KUALA LUMPUR, MAY 30 (DNA) – The hunt for Flight MH370 may resume if new evidence comes to light, Malaysia’s prime minister said Wednesday, as a private search for the plane draws to a close.

The Malaysia Airlines jet vanished in March 2014 with 239 people — mostly from China — on board, en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

US exploration firm Ocean Infinity was contracted for a three-month search for the Boeing 777 on a “no find, no fee basis”, which is set to end in the coming days after finding no sign of the wreckage.

We understand the feelings of the relatives but we cannot allow the search to go on forever.

The private search came after an Australian-led hunt, which covered a vast area of the southern Indian Ocean and was the most expensive in aviation history, was suspended last year.

Mahathir Mohamad, who became Malaysia’s premier for a second time after a shock election victory, indicated the government had no plans at the moment to resume the hunt.

“We have come to a stage where we cannot keep searching for something we cannot find,” he told a press conference.

“We understand the feelings of the relatives but we cannot allow the search to go on forever.”

But he added: “If we find any new information, we may resume the search.”