Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar has rebuffed a request by Filipino authorities to remain an interested party in the alleged rape case of a 13-year-old girl by Sabah policemen, saying that it should not be their concern.

Syed Hamid was commenting on a request by Filipino authorities for Malaysia to provide intermittent reports on the progress of the alleged rape case.

"We do not have to respond to what they (Filipino authorities) say. As far as we are concerned, what is most important is that we will take responsibility over the welfare of the underaged person," he told reporters after attending a briefing on the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit preparations at the Putra World Trade Centre.

The 13-year-old girl, who has been nicknamed 'Angelica' by the Philippine press, arrived in Sabah yesterday after spending several months under the care of welfare officials in southern Philippines.

She was mistakenly deported to the Philippines in September during a mass deportation exercise of Filipino illegal immigrants from Sabah. The girl was later found to be a Malaysian following investigations into the alleged rape.