Every time, there is a small group of Sarawakians and Sabahans who argue that the federal government (which has their representatives sitting as cabinet ministers!) is treating them like third- class citizens.

These people claim that Kuala Lumpur is treating Sabah and Sarawak as colonies and is sucking away their resources for the benefit of West Malaysians (Peninsular Malaysians). Worse, they claim that in the original Malaysia Agreement signed by Kuala Lumpur, Kuching, Kota Kinabalu and Singapore (which quit in 1965) in 1963, says that Malaysia is a union of three states namely Malaya, Singapore, Sarawak and Sabah.

And this means that Perlis, Kedah, Penang, Perak, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Malacca, Johor, Pahang, Terengganu and Kelantan are sub-states of Malaya!

Now, let's get some facts right. Sabah and Sarawak have a strong degree of autonomy and it is impossible that the federal government is mistreating or exploiting them. Both states have full control as to who to allow inside their borders from Peninsular Malaysia.

Kuala Lumpur distributes a larger share of national wealth to Sabah and Sarawak compared to most states in Peninsular Malaysia. Distribution of national wealth is based on population size, and Sabah and Sarawak are in the Top 5 behind Selangor, Johor and Perak. Kuala Lumpur also gives one out of every six educational loans meant for indigenous Malaysians to needy indigenous students from Sabah and Sarawak.

Peninsular Malaysians cannot control (or 'exploit') Sabah and Sarawak because the Malaysia Agreement 1963 gave absolute power over the natural resources of the two states to their respective indigenous people. Sabah and Sarawak have, from Day One, been under the total control of their respective indigenous people.

And the Malaysia Agreement did not say that Malaysia was to have four 'states'. It said Malaysia was to be an enlarged Malaya with three additional states namely Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore. The three, however, were to have a strong degree of autonomy compared to the first 11 states of Malaya.

If the people of Sabah and Sarawak have grouses, they should bring them up with their respective chief ministers.