Australia to declassify long-secret files on Malaysian plane tragedy

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Singapore: The Australian government is preparing to declassify secret records about the crash of an Australian-made light plane in Malaysia that has been the subject of political intrigue and conspiracy theories since it went down almost half a century ago.

The Melbourne-manufactured Nomad turboprop aircraft nosedived into the sea near Kota Kinabalu, the capital of Malaysia’s Sabah state on the island of Borneo on June 6, 1976. The crash killed all 10 passengers and its 42-year-old pilot.

The scene of the Double Six plane crash in Borneo.Credit: via Bernama Media

Among those to perish on board were Fuad Stephens, the first chief minister of Sabah and former Malaysian high commissioner to Australia, and his eldest son Johari, as well as three ministers in his cabinet and other government officials.

Family members of the deceased have for decades sought answers about the so-called Double Six tragedy – so named because of the date – but their efforts to gain a full understanding have been thwarted by the Malaysian and Australian crash reports remaining classified.

The secrecy afforded to the investigation findings has long fuelled theories about what caused the disaster, which occurred just two months after Stephens, 55, was elected to a second term.

An article published by The Age in 1976 on the theories behind the crash.Credit: The Age

This week, the Malaysian government of Anwar Ibrahim finally made public the 46-year-old report of its investigative team, which included officials from Australia’s Department of Transport. It revealed incorrect loading had affected the aircraft’s centre of gravity and led the pilot, who was possibly tired and unwell and had a poor track record, to lose control of the plane.

According to the findings, there was “no evidence of sabotage, fire or [an] explosion” before it crashed and no proof that the Nomad plane, which was manufactured by the since defunct Government Aircraft Factories of Australia, had malfunctioned.

However, Stephens’ remaining three children believe they won’t have closure until they see Australia’s own classified records.

“We feel that we won’t get a complete picture of the cause of this crash unless we see all the reports from Australia,” they said in a statement.

The siblings said they had fond memories of their time in Australia from when their father was high commissioner in Canberra between 1967 and 1973, and from studying there later.

Fuad Stephens (left) photographed in 1973 at his farewell party from Canberra after serving six years there as Malaysia’s high commissioner to Australia.Credit: Fairfax Media

“But it is time the Australian government provided us with all the reports on the Nomad,” they said. “It’s been 47 years.”

They won’t have to wait much longer. After the Malaysian declassification, the Australian government said it would follow suit.

“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,” said a spokesperson for Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade on Friday.

“The Australian government welcomes the Malaysian government’s release of its report into the Double Six tragedy.

“Australia is currently working through a domestic legal process to release the Australian records.”

Yong Teck Lee, an ex-Sabah chief minister who has pursued the files from Australia, has said in the past that the Australian National Archives had told him that the “records contain technical details … which could impact on [Australia’s] relations with the current government of a foreign country”.

Now that Malaysia has lifted the lid on its probe after all these years, though, that landscape appears to have changed.

Malaysia Transport Minister Anthony Loke told reporters on Thursday he had no issue with Australia releasing its own closely held information on the tragedy. He did not know why the reports were classified in the first place.

“I was not even born yet. I was born in 1977. The accident happened in 1976,” he said.

“What we are doing now is to just ensure that what has not been told all this while, we told the truth, we opened up the facts for the benefit of the public and the victims’ families.”

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