Kota Kinabalu: Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan on Thursday marked a solemn anniversary of the 1976 Double Six Tragedy, calling for full disclosure on the mysterious air crash that killed top Sabah leaders and questioning the subsequent oil deal with Petronas that he claimed heavily favoured the national oil company.
Speaking at a memorial event at the Sembulan crash site, Jeffrey said the 48-year-old tragedy that took the lives of then-Chief Minister Tun Fuad Stephens, six state cabinet ministers and four federal officials remained shrouded in mystery.
"To this day, the whole thing remains a mystery. Every year, we come here not only to remember the victims and families left behind, but also the impact it had on Sabah,” he said.
Jeffrey alleged that just days after the crash on June 6, 1976, Sabah's new leadership was pressured to sign an exploitative oil agreement with Petronas that stripped the State of its rights and revenue.