6/6: Mohd Noor Mansoor still at a loss over tragedy

Yong gestures to highlight something to Mohd Noor and other SAPP leaders, after paying their respect to the fallen heroes at the annual Double Six Memorial service.

Prisce Bell, Borneo Insider

Yong gestures to highlight something to Mohd Noor and other SAPP leaders, after paying their respect to the fallen heroes at the annual Double Six Memorial service.

KOTA KINABALU: Former Berjaya strongman, Datuk Haji Mohd Noor Mansoor still shudders in cold sweat each time he recalls the Double Six tragedy in 1976 which propelled him to a full ministership.

“I was shocked when I heard the news,” he said when met Thursday at the Double Six memorial. “I was just released from ‘house arrest’ under the Internal Security Act at the time.

“But there are question marks as to what really happened. We can only speculate and as for me, I am still curious as to what happened to my Berjaya colleagues who lost their lives just like that.”

Mohd Noor who was named Finance Minister after the crash, taking over from Datuk Salleh Sulong who was among those who perished that fateful Sunday afternoon.

Mohd Noor said those who died were men of strong character and political leaders with a vision hence their involvement with Berjaya that came to power barely a few weeks earlier.

He said he lost good friends and colleagues; men of integrity who were willing to fight for the rights of the people. “They gave up their lives for the people of Sabah,” he said poignantly.
Apart from then Chief Minister, Tun Mohammed Fuad Stephens, three other state Cabinet ministers who perished along with him were Datuk Salleh Sulong (Minister of Finance), Datuk Peter Mojuntin (Minister of Local Government and Housing), and Datuk Chong Thien Vun (Minister of Works and Communications).

Also killed was Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister, Datuk Darius Binion, as well as top civil servants, Datuk Wahid Peter Andu (Permanent Secretary of the Finance Ministry) and Dr Syed Hussien Wafa (Economic Planning Unit Director).

Sabah’s political scenario changed drastically following their demise. Harris Salleh, who was instrumental in setting up Berjaya, became the new Chief Minister.

He recalled with a tinge of sadness the Federal Government promising to present a White Paper on the crash in Parliament.

“Unfortunately they never did,” he said.

“I know they were in Labuan to discuss on the petroleum agreement with (Tengku) Razaleigh (Hamzah who was then Petronas chairman)

Mohd Noor, who was to become Berjaya secretary-general added: “until today, no one seems to know what were the terms negotiated (on the petroleum agreement) and also why the negotiation did not work out.”

However, days after the tragedy, Harris who was by then the Chief Minister, signed the agreement, thereby giving Petronas a giant’s share of the petroleum wealth, with Sabah getting a meagre five per cent in royalty.

Mohd Noor, who helmed Berjaya after the 1985 defeat to Parti Bersatu Sabah and made a brief comeback after a by-election that same year, later quit the party. He now serves as an Advisor of the opposition Sabah Progressive Party.

His last remark was at that time very few people questioned the tragic incident, and accepted whatever was told to them.

Yong lost defamation suit filed by Harris

SAPP President Datuk Seri Yong Teck Lee meanwhile expressed regret that until today the Australian authorities had refused to release the air crash report. The crashed Nomad is an Australian–made aircraft.

Yong noted that the tragedy took on a new twist following ‘interesting’ revelation by Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, during a talk in Kota Kinabalu in early April 2010, to shed some light on the incident.

Razaleigh was stopped from boarding the ill-fated flight at the last minute as Harris wanted him to visit a cattle project somewhere in Kudat. Razaleigh’s Private Secretary, Ishak Atan was not that lucky.

He was among the 11 who died.

Yong had later insinuated that Harris may have had a hand in the crash and he paid the price for that remark; Harris sued him and walked away RM1 richer after winning the defamation suit.

“I will not speculate nor will I say anything on anyone’s behalf,” he remarked Thursday when met at the memorial which saw the presence of several black t-shirt-clad SAPP leaders.

“The incident has aroused the interest and concern of many,” he said, adding that the annual commemoration of the crash must be upheld.