No evidence

Some family members are unwilling to accept the Malaysian government's conclusion that Flight MH370 was lost, arguing no evidence has been found to support the claim. On January 29, Malaysia's Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) officially declared the flight was an accident, adding that all 239 people on board were presumed dead. The announcement is in accordance with international aviation rules that allow families of the passengers to obtain compensation. Malaysian officials said they had not ruled out foul play and that the recovery of the missing aircraft remained a priority.

The fate of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 has been shrouded in mystery ever since the passenger jet left Kuala Lumpur for Beijing in the early morning hours of March 8 with 239 people on board. While the Boeing 777 is believed to have crashed in the southern Indian Ocean, international search efforts have so far failed to provide any clues as to what happened to the plane.

In a DW interview, Sarah Bajc, whose partner Philip Wood was on board the flight, talks about what she views as contradictions in the Malaysian government's statements and why she refuses to believe the disappearance was an accident.

DW: What is your view on the Malaysian government's claim that the plain has disappeared and that there are no survivors?

Sarah Bajc: They are trying to wash their hands off it. There is no evidence it was an accident, but that is the most convenient excuse for them. Just a few months ago, they were claiming the plane was potentially hijacked.

There is ample evidence that the lack of proper response from Malaysia Airlines, air traffic control, and the Malaysian military is directly responsible for the plane being allowed to disappear.

The declaration could allow compensation payment for the relatives of the victims. Is that an option for many of the victims' relatives?

Some people are having financial difficulties. Of course they should be receiving assistance, but that could have been done through other means.

Are you afraid that after this announcement the authorities would perhaps not be as determined to keep searching for the plane?

I believe that the Malaysian government doesn't want the plane to be found, and that they have interfered to that end. The only possible outcome of the plane being found is increased liability for them.

It's been ten months now since the disappearance. How has this event changed your life and how have efforts to launch an independent investigation worked out?

My life partner is missing. That leaves a huge hole in my daily life and in my future. Beyond that terrible, ambiguous loss, I am permanently scarred by the cruel handling of the case by the authorities.

On March 7, one day before the anniversary of the plane's disappearance, the DCA plans to release an interim report on its investigation. What do you expect to find in that report?

Probably more of what was in the preliminary report: many contradictions and demonstrations of incompetence.

Sarah Bajc's partner Philip Wood is among the 239 passengers on missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370. Feeling misled by the investigating authorities, she and others have been campaigning to raise money for a whistleblower.

The interview was conducted by Gabriel Domínguez.