16th September or 31st August??

How old is Malaysia? 42 or 48?

Unlike many Peninsulans, this is the hot question Sabahans are arguing about.

Besides asking the government to celebrate Merdeka Day on 16th September every year (as this is the exact formation date of "The Federation of Malaysia"), most Sabahans are even questioning how old is Malaysia, judging by the fact that Malaysia only formed 42 years ago, not 48 years ago.

Most Sabahans argue that in 1957, it was the then Federation of Malaya who gained independence from the British Colonial Government. By if we refer to Malaysia, which was formed on 16th September 1963 and was concluded of Sabah, Sarawak, Singapore and "the Federation of Malaya", then our country is only 42-year-old.

I have a simple solution to this argument. Celebrate the 31st August as Merdeka Day for Peninsula and 16th September as Malaysia Day. This will be more meaningful compared to the Merdeka Month Celebration from 16th August to 16 September.

Time has come for us to be more Malaysian than Malayan.