Missing MH370: Police did not visit the homes of the two pilots

KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysian officials refuted media reports that police had searched the homes of the missing MH370 crew, including the pilot and co-pilot, to probe the possibility of terrorism and sabotage.

The Acting Transport Minister said the reports were "not true", and that the police had also issued a statement denying they raided the crew's homes.

"Reports suggesting that the Malaysian police searched the homes of the MH370 crew are not true, and the Royal Malaysian Police have issued a statement to that effect," Datuk Seri Hishammuddin told a packed press conference on Thursday.

On Thursday, Malay-language daily Harian Metro reported that the Malaysian police and Interpol had searched the family homes of the crew and were taking a closer look at a Chinese passenger of Uighur descent.

It also quoted senior police officer Hadi Ho Abdullah as confirming the investigations.

Earlier this month, the Uighurs - a Muslim ethnic minority group who live mainly in Xinjiang, a province in north-west China - were blamed for stabbings in a railway station in Kunming which left at least 29 people dead and 143 wounded.

The news reports said the pilots were also under scrutiny although there was no evidence showing possible sabotage so far.

In a statement, Datuk Hadi said the reports were false and that he had not given any statement to the media pertaining to investigations on the missing MH370.

"Such reports are invalid," he said.

Despite that, Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi insisted that the police had visited the homes of some missing crew members, and that it was normal for the police to do so during investigations.

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