AFTER 42 years, the truth over the deaths of half of the entire state leadership from a plane crash could finally be made known.

Investigations into the “double six tragedy”, in reference to the date of the fatal plane crash on June 6, 1976,  have remained a state secret despite various calls to have the papers declassified.

But with the Warisan-Pakatan Harapan-Upko government replacing Barisan Nasional as the Sabah government in the May 9 elections, Sabahans are hopeful that the truth about the incident will finally be made public.

“I think a majority of Sabahans still want to know the truth… It is my hope the government will consider to declassify the investigation reports so as to end all doubts over this sad incident,” said Sabah DAP adviser Jimmy Wong today, after the laying of a wreath at the double six memorial in Sembulan, Kota Kinabalu. 

Each year, Sabahans visit the memorial which also happens to be the site where the aircraft carrying half of the Sabah leadership crashed, killing everyone on board.

The plane, an Australian GF Nomad, allegedly stalled mid-air before crashing into the sea.

The incident sparked rumours of foul play as the group was travelling from Labuan to Kota Kinabalu after concluding 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 and assistant minister to the chief minister Darius Binion.

Among others on board were finance minister permanent secretary, Sabah Economic Planning unit director and federal finance ministry private secretary Ishak Atan, as well as Stephens’ son Johari and bodyguard, as well as the pilot.

A probe launched by both Malaysian and Australian authorities were quickly classified as state secrets and placed under the Officials Secrets Act shortly after the crash.

The secrecy spewed many conspiracy theories, further fuelled by an Australian newspaper report that said the crash “smelt of foul play”.

A theory into the crash was that Stephens was killed because he refused to sign over Sabah’s oil and gas to the federal government.

After investigations by a Malaysian team were completed, a statement issued by the then deputy communication minister Mohd Ali M. Sharif announced that the crash was due to “human error”.

The findings of an investigation team did not reveal any technical error or sabotage as being the cause of the air crash.

Only on the request of the Sabah chief minister, along with consent of the victims’ families, to the federal government can the report be declassified.

“If the government wants the pursue this, we will give our full support,” said Sabah Star president Dr Jeffrey Kitingan.

“We want to know what is in the report so we can put to rest this tragedy.” – June 6, 2018.