As a multi-national search for a missing Malaysian airliner entered its 10th day Monday, senior officials of the Malaysian authorities involved in the search held a meeting at the Sama-Sama Hotel here.

It is learnt that Deputy Foreign Minister Datuk Hamzah Zainudin and Chief of Defence Forces Tan Sri Zulkifeli Mohd Zin attended the closed-door meeting. They were seen leaving the meeting room at 12.15 pm.

Sources told Bernama that representatives of the Transport Ministry and Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) also attended the meeting.

MAHB managing director Tan Sri Bashir Ahmad Abdul Majid, when approached after the meeting, declined to speak to reporters.

It is believed the meeting would resume at 2 pm and that representatives of the China Embassy in Kuala Lumpur would also attend then. The majority of the passengers on the lost Malaysia Airlines (MAS) plane are Chinese nationals.