'Leave Double 6 crash in the past'

Former chief minister Harris Salleh (below) has questioned the need to re-open the probe into the June 6, 1976 air crash dubbed ‘Double 6', which took the life of then chief minister Donald Mohd Fuad Stephens and several others.

The crash followed an abortive signing ceremony in Labuan on the oil agreement between the state government and national oil corporation Petronas. It was ostensibly put off to later that night in Kota Kinabalu.

Sabah strongman Jeffrey Gapari Kitingan and Sabah Progressive Party president Yong Teck Lee had recently demanded a fresh investigation.

The thrust of Jeffrey's call into Double 6 is that it may prove that there were elements of coercion and fraud which would render the oil agreement between Petronas and Sabah void in law.

Harris labeled the calls for a new probe as "mischievous and meant to ridicule and defame me personally".

He challenged them to "repeat their remarks and accusations specifically and openly in public". Harris did not issue a similar challenge to former Petronas chairman and Finance Minister Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, or Ku Li, whose recollection of June 6 led to Jeffrey and Yong calling for a new probe.

He said that he had been seated and belted up in Stephens' aircraft when he was pulled out by Harris (then the deputy chief minister) prior to take-off.

According to Harris' version, however, two Nomad planes were scheduled to take off and leave Labuan at around the same time. One plane was due to fly to Kudat and the other to Kota Kinabalu.

"The passengers for the flight to Kudat included Abdul Rahman Yaacob, Razaleigh, myself and a few others," said Harris in a statement.

Harris swore that Razaleigh was never scheduled to fly with Stephens to Kota Kinabalu but that he was to fly first to Kudat and then to Banggi Island.

"The purpose of the trip was for Razaleigh to view the very first cattle farm in Sabah," he said.

As such, the claim he had pulled Razaleigh out of the aircraft at the last minute to board the second plane to fly directly to Kudat was grossly inaccurate.

Politically motivated

"It is therefore for us to settle this matter openly and publicly," said Harris. "I therefore repeat my call to Yong and Jeffrey, who both claim to be responsible leaders, to repeat their allegations openly and publicly."

Sabah chief minister Musa Aman (left) and state minister for tourism, culture and environment Masidi Manjun have also dismissed the need for a fresh probe.

Musa pointed out that the families affected by Double 6 did not themselves want a new probe.

Hence, Yong's call could be considered politically-motivated. This is in the past. I don't know why Yong suddenly raised it."

He also sees no need to question the oil agreement or ask for an increase in the five percent oil royalty, pointing out that "the federal government has been more than generous with allocations to Sabah".

Under the 9th Malaysia Plan (2006-2010), RM20 billion was channeled to Sabah, not including funds under the Private Funding Initiative.

For Masidi there had been nothing wrong in holding the signing ceremony in Labuan, "which after all was then part of Sabah".

"To my knowledge, Stephens went to Labuan specifically to sign the agreement but had to come back to KK to officiate a function  elsewhere before the signing ceremony," said Masidi in a text message.

Masidi said Razaleigh (right) could have done more to ensure a better oil royalty deal for Sabah.

"Now, he is implying that Sabah should ask for more," he added.

In response to questions from the floor during his talk, Razaleigh did not urge Sabahans to press for a higher oil royalty but did say if the people and leaders of Sabah wanted something, they had to speak up

However he had stressed, that the oil agreement between Sabah and Petronas exists and is valid in law.