Tun Fuad Stephens
Tun Haji Mohammad Fuad Stephens SMN, PSM, SPDK, PNBS, until conversion to Islam Donald Stephens ( born 14 September 1920 in Kudat, British North Borneo, † June 6, 1976 in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia ) was the first Prime Minister in the state of Sabah in Malaysia. He played a fundamental role in the connection of Sabah on the Malaysian Federation in 1963. He remained Prime Minister until 1964 and during a second term of office until 1976. Shortly after his reelection in 1976, he died in a mysterious plane crash on June 6, 1976 in Kota Kinabalu, the capital of Sabah. His remains were buried in Staatsmausoleum in Sabah State Mosque in Kota Kinabalu. He was also the first Huguan Sioux City, the supreme leader of the ethnic group of the Kadazandusun.
Background
Donald Aloysius Marmaduke Stephens was born on 14 September 1920. His father, Jules Stephen Pavitt, was half Kadazan, half British, while his mother was Japanese and British parents. For several years, Donald Stephens was the High Commissioner of Malaysia in Australia.
Political career
Tun Fuad founded in August 1961, the party United National Kadazan Organization ( UNKO ). Together with Tun Mustapha of the United Sabah National Organization ( USNO ) and Tunku Abdul Rahman, who later became Prime Minister of Malaya, he had a key role in the negotiations on the independence of Sabah and Malaysia held its founding. The establishment of the State Malaysia was finally reached on 16 September 1963 which is celebrated annually as Malaysia Day. He became Sabah's first prime minister, at the same time.
In 1964, Tun Fuad back as Chief Minister of Sabah, as he was called as the first politician from Sabah to the Cabinet of the Prime Minister. He was succeeded by Peter Lo Sui Yin of the Sabah Chinese Association. As Minister Tun Fuad was in the government team of the Prime Minister in charge of all matters related to Sabah.
On January 5, 1971 Donald with his entire family converted from Catholicism to Islam and changed his name to " Mohammad Fuad ".
In 1973, he became the Yang di - Pertuan Negara, the governor of Sabah, appointed. He retained this position until 1975. Tun Fuad founded this year with Harris Salleh, the party BERJAYA. With BERJAYA they won in 1976 against Tun Mustapha's USNO elections in Sabah. Tun Fuad was Sabah's fifth prime minister. 44 days later he died in a plane crash.
Death by plane crash
On June 6, 1976, Tun Fuad and several cabinet members were aboard a flight from Labuan to Kota Kinabalu. About 2 km from the Kota Kinabalu International Airport based on the built in Australia machine type GAF Nomad; all occupants on board were killed in the become known as the Double Six Tragedy accident. Immediately after the disaster, conspiracy theories about the cause of the crash was loud.
The location of the crash is with the Double Six Monument, a memorial, marked with a stone obelisk that was erected shortly after the accident. The place is located in Sembulan district within the Grace Garden building complex in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah at Jalan Pantai Sembulan.
Private life
The Islamic politician was married to Haji Rahimah. His adopted son, John Benedict, called Johari, also died in the plane crash on October 6, 1971.