Set up foundation to honour Double Six crash victims, says Upko No 2
PETALING JAYA : The families of the victims of the 1976 Double Six tragedy are urging the federal government to establish a foundation as a meaningful recognition of the incident, which claimed the lives of 11 people, including then Sabah chief minister Fuad Stephens.
Donald Peter Mojuntin, whose father Peter Mojuntin died in the crash, said taking the matter to court would be excessive and that the families were not making any unreasonable demands, Harian Metro reported.
'We just want proper recognition,' he was quoted as saying during the 49th anniversary memorial of the tragedy at the Double Six Monument in Sembulan, Kota Kinabalu.
Donald Peter Mojuntin.
Donald, who was also representing the families of the other victims, said the proposed foundation could serve to honour the victims and support their descendants, particularly in education and other areas of need.
'This would be a step forward,' the Upko deputy president said.
He noted that the federal government has yet to take substantive action beyond offering letters of condolence.
'The state government has done its part from the beginning and looked after the families' welfare. We hope the federal government will do the same,' he said.
Donald also called for the tragedy to be acknowledged as part of national history, not just Sabah's. 'Although it was a dark chapter, it deserves a place in our national history books, just like other major events in Malaysia,' he said.
Sabah youth and sports minister Ellron Alfred Angin, who represented chief minister Hajiji Noor at the memorial, said this year's commemoration featured a poetry recital competition with 132 participants.
He said there are plans to involve more young people, including students, in future events commemorating the incident.
'We also propose inviting a representative from the federal government to next year's 50th anniversary ceremony so they can better understand and appreciate the historical significance of this tragedy,' he said.
On June 6, 1976, a GAF Nomad aircraft carrying Fuad and several state leaders crashed in Sembulan, Kota Kinabalu, killing all on board. The victims included state ministers Salleh Sulong, Chong Thien Vun and Peter.
Investigations were conducted by Malaysian authorities, the aircraft's manufacturer GAF, and the Australian department of transport. However, their findings were not made public until April 2023.
The Malaysian report found no evidence of sabotage, fire or explosion.
The Australian report concluded that Sabah Air, the operator of the flight, was functioning illegally at the time, with its operations manual unapproved by the then federal civil aviation department.
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