KOTA KINABALU, April 5 — The long wait is finally over, said Datuk Donald Peter Mojuntin, whose father, Datuk Peter Mojuntin, was one of the 11 persons killed in the Double Six tragedy.
After nearly 47 years, the families of the victims will finally be able know the truth of the tragedy.
Donald said that his family is grateful to the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, and the Cabinet of the present unity federal government for finally doing the right thing.
“To us, YAB PM is ‘walking the talk’ about more transparency and openness in our unity government. He recognises the agony and great sorrow felt not only by the victims’ families but also by most Sabahans,” he said.
Donald also said that this Federal Cabinet was the first to acknowledge, through action and not merely words, the right of citizens to access information which is in the public interest and the need to curb the government’s power to withhold information unnecessarily or discriminately.
“We certainly hope that this Cabinet decision will put to rest all the uncertainties and conspiracy theories that have cropped up for the last four decades,” he said in a statement on Wednesday.
Donald also said that the High Court’s order to declassify the federal investigation report of the Double Six tragedy was definitely a much welcomed decision and a relief to most Sabahans.
With this historical decision, he said his family also hoped that the Federal Cabinet will also lift the ban on the publication and distribution of the book entitled “The Golden Son of the Kadazan”, a book that gives a glimpse of Datuk Peter as a revered leader in Sabah politics.
“It is an inspiring book that should be shared by everyone. We do not know of any reasonable justification in banning the book nor were we given any reasonable explanation of it. We implore YAB PM and his Cabinet to continue doing the right thing,” he said.
The late Datuk Peter Mojuntin was among the 11 people who were aboard the ill-fated GAF Nomad flight bound for Kota Kinabalu airport on 6 June 1976 when it crashed in Sembulan.
Together with him were the then Sabah Chief Minister, Tun Fuad Stephens, and other state ministers Datuk Salleh Sulong and Chong Thien Vun, state assistant minister Darius Binion, Sabah Finance Ministry’s permanent secretary Datuk Wahid Peter Andau, Kpl Said Mohammad Mohammad (Fuad’s bodyguard), Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah’s private secretary Isak Atan, pilot Captain Gandhi Nathan and Johari Stephens (Fuad’s son). — Borneo Post
