LETTER | When I first learned that no one from Sabah or Sarawak has ever been prime minister, I stopped and reflected.

The Federal Constitution did not say it can't happen but after 63 years of being told we're equal partners in this federation, something does not quite add up.

We're equal when it comes to sacrifice. Equal when it comes to contributing to the nation's wealth - oil, gas, timber, tourism, you name it. Equal when it comes to defending borders and strengthening the economy. But we are not equal in opportunity, as the record suggests otherwise.

Every election season, politicians make their pilgrimage to Kota Kinabalu and Kuching. They speak of unity, of partnership, of the Malaysia Agreement 1963.

East Malaysian MPs suddenly become the most important people in Parliament, the kingmakers who can tip the scales of power.

But once the government is formed, the prime minister's post seems to come with an unspoken address requirement: Peninsular Malaysia only.

Let's be honest about what's really going on here. There's no legal barrier stopping a Sabahan or Sarawakian from becoming PM.

Barrier in our minds

The barrier is in our heads: that quiet, persistent assumption that only a leader from the peninsula is "acceptable" to run the country. That kind of thinking doesn't belong in a mature democracy.

I think about what this says to my children, to the next generation of East Malaysians. We tell them they can dream big and achieve anything.

But then we show them that when it comes to the highest office in the land, geography trumps merit.

They can help choose the prime minister, but somehow, they should never imagine being one themselves.

This isn't about demanding a prime minister from Sabah or Sarawak just for the sake of geography. That would be tokenism, and nobody wants that.

This is about breaking a pattern that has quietly become tradition, the idea that leadership of this nation belongs to one region, permanently, by default.

What would it look like if we treated this as normal? If a talented, capable, respected leader from Kuching or Kota Kinabalu could be considered for the top job, not as a diversity checkbox, but because they're simply the best person for it?

That's how federations are supposed to work.

Sharing power and trust

Malaysia talks a lot about unity. We sing about it, we celebrate it, we make speeches about it. But unity means sharing power, trust, and opportunity, not just holding hands during festive seasons.

If we're truly one nation, that has to be reflected in who we trust to lead us.

Maybe it's time we stopped treating East Malaysia as indispensable during elections and dispensable when it comes to leadership.

If the highest office in the land remains permanently out of reach for millions of Malaysians, we owe it to ourselves to ask: are we truly one nation, or are some of us just more equal than others?

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.