The Sabah government is considering to expand the commemorations of the Double Six tragedy with the presence of students and federal leaders in future. 

The proposal comes as the state marked the 49th anniversary of the 1976 air crash — an event widely regarded as one of the most consequential in Sabah’s post-independence political history.

Sabah Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Ellron Angin said younger generations and national leaders could help deepen public understanding of the tragedy’s lasting impact.

“I discussed it with several leaders (present at today’s commemoration). There should also be invitations to youths from schools and universities for the commemoration ceremony,” he said when met after the wreath-laying ceremony in Kota Kinabalu on Friday. 

Ellron said the state may also propose that federal representatives be formally invited to attend the 50th anniversary next year, and in subsequent years.

“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 occurred on 6 June 1976, when a GAF Nomad aircraft carrying Sabah’s top leadership crashed while attempting to land at Kota Kinabalu Airport. 

All 11 people on board were killed, including the then Sabah chief minister Tun Fuad Stephens, then Finance Minister Datuk Salleh Sulong, and other senior state officials.

For many in Sabah, the crash remains a deeply emotional moment — a national tragedy that reshaped the state’s leadership and raised enduring questions about its cause. 

While the official investigation report was declassified in 2023, scepticism lingers among sections of the public.

This year’s memorial also featured a poetry competition involving 132 participants — a gesture, Ellron said, that reflected continued public engagement with the legacy of the tragedy.

“It’s one way the younger generation can express their understanding and appreciation,” he said. –  June 6, 2025