The Voice370 group said on Sunday that a spokeswoman, Danica Weeks, would deliver personal letters to Malaysian Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai, asking him to resume the search which was called off last week.

"I will be receiving their letter today, I'll be meeting her and we hope that we can have a good discussion," Liow told reporters in the Western Australian state capital Perth on Monday.

The Boeing 777 jet disappeared in March 2014 en route to Beijing from the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur, with 239 people on board, sparking one of the world's great aviation mysteries.

Joined in Perth by counterparts from China and Australia to welcome ashore crew members from the returned Fugro Equator search vessel, Liow reiterated that the underwater search would only be restarted if "credible new evidence" as to the plane's whereabouts was discovered.

"We will continue to work on the debris. We are committed to continue with the search for the debris, and from today on we hope we can get more credible evidence," said Liow at a news conference on the dock where the last search vessel is now moored after ending its voyage.

REUTERS