The letter by WK (Arrogant to date Merdeka as on Aug 31, 1957) refers.

While I agree that September 16, 1963 should be accorded more respect than at present, I beg to differ about August 31, 1957.

Having visited East Malaysia several times, I have learnt that many locals feel August 31 is Malaya's Merdeka and not Malaysia's. They tell me that there was no Malaysia until September 16, 1963.

Furthermore, they say Malaysia is supposed to be three states (four if Singapore is included) namely Sabah, Sarawak and Malaya.

While this viewpoint is widespread among the older generation, especially those born before September 16, 1963, the younger generation is increasingly accepting August 31 together with September 16 as joint National Days.

They are also accepting the reality that Malaysia is a federation of 13 states (14 if Singapore is included) formed on September 16, 1963 to succeed Malaya.

There is nothing in the Malaysia Agreement 1963 which said Malaysia is made up of four states (Malaya, Singapore, Sarawak and Sabah). The Agreement always said that Singapore, Sarawak, Sabah and the 11 states of Malaya will form a federation called Malaysia.

If Malaysia was to be four states, Jalur Gemilang would not have seen three additional stripes and star points!

Having said that, Sarawak and Sabah (and Singapore) imposed reasonable conditions for the Malaysian federal government to uphold before they became member states of Malaysia.

Sarawak and Sabah (and Singapore) demanded political autonomy due to their unique social, political and cultural experiences. This has been respected by the federal government in general.

But the native politicians, from the indigenous Muslim tribes like the Muslim Melanaus, Bruneians, Muslim Kadazan-Dusuns and Muslim Bajaus have gradually altered their own political system to amass power at the expense of the sizeable (a majority in Sarawak only) Christian tribes such as the Ibans, Bidayuhs, Kayans, Kenyahs, Penans, Kelabits, Muruts and Christian Kadazan-Dusuns.

It is wrong to suggest that Peninsular Malays are increasingly colonising Sabah and Sarawak.

It is the native Muslim Melanau, Bruneian, Kadazan-Dusun and Bajau leaders who are "colonising" their own states and relegating Christian Ibans, Bidayuhs, Kayans, Kenyahs, Penans, Kelabits, Muruts and Christian Kadazan-Dusuns to second fiddle in politics.

Remember, the native Muslim leaders maintain the power to control Malay immigration from the Peninsula and the only Peninsular Malays who "control" Sarawak and Sabah politics are the wives of Muslim native leaders.

One such example, until her recent divorce, was Farida Hashim, the ex-wife of the NTV7 founder and Melanau leader Effendi Norwawi.

Finally, it is not true that there was no Malaysia before September 16, 1963.

Malaysia and Malaya were interchangeable terms to refer to the Malay continent (Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Indonesia, East Timor and the Philippines) during the age of British exploration and colonialism.

Malaysia and Malaya were terms coined by the British to refer to the Sri Vijaya, Melaka and Johor-Riau empires which encompassed the above modern countries.