‘Significant’ start to legal battle between former CMs

A defamation suit against former CM Yong Teck Lee is set to re-open the 'Double Six Tragedy' that took the lives of 12 in 1976.

KOTA KINABALU: Today is June 6, the day newly appointed Chief Minister Tun Fuad Stephens and four state ministers were killed in a 1976 plane crash while returning from Labuan after negotiating Sabah’s oil and gas rights.

By a quirk of fate today too the High Court here had its first hearing of a defamation suit involving two former Sabah Chief Ministers over the plane crash.

It was a sombre reminder that the crash that killed Stephens and 11 others, 35 years ago has yet to see closure.

The defamation suit was filed by former CM Harris Salleh against Yong Teck Lee.

After the hearing today, Yong lead a group to lay a wreath and pay their respects at the monument erected at the site of the crash.

“I believe it is more than a coincidence that of all the dates, the High Court fixed the first court hearing on this date.

“I don’t think it was planned and I don’t think it was a simple coincidence and this is something that we have been pondering on … why of all the dates it has to be also on June 6?

“I think this is a question that cannot be answered at this point of time.

“It is the first time in 35 years such a critical event has come back to face the people of Malaysia, and for the first time this “June 6” incident will get a hearing in an open trial for public record and it had to be happened on June 6,” he said.

Yong explained that the visit to the Double Six Memorial today was also aimed at reminding the people and to inform the younger generation about the incident.

“It was a turning point in Sabah political development that wiped-out most of the top leaders at the time. It also brings to memory other issues concerning state and federal relations and concerning our petroleum and oil resources.”

The defamation suit filed by Harris, who was made chief minister following the death of Stephens barely days after overthrowing Usno in a landmark election, has resurrected questions about what happened that day. These questions were never answered at the time.

Public interest

Yong, who is Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) president, said he hoped the trial set for March 19–23 next year will eventually bring a “closure” to the tragedy that remains an open wound in the Sabah psyche.

Yong, like many Sabahans, said he still thinks that there is more to the crash as well as other implications that have yet to be explained.

He noted that the said incident was hardly reported in the past until the revelations made by the Gua Musang MP Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah in his speech delivered at the Kadazandusun Cultural Association (KDCA) on April 2 last year on Sabah’s oil wealth.

“Tengku Razaleigh’s speech put on the record for the first time the critical moment before the plane crash. Suddenly there was so much public interest generated,” said Yong.

Asked whether a fresh investigation into the tragic incident will be fruitful given the fact that 35 years have passed, Yong pointed out that until today even the original report on the incident is still classified.

“It has never been published and the only document ever written about the incident was the book entitled: “Peter Mojuntin – the Golden Son of the Kadazan” which was published soon after the air crash and that book is still banned.

“About two years ago, there had been calls by various quarters to lift the ban on the book. The book has discussed about the incident,” he said.

Libel suit

Last July Harris filed a RM50 million libel suit against Yong over his statements published in the local newspapers calling for reopening of the investigation into the aircrash.

Yong had made such a call following revelations made by Razaleigh during his speech at the KDCA.

The former Petronas chairman had said that he had already buckled up on the ill-fated plane when Harris asked him to disembark and join him on another Nomad flight to Banggi Island to inspect a cattle farm.

Harris responded by issuing a statement that Razaleigh was never scheduled to fly to Kota Kinabalu with Stephens but was intended to fly with then Sarawak Chief Minister (Tun) Rahman Yaakub to Kudat on the second Nomad plane and then by helicopter to Banggi Island.

The writ of summons was filed at the High Court registry here on July 22, 2010 by Harris’ lawyers Messrs Maringking and Co.

Harris has named Yong as the first defendant and SAPP the second defendant.

Yong reiterated that he was merely asking for reinvestigation into the incident based on the revelations made by Razaleigh who he said had put on the record publicly the event leading to the air crash.

“The fact that it still generates so much public interest showed that a lot of questions have not been answered, and the subject will not have a closure until you get all these facts out in the open,” said Yong.

Foul play

The ill-fated plane, operated by Sabah Air, was returning from Labuan and crashed as it approached to land at the Kota Kinabalu International Airport.

The crash killed everyone on board including Stephens and state ministers Salleh Sulong, Peter Mojuntin, Chong Thien Vun.

Also killed were assistant minister Darius Binion, Sabah Finance Ministry official Wahid Peter Andau, Director of Economic Planning Unit of Sabah Syed Hussein Wafa, Isak Atan (Private Secretary to Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah), Corporal Said Mohammad (bodyguard to Stephens), Captain Gandhi Nathan (the pilot of the aircraft) and Stephen’s eldest son Johari.

Until today the reason behind the crash is uncertain.

Immediately after the crash, allegations of foul play surfaced because Stephens and his Cabinet Ministers had gone to Labuan to negotiate Sabah’s oil and gas rights.

Among those present at the simple ceremony at the memorial in Sembulan today were top SAPP officials Richard Yong, Liew Teck Chan, Amde Sidik, Wong Yit Ming, Frankie Chong, Dullie Marie, Melanie Chia and Chong Pit Fah (photo above).