Aussie report on crash could be out soon, too

PUTRAJAYA: The Australian authorities’ report on the “Double Six” plane crash could also be released soon.

The Australians are prepared to release the report and Malaysia has no objections to this, said Transport Minister Anthony Loke.

He said both governments had communicated on the issue through the Australian High Commission here.

“They asked for our opinion and approval to release the report. We have no objections.

“It is up to the Australian government to release the report,” he said.

Australian High Commissioner to Malaysia Dr Justin Lee said Australia was working through a domestic legal process to release the Australian records.

“We acknowledge this accident was a tragic incident, and we honour the memory of those who have lost their lives and the enormous loss felt by their loved ones,” he said.

Malaysia’s final report on the crash was made public by the Transport Minister on Wednesday, 47 years after the tragedy.

The crash on June 6, 1976 killed 11 people, including Sabah Chief Minister Tun Fuad Stephens who had just assumed the post 53 days earlier.

The nearly five-month investigation led by the Department of Civil Aviation’s chief investigator Omar Sanan was never made public as it was classified under the Official Secret Acts.

The Australian government also withheld the report on the Australian manufacturer’s investigations into the plane.

However, the families of the victims want Malaysia to push the Australian government to declassify its findings on the crash.

To a question, Loke said the victims’ families had never applied for compensation over the incident.

“Today, the issue of compensation was not raised by the families. I believe they just want to know the real cause of the accident, it’s not about compensation,” he added.

On why the report was placed under the Official Secrets Act, the minister said this was probably standard procedure in the past.

“I can’t answer on behalf of the then government or Cabinet. What we are doing now is to ensure that the facts and report are made public and we have kept our promise,” he said.

Others who died in the crash were state ministers Datuk Peter Mojuntin and Chong Thien Vun, Sabah Finance Minister permanent secretary Datuk Wahid Peter Andu, Isak Atan (private secretary to Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, who was then finance minister), director of Sabah economic planning unit Syed Hussein Wafa, Kpl Said Mohammad (bodyguard to Fuad), pilot Capt Gandhi J. Nathan and Fuad’s eldest son Johari.