Malaysia says 'so far' no red flags on any missing jet passenger

Kuala Lumpur:  Background checks on all but three of the 239 passengers and crew on board a missing Malaysia Airlines jet have produced no "information of significance", Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said on Wednesday.

"We have received passengers' background checks from all countries apart from Ukraine and Russia," Hishammuddin told reporters at a daily briefing.

"So far no information of significance on any passengers has been found." he said.

There were two Ukranians and one Russian on the plane.

The Malaysian government believes the jet was deliberately diverted and flew for several hours after leaving its scheduled flight path - either north towards Central Asia, or towards the southern Indian Ocean.