KU LI SAID HE AND TWO OTHERS MAY NOT BE ALIVE TODAY HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR A LAST-MINUTE INVITATION BY HARRIS SALLEH TO BOARD ANOTHER PLANE

Invite saved my life: Razaleigh

TENGKU Razaleigh Hamzah said he and two others may not be alive today had it not been for a last-minute invitation by Datuk Harris Salleh to board another plane to go to Pulau Banggi in Kudat.

He was referring to the June 6, 1976 Nomad airplane crash that claimed the lives of first appointed Chief Minister Tun Fuad Stephens and several of his newly-elected State Cabinet Ministers soon after the new Parti Berjaya toppled Tun Mustapha's Usno in the State elections.

Razaleigh, then the Finance Minister, was in Sabah for the oil royalty agreement signing on June 6, 1976, which was supposed to be signed by Fuad who was again Chief Minister, albeit this time elected.

On that day, he said he was seated behind Tun Fuad, while (Sarawak CM) Tun Rahman Yaakob and another dignitary seated in the other seats with other Sabah leaders like Datuk Peter Mojuntin, etc.

"Harris who was the Deputy Chief Minister then, came and invited me to come with him to look at the Australian cattle farm in Banggi," he said, adding that, in turn, he (Razaleigh) invited Rahman and the dignitary from Pahang to come with him.

"I decided to go since the agreement signing ceremony was scheduled in the evening," he said, adding they flew with Harris to Banggi on the plane similar to the one used by Fuad.

Razaleigh said as soon as their plane touched down in Banggi, an airport personnel rushed out asking them to disembark from the plane immediately.

It was only then they got the news about the mishap in Sembulan and they immediately flew back using an army helicopter to assess the situation, he said.

"It is something that I will never forget. Sabah lost its leaders É so whenever I come to Sabah I will never forget the tragedy," he said.

According to him, he was asked by then Prime Minister Tun Abdul Razak to look into how the country could get back its oil resources from the foreign company, which had been given the concession for eternity by the British government and how to manage it.

As a result, the Petroleum Development Act 1974 was formulated, which was not only to allow for the formation of Petronas but also to unite all Malaysians through sharing of resources production between Sabah, Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia.

"The problem in Kelantan and Terengganu did not happen in Sabah," he said without elaborating.

Razaleigh he had held discussions using the Sarawak agreement, which had already been signed, with Fuad for Sabah.

"Fuad told me that if Sarawak has agreed there is no need to deliberate further," he said.

However, due to the Triple Six tragedy, the agreement was signed by Harris who was the Chief Minister and witnessed by Datuk Pairin Kitingan for Sabah.

According to him, the Federal Government had earlier in 1974 tried to negotiate with the late Tun Mustapha who was the Chief Minister to reach the agreement.

But, there was a little bit problem since Mustapha refused to negotiate because "he said the Federal Government did not approve his request for loan".

In 1976, the problem was solved, he said, adding that oil was at that time a new economic source to be used to channel development to the people in Sabah.