and his wife were struggling to come to terms with the death of their only son.

"I always tell him, 'son, I love you one hell of a lot. You are my only son'. He will say, 'Dad, I'm 41, I'm a grown up man, I have my own son'."

Following MH 370's disappearance, Jijar said the family was worried for Sanjid and his wife, but his son, who has been flying for 17 years, was not deterred.

"He always tell (me) 'Dad, leave it up to fate. If it happens, you will have to accept it.' And so (it's) like this," Jijar said.

His only daughter, who lives in Munich with her husband, returned on Sunday to Penang to support the family.

AP TELEVISION

1. Various of Jijar Singh Sandhu (71 years old), the father of Malaysian Airline MH17 flight crew member Sanjid Singh Sandhu reading the newspaper with his wife, Jagjit Kaur Sandhu

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Jijar Singh Sandhu, father of MH17 flight crew member Sanjid Singh Sandhu:

"Is that extraordinary for the same airline to suffer this sort of fate within less than six months or five 5 months? I don't know why but whether the airline was ill-fated or my son's luck was out. So, we have spoken to him and he always tell (me) 'Dad, leave it up to fate. If it happens, you will have to accept it.' And so (it's) like this."

3. Cutaway of Sandhu's hands

4. Sandhu during interview

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Jijar Singh Sandhu, father of MH17 flight crew member Sanjid Singh Sandhu:

"I was actually happy that he was coming home and has made such arrangements. And after this (incident) I tell (to myself) 'Oh my God, oh my God, why did he have to do that?' But now I realised his love for his parents, his love for his mother's food and his religious obligation to Saint Anne's (made him swap flights with colleague)."

6. Various pictures of Sanjid and his family

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Jijar Singh Sandhu, father of MH17 flight crew member Sanjid Singh Sandhu:

"I will tell the Lord, 'God, I think He has played a very wicked trick on me, knowingly that (Sanjid) is my only male child, we are old, we are both (Jijar and his wife) above 70. To play such a trick, normally old parents expect ourselves to go first and our sons to do the burial rites, but this is just the opposite. Now, I have to do the burial rites for my son, which is not fair to me."

8. Framed photo of Sanjid

9. SOUNDBITE (English) Jijar Singh Sandhu, father of MH17 flight crew member Sanjid Singh Sandhu:

"Nothing in this world can bring me back to be the normal person again. Now I realised losing a child, how hurting it is."

10. Close up of Jijar Singh Sandhu wiping his tears away

11. SOUNDBITE (English) Jijar Singh Sandhu, father of MH17 flight crew member Sanjid Singh Sandhu:

"I always tell him, 'son, I love you one hell of a lot. You are my only son'. He will say, 'Dad, I'm 41, I'm a grown up man, I have my own son.' I said 'you might have a grand children. If I'm around, you are still my son and I will love you one hell of a lot. And I'll always love you and your memories will be in my mind until my very last day'."

12. Mid of Tan Be Jeok (Sanjid's sister who has just arrived from Munich) hugging her mother and father

Malaysia's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Anifah Aman, left for Ukraine early on Monday, to discuss the issues surrounding the downed Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 with senior Ukrainian officials.

Aman, who was leading a government delegation left at 00:30 a.m. local time (1630 GMT on Sunday).

He is scheduled to meet with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko to discuss access to the crash site and the recovery of the bodies of the victims.

International monitors say armed rebels have limited their access to the crash site and Ukrainian officials said armed rebels took 192 bodies away from their workers by force Sunday.

Aman will head to Istanbul and transit to Kiev.

He refused to answer questions from the media but said he would update reporters after his discussions.

Flight MH17 was shot down in eastern Ukraine on Thursday, leaving 298 dead.

The Boeing 777 was flying from Amsterdam to the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur when it was shot down, killing all 298 passengers and crew.

AP TELEVISION

1. Malaysian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Anifah Aman, (centre in pink shirt) walking in the departure hall of Kuala Lumpur International Airport

2. Close of Aman

3. Aman waving to media

4. Close of Aman UPSOUND (English) Anifah Aman, Malaysian Minister of Foreign Affairs: (asked about the aim of his visit)

"I will tell you after my discussions, after my meetings."

5. Aman entering the VIP lounge at the Airport

The leader of the pro-Russian rebels has agreed to hand over both black boxes from Flight MH 17 to Malaysian investigators who are in Ukraine, Malaysia's prime minister said early Tuesday.

Prime Minister Najib Razak also said that as part of an agreement he reached by phone with rebel leader Alexander Borodai on Monday evening, independent international investigators will be given "safe access" to the site where the Malaysia Airlines jet went down in eastern Ukraine en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur on Thursday, killing all 298 people onboard.

Najib said that as part of the agreement, the black boxes would be handed over to the Malaysian team in Donetsk at 9 p.m. Monday Ukraine time (1800 GMT Monday).

Meanwhile, the remains of 282 of the crash victims were being moved by train from the eastern Ukrainian city of Torez to Kharkiv in northeastern Ukraine, Najib said.

From there, they will be flown to Amsterdam on a Dutch C130 Hercules military plane and handed over to Dutch authorities.

"I must stress that although an agreement has been reached, there remain a number of steps required before it is completed," Najib said at a hastily arranged news conference at his residence just after midnight Monday.

"There is work still to be done, work which relies on continued communication in good faith."

The Boeing 777 crashed in rebel-held territory, and the separatists are being blamed for shooting it down by much of the international community, including the United States.

Najib said that following any necessary forensic work, the remains of the 43 Malaysian citizens who were aboard the plane would be flown to their home country.

Anger and resentment toward the Russian-backed rebels and Moscow have been escalating worldwide, including in Malaysia, where there have been calls for economic sanctions against Russia.

AP TELEVISION

1. Wide of Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak walking in to news conference

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Najib Razak, Malaysian Prime Minister:

"At approximately 9pm tonight Ukraine time (1800 GMT) the two black boxes will be handed over to a Malaysian team in Donetsk, who will take custody of them."

3. Wide of Razak speaking

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Najib Razak, Malaysian Prime Minister:

"I must stress that although agreement has been reached, there remain a number of steps required before it is completed. There is work still to be done, work which relies on continued communication in good faith."

5. Cutaway of reporters

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Najib Razak, Malaysian Prime Minister:

"I ask that all parties continue to work together to ensure that this agreement is honoured and the remains of our people are returned, that the black box is handed over, and that the international team is guaranteed full access to the site. Only then can the investigation into MH17 truly begin; only then can the victims be afforded the respect they deserve."

7. Media at the news conference

8. Wide of Razak speaking

Passengers continued to check in for Malaysia Airlines flights out of Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Saturday, two days after the state-owned company was hit by a second disaster in quick succession.

Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was downed over eastern Ukraine on Thursday with 298 people aboard by what US intelligence authorities believe was a surface-to-air missile.

Just four months earlier, a Malaysia Airlines jetliner carrying 239 people disappeared about an hour after taking off from Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

Adham Qalid, a Malaysian Airlines pilot at Kuala Lumpur airport said that he believed that the plane flew according to the flight plan which was "approved by the authorised bodies".

Passengers getting on a Malaysia Airlines flight to Brisbane showed little concern about their trip on Saturday but did express outrage at the attack.

"Well, it's just poor and it's murder. It's absolute murder," said passenger Kevin Squire.

The accident also killed a group of AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome) experts heading to Australia for an international AIDS conference.

The International Civil Aviation Organisation said in a news release on Friday night that it would send a team to Ukraine at the request of the Ukrainian government to assist in the official investigation into the downed plane.

AP TELEVISION

1. Various of passengers waiting to check in for Malaysia Airlines flights

2. Screens showing bag drop information

3. Passengers waiting to check in

4. Wide of departures hall

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Adham Qalid, pilot of Malaysia Airlines:

"All the flights have been done by the flight plan and it has been approved by authorised bodies. So, actually, it's legally, it is well legal within our flight plan, planning-wise. So there is nothing illegal about it."

6. Various of passengers

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Kevin Squire, passenger to Brisbane, Australia:

"Well, it's just poor and it's murder. It's absolute murder. I don't know why the plane was flying over Donetsk, to start with. And I'm just appalled that it's happened. How many women and children are going to keep being killed? And they have been killed in Ukraine, they've been killed in Palestine. You know so it's just murder."

8. Various of Malaysia Airlines planes on tarmac, as filmed through airport window

The new CEO of Malaysia Airlines said on Monday that the company is "technically bankrupt" but can remerge as Southeast Asia's leading airline.

Christoph Mueller told reporters in Kuala Lumpur that the ailing carrier could break even by 2018 after cutting staff, selling surplus aircraft and refurbishing its international fleet.

The airline is trying to sell two of its A380 super jumbo jets and has gone ahead with its previously announced plan to cut 6,000 of its 20,000 staff, according to the former chief executive of Ireland's Aer Lingus.

The remaining 14,000 employees have been offered jobs in a new company that is being set up to take over the legacy Malaysia Airlines business.

The carrier is being kept alive by an injection of funds from a Malaysian government sovereign wealth fund after double disasters in 2014 dealt a fatal blow to its already struggling business.

The Malaysian parliament passed a law allowing the airline to be restructured under Chapter 11-style bankruptcy protection.

Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 with 239 people on board went missing March 8 last year while en route to Beijing and no trace of it has been found.

In July, a Malaysia Airlines jet was shot down over Ukraine, killing all 298 people on board.

Kuala Lumpur - 1 June 2015

1. CEO Malaysia Airlines Christoph Mueller talking with reporters

2. Various of media

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Christoph Mueller, CEO Malaysia Airlines:

"We are technically bankrupt, we are technically bankrupt and that decline of performance has started long before the tragic events of 2014. So that the current shareholder, only shareholder at the time, majority shareholder Khazanah, initiated already a first restructuring project as early as January of last year, that off course was overtaken by the tragic events and after that the entire debate of course became more public."

4. Cutaway of cameraman

5. Mueller at news conference

6. Cutaway of reporter

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Christoph Mueller, CEO Malaysia Airlines:

"It was decided that not the government should own the company outright but Khazanah, its foreign investment arm. Today, the new Malaysian Airlines has undertaken the first last transaction. We offered not less than 14 thousand employees a new contract today. It might not look like the start up but in fact we will be the start-up. It will be the new legal entity, new shareholder, new strategy in large parts new management. Everything will be in fact new."

8. Cutaway of cameraman

9. Mueller at news conference

Three days after a Malaysia Airlines jet headed to the country's capital was shot down over rebel-held eastern Ukraine, it was business as usual on Sunday at Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

Lines of passengers stretched over several meters (yards) at the Malaysia Airlines counter.

Jo Boehler, an English passenger waiting for her flight back to London, said the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 "was a case of mistaken identity."

She also added that people should carry on flying.

Another traveller, Mr. Sze, who was accompanying his daughter about to fly to Brisbane, Australia, for her studies, said he believes that with international help the investigation into the downing will be conducted "in a proper way."

Meanwhile in Ukraine, international monitors moved gingerly on Saturday through fields reeking of the decomposing corpses that fell from the Malaysian airliner, trying to secure the sprawling site in hopes that a credible investigation can be conducted.

But before inspectors ever reach the scene, doubts arose about whether evidence was being compromised.

The Ukrainian government and separatist rebels accuse each other of firing a surface-to-air missile at the Boeing 777 with almost 300 people aboard.

Many see the hand of Russia, either for its suspected support of the insurgents or perhaps for firing the missile itself.

The jet flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur carried 298 passengers and crew from 13 countries.

AP TELEVISION

1. Kuala Lumpur International Airport departure hall

2. Line of passengers waiting to check in for Malaysia Airlines flights

3. Close and pull focus of line of passengers

4. Various of passengers at Malaysia Airlines counter

5. Tilt up of Jo Boehler, passenger from England looking at departures board

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Jo Boehler, passenger from England waiting to check in for Malaysia Airlines flight to London:

"It is worrying, but I think it was a case of mistaken identity. I think it is sad for Malaysia Airlines that they have lost two airplanes this year, but you know, we have to get on with life, don't we? We just have to carry on, we can't let the terrorists win."

7. Set up of Mr. Sze, Kuala Lumpur resident, accompanying his daughter about to fly to Brisbane, Australia, for her studies

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Mr. Sze, first name not given, Kuala Lumpur resident:

"I think it will be solved eventually. International pressure will be there to make sure that this whole thing can be solved in a proper way."

9. Low angle of passengers' feet walking at airport