KOTA KINABALU – Sabah leaders marked the 46th anniversary of the Double Six air crash today by demanding the federal government ensure the release of the final investigation report on the tragedy.
Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Jeffrey Kitingan, former Sabah chief minister Datuk Seri Yong Teck Lee and the Sunduvan Sabah movement made the call today after paying their respects during the state memorial at the Double Six monument, near Sembulan.
“It’s been 46 years for us waiting for the report (to be released). I have raised this in Parliament, and we are still waiting.
“We need the release of the full report on the tragedy. We all know the report has been declassified, but there is no reason (for the federal government) not to obtain the report.
“We are demanding for the report to be made public to bring closure to the mystery behind the air crash,” he told reporters today.
It has not been ascertained when the report has been declassified following the tragedy, but it involves the probe conducted by the aircraft manufacturer, Australia’s GAF Nomad.
The probe into the incident was speculated to prove that the crash was not caused by mechanical faults.
The investigative team from Australia was also accompanied by two Australian Transport Department officials, and the probe was completed in four-and-a-half months.
The Australian Transport Department had issued the aircraft’s certificate of fitness prior to the crash.
The report titled “G. Bennet – Sabah Air Nomad – Report by Government Aircraft Industries (GAF) investigation team on a crash of Nomad Aircraft in Malaysia 9M-ATZ on June 6, 1976” is currently being kept in the National Archive of Australia.
It is learnt that the report falls under series B5535 along with the restriction number of 33 (1) (a) because “Malaysia has not yet publicly released their final and full report of the investigation.”
Eleven people on board the GAF Nomad aircraft perished on the fateful day.
They include prominent Sabah leaders, namely the then Sabah chief minister Tun Fuad Stephens, state finance minister Salleh Sulong, state local government and housing minister Peter Mojuntin, state public works and communications minister Chong Thien Vun, assistant minister to the chief minister Darius Binion and permanent secretary of the state finance ministry Wahid Peter Andu.
Others who died were Syed Hussien Wafa (director of the Economic Planning Unit), Ishak Atan (executive assistant to then federal minister Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah), Capt Gandhi Nathan (pilot), Said Mohamed (Fuad’s guard) and Johari Stephens (eldest son of Fuad).
The crash occurred while they were travelling home from Labuan to Kota Kinabalu on the GAF Nomad aircraft after their Berjaya party won the 1976 polls, ousting Usno, led by the late Mustapha Datu Harun.
The secrecy revolving around the crash led to much speculation and numerous allegations such as an assassination plot against Sabah leaders and a secret bid to seize Sabah’s oil and gas wealth.
The group had previously met with Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, who was Petronas chairman at the time, to discuss the oil agreement and it was believed a 10% payback was put on the table but Fuad refused.
It was also speculated the aircraft was overloaded when it took off from Labuan. It was noted 11 people were on board the aircraft when it can only carry six.
Former Sabah chief minister Datuk Seri Yong Teck Lee, who also demanded the full release of the probe’s report, said it will fill the void which is an important part of Sabah’s history.
Yong, who is an appointed Sabah assemblyman, said he too had raised the matter in the Sabah assembly in the latest sitting.
“The chief minister’s official reply at the assembly was that the government will consider.
“So, we will be pursuing this matter. It is just a matter of the Sabah government asking Putrajaya to inform the government of Australia to release the report,” he said.
According to him, he had personally written to the Australian government for the release of the final report and the response was “to protect the relation with a commonwealth country.”
“In other words, Australia does not want to sever ties with Malaysia. The commonwealth country in reference in this case is Malaysia. If the request had come from the Malaysian government, I think they (Australia) would release the report.
“But the federal government doesn’t seem to be responding to our calls, in spite of the fact that many MPs have brought the matter to Parliament. We are looking for the truth.
“Why is it so sensitive for the report to be made public?” he asked, adding that he expects the GRS-BN government to officially make the request to the federal government.
Yong also dismissed the claim that overloading was the cause of the crash, saying it is merely speculation and that all will be clear once the full report is released and made public. – The Vibes, June 6, 2022
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