Two boys whose father was a passenger on MH370 become the first people to sue Malaysia Airlines over the missing jet tragedy

Malaysian lawyer Arunan Selvaraj, center, who filed a lawsuit against Malaysian Airlines on behalf of two boys whose father was on ill-fated MH370, speaks to journalists outside a courthouse in Kuala Lumpur

A Malaysian family on Friday sued the government and beleaguered national carrier for negligence in the mysterious disappearance of flight MH370, in what is believed to be the first lawsuit filed over the disaster.

It was filed by lawyers on behalf of the two underage sons of Jee Jing Hang - Jee Kinson, 13, and Jee Kinland, 11 - who was on board the ill-fated Malaysia Airlines flight.

Gary Chong, one of the lawyers for Mr Jee's relatives, said the suit was filed in a Malaysian court on Friday.

The family is suing Malaysia Airlines for breach of contract, saying the carrier failed in its contractual responsibility to deliver Mr Jee to his destination.

The family is also suing Malaysia's government, civil aviation authorities, immigration department and air force for negligence.

The boys are seeking damages for mental distress, emotional pain and the loss of support following the disappearance of their father. He operated an Internet business earning monthly income of nearly 17,000 ringgit (£3,200).

'We have waited for eight months. After speaking to various experts, we believe we have sufficient evidence for a strong case. A big plane missing in this age of technology is really unacceptable,' Arunan Selvaraj, another of the boys' lawyers, said.

Chong said the family would seek damages but declined to specify a figure.

MH370 inexplicably disappeared on March 8 with 239 people aboard on its way from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing in what remains one of history's greatest aviation mysteries.

Malaysia's government believes the flight diverted to the far southern Indian Ocean, citing sketchy satellite data, but no trace has been found despite an extensive search.

Neither the government nor airline has revealed any results from investigations into the tragedy, and officials have consistently stressed that only the recovery of the lost Boeing 777 aircraft will provide full answers. ...DailyMail