KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah government expects greater participation in next year’s 50th anniversary of the Double Six tragedy, with plans to invite federal leaders and involve more students from schools and universities.
State Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Ellron Angin said the involvement of national leaders and youths would help deepen public understanding of the tragedy’s historical significance.
He said this was discussed with several leaders during the 49th anniversary commemoration held at the crash site in Sembulan on Friday (June 6), which included a wreath-laying ceremony and a poetry competition featuring 132 participants, a sign of continued public engagement with the legacy of the incident.
ALSO READ: NGO renews push to include 'Double Six' tragedy in Sabah's history lessons
“There should also be invitations to youths from schools and universities for future commemorations.
"This is to ensure we continue to remember this tragedy and reaffirm the facts about Sabah’s political history,” he said.
The Double Six tragedy, which occurred on June 6, 1976, claimed the life of then chief minister Tun Fuad Stephens and marked a turning point in Sabah’s political landscape.
ALSO READ: 'Double Six' tragedy: Memorial needs a proper monument, says Kitingan
Apart from Fuad, the other 10 victims included his eldest son Johari, state housing and local government minister Datuk Peter Mojuntin, communications and public works minister Datuk Chong Thien Vun, Sabah finance minister Datuk Salleh Sulong, assistant minister to the deputy chief minister Datuk Darius Binion, the finance minister's secretary Datuk Wahid Peter Andau, economic planning unit director Dr Syed Hussein Wafa, and the finance minister's private secretary Ishak Atan.
The crash also claimed the lives of Fuad's bodyguard Corporal Said Mohammad and pilot Gandhi J. Nathan.
Although the official investigation report was declassified in 2023, questions and public scepticism about the cause of the crash persist.
ALSO READ: Kitingan: No final answers from declassified reports on Double Six crash
Meanwhile, NGO Sunduvan Sabah continues efforts to have the tragedy included in Sabah’s school syllabus as part of institutionalising remembrance and educating the younger generation.
Its chairman Aloysius Danim Siap said the 1976 plane crash, which wiped out nearly half of Sabah’s Cabinet, must be formally recognised in education.
As part of the campaign, the group will present its proposal to the state Education director and publish a book compiling verified historical records, personal testimonies, and analysis of the social and political impact of the crash.
