Malaysia has sent three maritime enforcement ships and a navy vessel to the area, backed by three helicopters, a Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency official told Reuters.
"Our aircraft asset spotted an orange speck in the sea where the last signal came from. We sent a vessel to search the area and it was confirmed that it was nothing," the official told Reuters.
Beijing-bound flight MH370, operating a Boeing 777-200ER aircraft, last made contact with air traffic controllers 120 nautical miles off the east coast Malaysian town of Kota Bharu, the airline's top official had said earlier.