The visa-on-arrival scheme was introduced last year ahead of a major campaign aimed at boosting overseas visitor numbers but Home Minister Radzi Sheikh Ahmad said it is being abused.

"We simplified the entry process for foreign tourists... but some people had abused the visa to stay in the country longer than the duration allowed," Radzi was quoted as saying by the state Bernama news agency.

The minister said tourists were using the one-month visa to work illegally, and that most over-stayers are from China and India, with a small number from African nations, the New Straits Times reported.

"They are lured because we are a prosperous nation. Many have entered the country and obtained the VOA, but they never left," Radzi was quoted as saying.

He said immigration officials, police and a volunteer force are conducting daily raids to find the over-stayers, who are deported.

Despite the visa abuse, Radzi said the government will not scrap the scheme, citing its importance for tourist arrivals.