I refer to WK's letter on the correct date of Malaysia's independence. While it is true that only Malaya achieved independence on Aug 31, 1957, I find it pedantic to argue over the correct dating of independence when there are far bigger issues facing the nation.

Malaya was founded as a federation. On September 16, the federation included Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore. To reflect the change of its composition, its name was changed to Malaysia.

Other countries that operate on a federal basis, like the United States of America, count their date of independence as the date their federation was founded, regardless of when additional states were added. I wouldn't be surprised if Malaysia operates on a similar basis.

After all, the federation did not cease to exist and suddenly declare independence again on September 16. It merely added three new states and changed its name.

Even presuming that it is correct to use September 16 as the date of Malaysia's independence, is anything achieved by doing so? I believe that there are many more fundamental problems Malaysia must deal with, and the least of them is our date of independence.

That roughly half the country is not as Malaysian as the other half is one of many serious problems facing the country. The question of when we officially became independent simply pales in comparison.