HANOI, March 12 -- Vietnam is continuing its effort in searching for a Malaysian flight that vanished with 239 aboard on its way to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur early Saturday, said rescue officials in capital Hanoi on Wednesday.

An official from Vietnam's National Committee for Search and Rescue told Xinhua over phone that "Vietnam People's Army is implementing search activities as planned."

The aviation search and rescue command post under Vietnam's Air Traffic Coordination Center based in Hanoi also told Xinhua that Vietnamese aircraft have taken off from southern Tan Son Nhat International Airport in the morning for its searching mission.

"Vietnam is devoted to looking for the whereabouts of the plane, " said the official.

Earlier in the day, Deputy Transport Minister Pham Quy Tieu said at press conference on PHU QUOC Island that his country is suspending part of its search efforts for the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 pending Malaysia's response to its enquiries.

The Vietnamese side has asked twice for Malaysian confirmation and response over the widely circulated reports that it has found signals of the ill-fated flight and located the rear part of the Boeing 777 aircraft, but the Malaysian side has so far failed to respond, Pham Quy Tieu said.

However, some of Vietnam's search efforts will continue, added the official, who is also the chief coordinator of the frontline search command.