The government will declassify the federal investigation report on the 1976 plane crash that killed 11 people, including the then Sabah chief minister Fuad Stephens.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said the full report would be made public next week.
"This issue has raised many questions and unhappiness because, after 47 years, the demand from Sabahans was to find out the outcome of the crash investigation.
"All this while, the government did not decide to declassify the report under the Official Secrets Act," said Anwar at a press conference after chairing the weekly cabinet meeting in Putrajaya.
"Today, the cabinet took into consideration views expressed by Sabahans all these years, and also demands by the next-of-kin, in line with the government's principle to uphold transparency.
"Therefore, it has been decided that the final report of the Sabah Air crash on June 6, 1976, will be declassified. All the information will be shared by the government through the Transport Ministry."
The premier also stressed that the government believes such findings based on facts and of concern to family members and Sabahans, in general, should not be kept as an official secret.
Mandamus order
On March 8, Kota Kinabalu High Court judge Christopher Chin Soo Yin issued a mandamus order which directed the government to initiate the required steps to make the report public.
He gave the government until June 8 to comply with the order. On March 15, the government filed an appeal against the decision.
Known as the “Double Six” crash, the report has remained classified for close to five decades.
Also killed in the June 6 incident were then-state ministers Salleh Sulong, Peter Mojuntin and Chong Thien Vun.
Others who died were state assistant minister Darius Binion, Sabah Finance Ministry permanent secretary Wahid Peter Andau, Isak Atan (private secretary to then finance minister Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah), Said Mohammad (Fuad’s bodyguard), pilot Gandhi Nathan and Fuad’s eldest son Johari Stephens. - Mkini
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