Sabah PKR secretary Sazalye Donol said Kitingan’s remarks were incendiary and could threaten the nation’s and Sabah’s peace and stability, The Borneo Post reported.

He said the existence of West Malaysia-based political parties did not contravene the Federal Constitution, and that the leaders of these entities were not traitors.

“We challenge him to immediately withdraw from the unity government coalition if he can no longer cooperate with the parties within the coalition,” Sazalye was quoted as saying.

He also said PKR understood and respected Sabah’s demands for the full implementation of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), but maintained that these demands should be pursued carefully.

“Such demands should be pursued prudently and in the spirit of unity, in line with the formation of the unity government as decreed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

“Apart from his seasonal rhetoric, especially during election periods, what tangible achievements has (Kitingan) accomplished in championing MA63? None.

“All the rights that have been restored thus far were initiatives and decisions made by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim himself, even before being formally demanded by any party under the Madani government,” he said.

Kitingan, a deputy chairman of the ruling Gabungan Rakyat Sabah, had reportedly accused certain parties “from across the sea” of trying to divide the state government at a GRS Youth event yesterday.

The former PKR member, who is also a deputy chief minister, had warned these parties against picking a fight with GRS, saying Sabah had been “colonised for far too long”.

This comes amid the alleged mining scandal implicating several Sabah assemblymen, which has led to Sabah Umno calling for GRS chairman Hajiji Noor to resign as the chief minister.