EVERY year on June 6, Sabahans gather in Sembulan, Kota Kinabalu to honour those who died in the 1976 air tragedy that likely changed the course of the state’s history.

Today marked the 41st anniversary of the Double Six tragedy that killed half of the State Cabinet. The Sabah leaders were travelling in an Australian GF Nomad from Labuan to Kota Kinabalu when the plane stalled mid air and crashed into the sea.

They were reported to have just completed negotiations on a petroleum deal with the federal government.

They were Sabah chief minister Fuad Stephens, finance minister Salleh Sulong, local government minister Peter Mojuntin, communication and works minister Chong Thien Vun, assistant minister to the chief minister Darius Binion, and finance minister permanent secretary, Sabah Economic Planning unit director and federal finance ministry private secretary Ishak Atan.

Stephens’ son, Johari, Stephens’ body guard, and the pilot were also killed.

Every year, the family of the victims, government officials and Sabahans lay wreaths at the monument erected in their honour. The opposition also regularly demands that the government declassifies the investigation reports of the crash to bring about some closure.

Conspiracy theorists and opposition leaders persist in saying the accident was staged, while Donald, the son of Mojuntin, has repeatedly urged that their deaths not be politicised.

“I hope that those who come to honour my father and the others will come with a positive mind and not politicise the issue,” said Donald.

Fuad’s widow, Rahimah Stephens and Salleh’s daughter Kartina Sulong were also in Sembulan today, along with United Sabah Alliance (USA) leader Dr Jeffrey Kitingan, SAPP Yong Teck Lee and Parti Harapan Rakyat Sabah leader Lajim Ukin, DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang,  Sabah DAP chairman Stephen Wong and suspended DAP deputy chairman Dr Edwin Bosi.

Pakar members, led by Henrynus Amin, were also present.

Lajim, in response to Donald, said those who perished were public figures and although the families had requested for privacy, the government owed it to Sabahans to unravel the truth about the air crash investigation.

“For us who are leader there are two sides of life – one as a family man and the other as leader to the people and thus, the government owe it to the people to reveal the truth,” he said.

A week after the crash, Sabah signed the Petroleum Development Act that has since seen the state receiving a 5% royalty, or cessation money, on oil mined in Sabah,.

Over 600 of USA members also observed a moment of silence for the victims. – June 6, 2017.