The police today said they were making arrangements to visit neighbouring Philippines to interview a 13-year-old Filipina girl who claims she was raped at a detention centre for illegal migrants in Sabah.

"We have just been informed by the Philippines embassy here that permission has been granted," Musa Hassan, federal Criminal Investigation Department deputy director, was quoted as saying by the official Bernama news agency.

"We will make the preparations which include submitting the names of our officers who will go there (to Manila)." Musa did not elaborate.

Special unit

The police have formed a special unit to conduct the investigation.

Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad last week pledged swift action after Philippine President Gloria Arroyo complained in a letter to him that the migrant girl had been raped, reportedly by a policeman at a detention centre.

The case is the latest cause of friction over Malaysia's crackdown on illegal immigrants, which has seen more than 380,000 people flee the country or be deported ahead of tough new punishments including jail and caning.

The clampdown on illegal workers, who flock to the relatively wealthy Southeast Asian nation in search of jobs, has sparked protests in the Philippines and Indonesia. — AFP