KOTA KINABALU: Along with the families of the victims of the “Double Six” plane crash, one man is eagerly awaiting the release of the incident’s full report to put an end to what he calls 46 years of “slander” against his alleged involvement in the incident.
Former Sabah chief minister Tan Sri Harris Salleh (pic), who succeeded Tun Fuad Stephens in the position after the latter and 10 others perished in the crash involving the Australian-made Nomad 9M-ATZ aircraft, said he hoped the report would be declassified in its full form next week.
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“I hope the publication of the investigation report of the tragic crash on June 6, 1976, will not be redacted in any way and will satisfy all those who have repeatedly slandered and indirectly accused me of involvement in the accident, particularly around the annual memorial service,” he said in a statement here yesterday.
Harris said he had suffered for over 46 years because of accusations and slander by a number of Sabah leaders.
“These leaders have continued their slandering despite meagre statements by the Malaysian government as to the reasons for the crash and the production of a documentary video prepared by an investigative Australian reporter,” he added.
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He did not, however, specify who the leaders were.
Harris said this documentary, presented to the Sabah High Court, was aired in 1995 on Australian TV 7 under its programme Four Corners. The episode was titled Lies in the Sky.
Based on what had been released about the plane crash, he contended that it was clear the Nomad aircraft was never suitable nor fit to fly due to its faulty design.
It was reported, according to him, that the Nomad was involved in as many as 32 crashes throughout the world, resulting in 76 fatalities.
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“I hope those Sabah leaders who accused me of involvement will accept whatever findings are in the investigation report surrounding the crash and stop harbouring and propagating their unproven conspiracies,” he said.
Harris thanked Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for announcing on Wednesday that the full report would be released by the Transport Ministry next week.
Anwar said the Cabinet had decided this was in the interest of the victims’ families and the people of Sabah.
On Sept 26, 2017, the Federal Court ordered Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) president Datuk Seri Yong Teck Lee to pay Harris RM600,000 in damages for defamation over the “Double Six” plane crash.
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Harris had filed a RM50mil suit against Yong, also a former chief minister, in 2010 for suggesting that he (Harris) was involved in the plane crash.
The others killed in the tragedy were Fuad’s eldest son Johari Stephens, state ministers Datuk Salleh Sulong, Datuk Peter Mojuntin and Chong Thien Vun; 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 the federal finance minister); Syed Hussein Wafa (director of the state Economic Planning Unit); Kpl Said Mohammad (bodyguard to Fuad); and pilot Capt Gandhi Nathan.
They were travelling from Labuan to Kota Kinabalu when the aircraft crashed in Sembulan here.
Harris said he was also suing the Australian government over its previous claim that it could not release its version of the investigation report as requested by the Malaysian government.
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“The Malaysian government has denied this. It is hoped the Australian government will release its report now that our government has decided to declassify the Malaysian investigation report,” he added.
Meanwhile, the family of the late Mojuntin has urged Putrajaya to lift the ban on a book about the former Sabah minister following its decision to declassify the report.
His son, Datuk Donald Mojuntin, said his family hoped the Cabinet would also lift the ban on the publication and distribution of the book titled The Golden Son of the Kadazan.
“(This is) a book that gives us a glimpse of my father as a revered leader in Sabah politics.
“It is an inspiring book that should be shared by everyone.
“We do not know of any reasonable justification for banning the book, nor were we given any reasonable explanation.
“We implore our Prime Minister and his Cabinet to continue doing the right thing,” he added.
The book, written by the late former politician and author Bernard Sta Maria, was banned on June 22, 1978, under the now abolished Internal Security Act (ISA).
Despite the ISA being repealed in 2012, the ban on the book was maintained because the then government said it could still threaten national security.
