Sabah leaves it to authorities to declassify Double 6 tragedy report

By Olivia Miwil - June 6, 2019 @ 12:25pm

Sabah will leave it to the relevant authorities to decide whether to make public the full report of the Double Six tragedy. (NSTP/EDMUND SAMUNTING)

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah will leave it to the relevant authorities to decide whether to make public the full report of the Double Six tragedy.

The incident 43 years ago, in which a plane crashed off Sembulan while attempting to land at the international airport here, killed 11 people, including five Sabah ministers.

State Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Christina Liew said there have been many requests over the years for the truth about the June 6, 1976 event to be revealed.

She said she will raise the issue with Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal.

"But it is up to the relevant authorities to declassify the report.

"It has been 43 years. I personally believe (the authorities) have their reasons for not making the report public," said Liew, who represented Shafie at the commemoration of the tragedy at the Double Six Memorial in Sembulan here.

The crash, involving a GAF N-22B Nomad aircraft of Sabah Air, killed then-Chief Minister Tun Fuad Stephens, Datuk Peter Mojuntin (Local Government and Housing Minister), Datuk Salleh Sulong (Sabah Finance Minister) and Chong Thien Vun (Sabah Works and Communication Minister).

Also killed were Datuk Wahid Peter Andu (Secretary to Sabah Finance Minister), Dr Syed Hussin Wafa (State Economic Planning director) and Datuk Ishak Atan (private secretary to then-Federal Minister Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah.

Stephens' eldest son Johari and bodyguard Corporal Said Mohammad, as well as pilot Captain Ghandi Nathan were also killed in the crash.

The aircraft crashed into the shallow waters of Sembulan sea as it came in to land at the Kota Kinabalu International Airport.

The incident occurred less than two months after Stephens' party, Berjaya, defeated Umno in the 1976 Sabah elections and went on to form the state government.

Earlier, Liew said the simple and solemn commemoration of the tragedy showed that the people of Sabah still remember those who perished.

"We hope and pray that Toh Puan Rahimah Stephens and Datin Nancy Mojuntin (as well as other family members) stay healthy and well," she added.