Group photo held after the ceremony.
KOTA KINABALU: Sunduvan Sabah, a local (non-governmental organisation (NGO) held a memorial service at the Double Six Memorial Monument on June 6, 2019, Sembulan, in commemoration of the 43rd anniversary of the tragic plane crash which claimed the lives of State leaders including the then Chief Minister Tun Fuad Stephens.
The tragedy also killed then state finance minister Datuk Salleh Sulong; state minister for Local Government and Housing, Datuk Peter Mojuntin; state works and communications minister Chong Thien Vun; assistant minister to chief minister, Datuk Darius Binion and State Finance Ministry permanent secretary Datuk Wahid Peter Andu.
The others who were also killed included Dr Syed Hussien Wafa (director of the Economic Planning Unit), Ishak Atan (Secretary of Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah), Captain Gandhi Nathan (pilot), Corporal Said Mohamed (Tun Fuad’s Guard) and Johari Stephens (eldest son of Tun Fuad).
The ceremony was attended by about a hundred people including party leaders from Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (STAR) president Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan, Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) president Datuk Yong Teck Lee and Parti Kebangsaan Sabah (PKS) president Thomas Anggan. Medical practitioner Dr Richard Barrow also turned up at the memorial.
Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan laying of wreath.
According to its organising chairman Aloysius Danim Siap, since the event coincided with the second day of Hari Raya Aidilfitri festival, some leaders of political parties and NGOs did not turn up due to other commitments.
Aloysius, who is also the Sunduvan Sabah chairman, said that Gabungan Sabah chairman Datuk Mohd Noor Mansoor could not attend due to some health reasons.
He said Sunduvan Sabah had held the memorial service for the seventh consecutive year to remember the tragedy and to call on the government of the day to declassify the investigations (into the crash).
“It can only be disclosed if the Government of Malaysia and Sabah apply to the Australian government,” he added.