Search area bigger than Australia

See one of the RAAF AP-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft that is assisting in the search effort for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370. Courtesy: Department of Defence

Still looking ... a member of Indonesia's National Search and Rescue looks over horizon during a search in the Andaman Sea. Source: AFP

THE search for the missing Malaysia Airlines passenger jet now encompasses an area slightly larger than the entire land mass of Australia — but investigators still have no idea what happened to flight MH370.

"The entire search area is now 2.24 million square nautical miles (7.7 million square kilometres)," acting Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said in a daily press briefing on Tuesday evening.

Australia has a land mass of around 7.6 million square kilometres.

The search area extends north into south central Asia, passing across far western China, including Xinjiang and Tibet, as well as south deep into the Indian Ocean west of Australia.

As the search enters its 12th day after the jetliner vanished with its 239 passengers and crew authorities say they till cannot discount any possibility of what happened to the plane.

Malaysian authorities are being urged to put domestic politics aside and focus on finding the plane.

Defence and acting Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein would not comment on the specifics of the police investigation which is currently underway into the pilot co-pilot, crew, ground staff, engineers and al the passengers.

"The search for MH370 is bigger than politics," Mr Hussein said, urging all sides of politics to unite "during this difficult time".

Searching the sea ... the pilot of a RAAF AP-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft scanning the surface of the sea during a search operation for the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370. Source: AFP

His comments came after opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has admitted he has a family connection to the MH370 pilot, who may have hijacked the plane in a political protest.

Mr Hussein called on all parties to put politics aside and unite in the hunt for MH370 and attacked the foreign media for stirring up politics.

He was asked if he might call upon his arch political rival, Mr Anwar, to help with the investigation.

"We have been very consistent. The Government's main focus from day one has been to search and rescue MH370. We didn't bring this up. In fact the issue of politics was raised by the foreign press, the Daily Mail and CNN. Our position remains this issue is above politics," Mr Hussein said.

And he appeared shocked then bemused at a question from the French media, inquiring if he was Prime Minister Najib Razak's cousin and was he protected.

"Where are you from?" he asked. "Yes I can confirm I am Najib's cousin. I don't know what I am supposed to be protected from.

Under scrutiny ... Malaysian acting Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein, second from right, speaks alongside Malaysian Foreign Minister Anifah Aman, right, Malaysia's Department of Civil Aviation director general Azharuddin Abdul Rahman, second left, and Malaysia Airlines Group Chief Executive Ahmad Jauhari Yahyain. Source: AP

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