MANILA - Malaysia is to pursue rape charges against men who allegedly assaulted a minor who was later wrongly deported to the Philippines, the Malaysian embassy here said today.

The girl charged she had been raped at a detention center in Sabah before being deported along with thousands of Filipinos in a crackdown against illegal migrants.

Malaysian police sent to Manila to investigate the case later said the 13-year-old girl was actually a homeless Malaysian citizen who had been associating with illegal Filipino migrants.

"Malaysia would pursue the case against those who are accused of raping" the girl, an embassy statement said.

"The controversy over the confirmation of her nationality will not affect the investigations and subsequent judicial process of the rape charges against the perpetrators of this heinous crime."

'Show us the evidence'

Manila had filed a diplomatic protest over the alleged rape, which sparked outrage in the Philippines.

On Tuesday Malaysian Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad demanded an apology by Manila, but the foreign ministry here rejected it.

The Malaysian embassy said it "appreciates the care and protection accorded by the Philippines" to the girl and expressed hope "that the controversy will soon come to pass and will not affect existing bilateral ties."

Meanwhile, the Philippine government said Friday that Manila would repatriate the girl if Kuala Lumpur showed proof she was indeed a Malaysian citizen.

"We're willing to send her back to Malaysia if there is proper evidence to prove that she is indeed Malaysian," Justice Secretary Hernando Perez told reporters.

"There is no definite finding yet as to her real nationality. It's up to the Malaysian police to prove that she is Malaysian," said chief state prosecutor Jovencito Zuno.

The girl remains in the care of the social welfare department here. The Malaysian embassy said she was a "street child, abandoned by her parents who were divorced." AFP