Malaysian minister arrives in Australia to back MH370 search efforts

Malaysian Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai arrived in Australia on Monday to support the upcoming search efforts for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370. [Special coverage]

Flight MH370 disappeared five months ago with 239 people on board en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing and no trace has been found despite an extensive search in the southern Indian Ocean.

Lai will meet with Australian Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss and Chinese Transport Minister to discuss the upcoming search of the ocean floor.

He will also sign a memorandum of understanding with his Australian counterpart to "solidify the collaboration for the search for MH370".

"To reiterate, the search for MH370 remains a top priority for the government of Malaysia and we will continue to commit the appropriate resources required for that effort," he said in a statement.

Last week, Australian authorities confirmed an underwater search for flight MH370 would resume off Western Australian in September.

Dutch company Fugro won a contract to conduct the underwater search, which will involve the use of two vessels towing submerged vehicles to scan the search area.