KOTA KINABALU, Aug 29 — Sabah is a part of Malaysia and the federation wholly rejected the Philippines’ claim on the state, Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said here today.

He said the federal government would not under any circumstances yield to any challenge to Sabah’s status and the country’s sovereignty.

"We will never concede to this claim. Sabah will remain in Malaysia,” he said during his maiden visit to the state as prime minister.

"They are an integral part of Malaysia and we will fight to the very end to defend Sabah, there is no compromise.”

He also said the federal government will continue to protect the state’s against any intrusions and undocumented migrants

Last week, the Philippines’ House Committee on Foreign Affairs approved a substitute bill requiring the printing of the country’s map, including its 200-mile exclusive economic zone and Sabah, on Philippine passports.

Cagayan de Oro representative Rufus B. Rodriguez reportedly said the move was aimed at emphasising the Philippines’ victory in the West Philippine Sea issue over China in the International Arbitral Tribunal in The Hague, Netherlands, and its legal and historical rights over Sabah.

Yesterday, Malaysia lodged a note verbale with the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) to reject the Philippines’ continued claim on Sabah.

Sabah formed Malaysia in 1963 along with the Federation of Malaya, Sarawak and Singapore. Singapore was expelled in 1965 but the others have continued on in the federation.