‘Double Six’ tragedy: Memorial needs a proper monument, says Kitingan

KOTA KINABALU: It is time for a proper monument to be erected at the plane crash site in Sembulan that claimed 11 lives, including Tun Fuad Stephens, who was both Sabah’s first and fifth chief minister.

Deputy Chief Minister I Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan said he agreed with former chief minister Datuk Seri Yong Teck Lee’s proposal to place Sabah Air’s remaining Nomad aircraft at Sembulan’s memorial site.

The Nomad aircraft, acquired by the Usno-led government in 1975, at the same time as the one that crashed, is believed to be the only one left in the world.

It is still in one piece, Yong said, and occasionally used for mapping missions around the country.

“If it is available, why not. It would be good to have it (the plane) at the site,” said Kitingan.

Currently, the monument, also known as the Double Six memorial, features an archway and obelisk with a plaque detailing facts and names of the tragedy at Grace Park in Sembulan.

Kitingan also said that this event should be included in the country’s history textbooks, as suggested by non-governmental organisation Sunduvan Sabah.

“This event is a very important historical incident that has many implications for the state. There is nothing wrong with including it in history books. People need to know and understand what happened,” he said after attending the 48th Double Six commemorative ceremony on Thursday (June 6).

Fuad and several state ministers were among the 11 on board the Nomad aircraft 9M-ATZ, which crashed in Sembulan waters as it approached the Kota Kinabalu airport runway on a short flight from Labuan on June 6, 1976.

The tragedy had also been dubbed Double Six, referring to the date, June 6.

Apart from Fuad, the others killed were state ministers Datuk Peter Mojuntin and Chong Thien Vun, Finance Minister Datuk Salleh Sulong, assistant minister Datuk Darius Binion, Sabah Finance Ministry permanent secretary Datuk Wahid Peter Andu, Isak Atan (private secretary to Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, who was then finance minister), Kpl Said Mohammad (bodyguard to Fuad), pilot Capt Gandhi J. Nathan and Fuad’s eldest son Johari Stephens.

“This is a sad day for Sabah, not just the families of the victims, but for the entire state. What makes it even sadder was that they were returning from Labuan after attending a meeting to sign an oil agreement,” said Kitingan.

Despite the declassification of the crash report by the Transport Ministry last year, Kitingan said the issue remains a mystery.

“Sabah continues to seek answers. I ask myself, why, just about a week after the crash, on June 14, representatives came to Sabah to ask state leaders to sign the oil agreement.

“This indicates that the discussion in Labuan did not lead to an agreement. Why did they have to push for the signing while families were still mourning for their loved ones’? Sabah was still mourning,” he questioned.

Kitingan expressed disappointment over the signed agreement, which he described as causing the state to lose a number of its rights, including surrendering its oil to the Federal Government in return for a 5% royalty.

“This is probably why we do not have sufficient resources to develop our state and are among the poorest in the country,” he said.