Missing Malaysia Airlines MH370: No official memorial service planned on second anniversary

Malaysia has confirmed that there will be no official memorial service for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 this year. Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai however said that a ceremony will be held in Parliament in 8 March.

At the 8 March ceremony, the Speaker of the House will give a short speech in memory of the tragedy, Liow told reporters on 29 February. No reason was given as to why the government has chosen to skip a memorial service for the aircraft that will as of 8 March, be officially missing for two years.

Flight MH370 which had 227 passengers and 12 crew on board left Kuala Lumpur International Airport at 12.41am enroute to Beijing on 8 March 2014. It disappeared from radar screens about an hour later while over the South China Sea.

The Boeing 777 aircraft is just a week away from becoming aviation's biggest unsolved mystery since Amelia Earhart disappeared in 1937. Despite sonar net scanning 120,000 square km of the southern Indian Ocean, nothing has been found.

On whether the search for the plane will be continued beyond June this year, when the search area is expected to have been combed through, Liow said that the decision will have to be made in a tripartite meeting between Malaysia, China and Australia.

Australia has taken on responsibility for the search of the missing Boeing at the request of the Malaysian government. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau is undertaking the underwater search for the aircraft in the southern Indian Ocean.

The lack of an official memorial has not put off families members of the missing 239 onboard the aircraft. A day of remembrance is being organised on 6 March at 3pm local time at the Publika Solaris Datamas in Kuala Lumpur.

MH370 Families Facebook is asking for videos that will be used to create a trailer for its Search On campaign. A number of the videos posted showed family members hopeful of seeing their loved ones.

In an emotional filled video, Niloufa's son who was on board the Boeing 777 said: "8th of March changed my life and many other lives. I have only one question for Malaysia government, 'What happened that night to MH370. Those lives are very important to us. They are our families. They are our sons, husband, mother. You destroyed our life, but you can't destroy our hope. We still hope to see them again."

Remitra from Malaysia says: "The search for MH370 must continue for the sake of the people who are still clinging on to the little hope that they have left. Miracles happen every day ..."

"This is an unthinkable tragedy," says Marion Murphy from the US.

Ewan from Scotland says: "The search must continue, the world is still watching and waiting for answers with you."

"For all the families affected by this tragedy, stay strong. The rest of the world stands with you and holds you in their prayers," says Kevin Kiani from the US.

Jaipreet Kaur from Malaysia posts: "We must not lose hope. We must find the answers and we must search on."