The former minister said the two different celebrations had only caused a division among Malaysians in the peninsula and Malaysians in Sabah and Sarawak.

Furthermore, he said, Merdeka Day had no meaning as the nation is now known as Malaysia, and not Malaya.

If Malaysians want to celebrate the formation of Malaysia, he said it was only right to celebrate Malaysia Day. Merdeka Day, he added, could be read about in history books.

“Such a move can help erase the feeling of being different that is prevalent between the people in the peninsula and the two Borneo states,” Nazri said when debating the Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2021 in the Dewan Rakyat.

He noted that Merdeka Day was celebrated mostly in Peninsular Malaysia while Hari Malaysia was celebrated mostly in Sabah and Sarawak.

Bung Moktar Radin (BN-Kinabatangan) said the people of the Borneo states did not want to leave Malaysia but were feeling the heat as their rights had been eroded.

“We want equal development as seen in Peninsular Malaysia,” he said.

He said Putrajaya should allow both Sabah and Sarawak to manage their own projects with funds allocated under the federal budget, instead of waiting for the federal government to channel the funds to them.

This will allow both the states to carry out projects immediately.

Mohamad Sabu (PH-Kota Raja) said it was time for an army chief to be from Sabah or Sarawak to create mutual respect between the states.

Touching on immigration matters, he said while Malaysians were allowed even into North Korea and Cuba, some Malaysians were barred from entering Sarawak.

“We hope after this (Bill is passed) the issue will be put to rest. Sabah and Sarawak should bar an individual from entering for criminal reasons, not for political reasons,” he said.