Push for the release of Double Six findings
Published on: Monday, June 13, 2022
The widow of Darius Binion placing a wreath.
THE State Government will continue pushing for the release of the full investigation findings into the Nomad plane tragedy in Sembulan waters 46 years ago, which killed newly-elected Chief Minister Tun Fuad Stephens and 10 others, including four of his ministers.“I mentioned this in Parliament last year and received a letter from the Federal Government stating this matter will be discussed in the Cabinet,” said Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan, after the wreath-laying ceremony at the Double Six Monument Memorial in Sembulan, Kota Kinabalu, on June 6.
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He and the rest of Sabah, he added, are still waiting for the full release of the tragedy, which he believes has been declassified.
“There is no reason why the report should not be made public in its entirety. For the pleasure and peace of the people of Sabah, particularly the families of the victims, we request that a thorough and detailed report be released and announced,” he said.
Former Chief Minister Datuk Seri Yong Teck Lee, who spoke about the issue during the last State Legislative Assembly session, said the current chief minister’s official response is that they will consider it.
“It’s just a simple question of the State Government informing the Federal Government to disclose the report,” said the Nominated Assemblyman, who was also present at the commemoration.
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“The response I received from the Australia National Archive is that the report will not be released in order to maintain Australia’s relationship with Malaysia.
“If the Malaysian Government agrees to the report’s release, I don’t see the Australian National Archive having any reasonable objections,” he said.
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Yong said the Federal Government does not appear to be responding, noting numerous speeches made by other Members of Parliament on the subject in the past. “I hope the GRS-BN Government in Sabah will officially ask the Federal Government to tell the Australian Government to release the report on behalf of the people of Sabah,” he said.
He said what they are hoping for is the truth of what is in the report. “What is so sensitive that it cannot be released?
“Allow the facts to speak for themselves. The report was written in 1976-77, the facts were obtained in 1976, it cannot be backdated or rewritten, and so the truth remains. The facts are still there,” he said.
He said silence has led to numerous speculations and discussions over the exact cause of the crash.
He is pleased to see that many young people are interested on the subject, noting the presence of the crash victims’ grandchildren at the Double Six Memorial.
Meanwhile, officiating the Double Six wreath laying ceremony was Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister Datuk Abidin Madingkir.
Also present were Johari Lok, the first grandson of the late Tun Fuad Stephens, Datuk Gordon Leong who represented Datuk Salleh Sulong’s family, Datuk Donald Mojuntin the son of Datuk Peter Mojuntin, Jonathan Chong representing Datuk Chong Thien Vun’s family and Datin Jikilin Binion widow to Datuk Darius Binion.
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