I would like to answer the questions Kashminder Singh posed in his letter Sabah, Sarawak - it's give and take .

In his letter Kashminder asked, "If we are (one nation), then why do I need my passport to go to Sabah and Sarawak? Why can't I move to these two states permanently? Why am I restricted from seeking employment in those two states?"

First, when the leaders of Sabah were invited to form the Federation of Malaysia, there was a general fear that Sabah would be overwhelmed by Malayans. To avoid being outnumbered by the economically and academically more superior Malayans, a clause was added in the Malaysia

Agreement that required Malayans to use passports to enter Sabah.

This was just one of the 20 points that were set by Sabah to safeguard its interests and to avoid being Malayanised. However, certain state governments had worked with the Malayan-controlled federal government to do away with some of these conditions. This include conditions on

religious freedom, religious equality, Borneonisation of the civil service, autonomy over education and English as the state language.

The first government to work with the federal government to do away with these conditions was the Usno government which Umno helped to bring to power in 1967. The second was Berjaya, whose leader Harris Salleh was a good friend of former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Third would be the present Umno government. In fact, the passport requirement is no longer in force. Malayans can come to Sabah by just showing their MyKads. They can buy property in Sabah, run businesses, work in Sabah and even join politics. And if they die, they can choose to be buried in Sabah. Malayans too can easily become permanent residents in Sabah if they are Muslims.

No Malayan has been deported from Sabah (except for certain opposition party members and pro-opposition people) nor has Malayan been detained in immigration detention facilities.

Malayan civil servants even enjoy huge housing allowances when working in Sabah, a privilege not available to Sabahans working in Malaya. Even lawyers can practise in Sabah, provided they have proof to show they are permanently residing in the state.

Sabah today is a lot like Malaya. To some this might be integration. But to me and many others who share my sentiments, this is an erosion of Sabah's identity. This was feared by Sabah's early leaders such Donald Stephens and GS Sundang. You might not even know them as the history books do not dwell on them as much as they do Malayan leaders.

Forty-three years after independence, a can of Coca-Cola costs more in Sabah than in Malaya. Forty-three years after independence, fuel in Sabah costs more than in Malaya. Forty-three years of independence, you can still find villages without proper roads that are situated less than 50 miles from Kota Kinabalu city centre.

Yes, Kashminder is right. Where are we as a nation?