The federal government has agreed to declassify the documents on the June 6 1976 plane crash that killed then Sabah chief minister Tun Fuad Stephens and 10 others onboard, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said today.
In a post-Cabinet meeting press conference, he said that this is aligned with the current government’s plight to uphold greater transparency that Sabah, the affected family members, and those in Sabah deserve.
“We have decided that the final report into the Sabah air disaster will be declassified. Further information will be disseminated by the government and Transport Ministry,” he said, referring to the Cabinet.
The investigation report on the “Double Six” plane crash, one of the darkest moments in Sabah’s history, has been under wraps for the last 47 years.
The crash had killed 11 people, including then Sabah chief minister Tun Fuad Stephens, state ministers Datuk Salleh Sulong, Datuk Peter Mojuntin and Chong Thien Vun.
They were on a flight from Labuan when the aircraft crashed in Sembulan while approaching the Kota Kinabalu International Airport.
Among others who also perished were state assistant minister Darius Binion, Sabah Finance Ministry permanent secretary Datuk Wahid Peter Andau, Isak Atan (private secretary to Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, who was then finance minister), Kpl Said Mohammad (bodyguard to Fuad), pilot Capt Gandhi Nathan and Fuad’s eldest son Johari Stephens.