... Malaysian military chief has contacted us asking for help from the Indonesian government through the military chief, the naval chief of staff and the air force chief of staff to assist in the search efforts... "
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - President Susilo Yudhoyono continues to monitor the latest development in the search for the missing Malaysian Airlines plane with seven Indonesian nationals on board.

"I continue to keep up with the report from the foreign affairs minister on the fate of the seven Indonesian nationals on board the ill-fated Malaysian Airlines plane. Indonesia is ready to cooperate in the search mission," the president tweeted on his Twitter handle @SBYudhoyono on Monday.

Yudhoyono, on behalf of the government of Indonesia, expressed deep concern to the families of the victims, hoping that all ASEAN countries would participate in the search for the missing plane.

Earlier on Sunday, Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Djoko Suyanto stated that the Indonesian government was ready to help in the search.

Malaysian authorities have asked for help in the search for flight MH370, which carried 239 people including 12 crew members on board, he noted in a short message text.

"The Malaysian military chief has contacted us asking for help from the Indonesian government through the military chief, the naval chief of staff and the air force chief of staff to assist in the search efforts," he elaborated.

The Indonesian military (TNI) has warmly responded to the request and will soon send its personnel to help in the search efforts, he said.

"The TNI personnel who will be involved in the search efforts will coordinate with the Malaysian authorities," he said.

The Boeing B-777-200ER aircraft, which left Kuala Lumpur for Beijing, at 12.21 a.m., lost contact with Subang Air Traffic Control early Saturday morning. The plane is believed to have gone missing in the South China Sea.

Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak had earlier stated that the search for the missing plane will be expanded to the area where it last lost contact.

The Prime Minister added that the Malaysian government has deployed a total of 15 planes from the Malaysian Air Force to search for the missing Boeing B-777-200ER.

Editor: Ade P Marboen
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