Malaysia has been accepted as a full and equal member of the MH17 Joint Investigation Team which is focused on the criminal investigation into the downing of the Malaysian Airlines (MAS) flight.

The notification of the acceptance of Malaysia as a full and equal member of the team was conveyed by the Dutch National Public Prosecutor’s Office through its letter dated Nov 28, 2014. It was received by the Attorney General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail, today.

The Attorney General’s Chambers in a media statement today said the original members of the team are The Netherlands, Australia, Belgium and Ukraine.

Abdul Gani said he will be leaving for The Hague on Wednesday to attend the 3rd Eurojust Coordination Meeting on the criminal investigation process.

The meeting, scheduled on Dec 4, 2014, will also be attended by Inspector General of Police, Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar, he said.

Flight MH17 crashed in eastern Ukraine on July 17 as it was flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur with 283 passengers and 15 crew on board.

The Boeing 777-200 aircraft is believed to have been shot down over the troubled country.