Kuala Lampur, Oct. 22 -- There is one thing Putrajaya counts on to keep things going in Borneo, a lack of statewide, sorry, territory-wide consensus.

Not anymore.

Federal overlords took for granted this upper-hand over the less colonised portion of the federation.

By the time the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824 was signed, which set the tone for the eventual adoption of the two Borneo states into the framework of the reconstituted Malaya as Malaysia, the Straits Settlements already had a developed relationship and dynamics with the Malay states.

Everything was a bit later to arrive in Borneo due to the historical accidents.

This does not reformat the Malaysia Agreement but rather explains why Borneo plays catch-up perpetually with West Ma...