Shafie said the proposal was a violation of Sabah’s sovereignty and Wisma Putra should summon the Philippines Ambassador in Kuala Lumpur to issue a stern warning.

In response to the map proposal, approved by a Philippines congressional committee, foreign minister Hishammuddin Hussein said on Twitter that he had made Malaysia’s stand before. “There is no question about it – Sabah will forever be a part of Malaysia,” he said this evening.

He also posted a link to a video clip of his statement in the Dewan Rakyaat on Aug 6 that Malaysia would not recognise any foreign claim on Sabah.

Shafie said Wisma Putra cannot afford to be soft when authorities in the Philippines had come out with “all sorts of ridiculous statements of late”. He said: “Sabah is a sovereign state and this has been settled a long time ago.”

The Philippine proposal, approved by the house foreign affairs committee, calls for the Philippine map, showing a 200-mile exclusive economic zone and Sabah, to be printed on Philippine passports.