Malaysia has announced the A$200 million hunt for Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 will end within two weeks, despite pleas that authorities push on with the search of a vast expanse of the far southern Indian Ocean.

"We're at the final lap within these two weeks," transport minister Liow Tiong Lai told reporters, adding "we hope we can still find the plane."

Mr Liow dampened hopes the search would be extended following a recommendation by investigators to search a new 25,000 kilometre area north of where it was first thought the plane crashed in March 2014 with 239 passengers and crew on board.

He said the imminent completion of a search of a 120,000 square kilometre area would end the most expensive and extensive search for an aircraft in history, in the absence of any "credible clue" suggesting it be extended.