AA, if I remember right they were Iranian "refugees", both looking to start a new life in Europe. One of them has a mother living in Germany.
I think they had to take a crazy route (and use fake passports) to avoid detection from being sent back to Iran. Has it ever been said how they got to Malaysia in the first place? I know they were visiting another person from Iran while there.
From a story about passengers-
They were both young Iranian men seeking a new life far from home, in Europe.
Eighteen-year-old Pouria Nour Mohammad Mehrdad was hoping to join his mother in Germany - he chose a long and circuitous route from Iran to Kuala Lumpur, to transit through Beijing and onwards to Amsterdam and then Frankfurt.
"His mother was waiting for him," officials said, confirming she had been in touch with the authorities.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-26503469