PM Anwar: Govt agrees to declassify final reports on Sabah’s 1976 ‘Double Six Tragedy’ plane crash

KUALA LUMPUR, April 5 — The federal government has agreed to declassify the documents on the June 6, 1976 plane crash that killed then Sabah chief minister Tun Fuad Stephens and 10 others onboard, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said today.

In a post-Cabinet meeting press conference, he said that this is aligned with the current government’s plight to uphold greater transparency that Sabah, the affected family members, and those in Sabah deserve.

“We have decided that the final report into the Sabah air disaster will be declassified. Further information will be disseminated by the government and Transport Ministry,” he said, referring to the Cabinet.

Anwar further said that the public will have full access to the documents in a week and, parts of the details will be released in the next two days.

He also said that the government has received advice from the Attorney General Chambers (AGC) on the legal implications of the declassification.

"However, we feel we owe it to the people, more so those in Sabah. I don’t believe findings such as these, which are facts and of concern to the families, state and the public, should be kept as an official secret," he added.

Yesterday, the High Court in Kota Kinabalu ordered the Malaysian government to declassify the federal investigation report on the June 6, 1976 plane crash.

High Court judge Datuk Christopher Chin Soo Yin, who delivered the decision, issued a mandamus order directing the Malaysian government to take the necessary steps to declassify or make public the Malaysian authorities’ investigation report into so-called “Double Six Tragedy” involving the Nomad Aircraft 9M-ATZ with 11 people onboard.

In the same court order, the judge also gave the Malaysian government three months or until June 8 to comply.

The judge also said that if such public disclosure of the investigation report requires any related action by the Australian government, the Malaysian government must immediately ensure Canberra acted accordingly to allow the declassification to be done promptly.