Letter from the Deputy Chief Minister of Sabah, Malaysia
24 February 1999
Correspondence from YB Tham Nyip Shen, Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Industrial Development, Sabah, Malaysia following the retirement of Shane Stone as Chief Minister of Australia's Northern Territory. Extensive mail and telephone messages were received from throughout the Territory, overseas and Australia wide, hence, a small selection of the correspondence has been included in the archives. Extract: ''I wish to recognise you as one of the pioneers and major builders of our state's bilateral relation and co-operation''. There has been a long history of personal connections dating from the first NT Chief Minister Paul Everingham and Sabah Chief Ministers Datuk Harris bin Mohd Salleh and Datuk Joseph Pairin Kitingan. Shane Stone also had a second generation connection through his late father Les Stone with the family of Tun Fuad Stephens, the paramount leader of the Kadazandusun people (two main indigenous groupings in Sabah), former Malaysian High Commissioner to Australia and first and fifth Chief Minister of Sabah who played a pivotal role in bringing Sabah into the Federation of Malaysia at independence. Two of Stephen's children, Asgari and Fauziah resided at International House, the University of Melbourne where Shane was Director of Studies. Shane Stone's connection with Sabah's 10th Chief Minister YB Datuk Yong Teck Lee is well documented in the Archives.
- Document type: Correspondence
- Time period: Legislative Assembly NT
- People: Paul EVERINGHAM, Pairin KITINGAN, THAM Nyip Shen, Harris bin Mohd SALLEH, Asgari STEPHENS, Fauziah STEPHENS, Fuad STEPHENS, YONG Teck Lee
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