Looking for His glorious appearing! Titus 2:13

Kuala Lumpur: After cautiously refusing to blame pro-Russian rebels for shooting down MH17, Malaysia’s Prime Minister Najib Razak used secret diplomacy to reach an agreement for the transfer of the bodies and black box recording devices from the plane to Malaysian representatives.

Under the agreement with Alexander Borodai, commander of the separatist forces in Donetsk, the bodies will be flown in a Dutch C-130 Hercules with Malaysian representatives to the Netherlands for identification.

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak. Photo: Reuters

The black box devices, which could provide an insight into the last moments of the flight were handed over to Malaysian officials in Donetsk early on Tuesday.

Under the agreement international investigators will also be guaranteed safe access to the crash site near the Russian border in eastern Ukraine.

Mr Najib has been criticised in Malaysia for failing to directly blame the separatists for bringing down the plane as anger grew across the country about the lack of dignity for the bodies, 43 of whom were Malaysians.

A rescue worker carries what is believed to be a flight data recorder at the crash site. Photo: Reuters

But he instead held a series of secret telephone calls with Mr Borodai who is believed to have said he would only hand over the bodies and black boxes to Malaysia.

“In recent days there were times I wanted to give greater voice to the anger and grief that the Malaysian people feel,” Mr Najib said  on Tuesday. “But sometimes we must work quietly in the service of a better outcome,” he said.

Mr Najib stressed the agreement would depend on work and good faith by the separatists but added they have “so far given their co-operation".

Alexander Borodai (centre) at the MH17 crash site. Photo: AFP

 He said only now could the investigation into the tragedy begin and the victims given the “respect they deserve.”

 Mr Najib has vowed to bring the Malaysian bodies home by next week, the end of the Muslim fast month of Ramadan, the most significant time of the year for Muslims. Under Islam bodies are supposed to be buried within 24 hours.

“We need to know what caused the plane to crash and who was responsible for it so that justice can be done,” Mr Najib said.

A pro-Russian rebel guards the train holding the bodies of MH17 victims. Photo: Getty Images

Several Malaysian ministers, including Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai, have been in Kiev helping to negotiate the agreement that achieved what more powerful nations, including Russia, could not.

Malaysia was already mourning the loss on March 8 of Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 that mysteriously veered thousands of kilometres off course and is believed to have crashed in the southern Indian Ocean.

Malaysian ministers and Malaysia Airlines have had to fend off accusations that MH17 should not have been flying over the Ukraine war zone, saying it was a normal route that was kept open by Ukraine authorities.

Malaysia, a Muslim majority country, has been played a leading role in trying to negotiate peace deals for insurgencies in both the Philippines and Thailand.

The shooting down of MH17 was deeply personal for Mr Najib, whose step-grandmother was on the plane.

The pro-government New Straits Times newspaper in Kuala Lumpur welcomed the news that the bodies would be flown to Amsterdam with a front page headline “Breakthrough”.