Home Minister Radzi Sheikh Ahmad said the visa would allow tourists from those countries to stay in Malaysia for up to one month.

"The idea is to encourage them to come straight to Malaysia, to spend their money here first, instead of neighbouring countries," Radzi said according to the New Straits Times.

He said the move would particularly benefit tourists from China who had difficulties in obtaining visas to Malaysia.

Radzi said the visa, offered at a cost of 100 ringgit (27 dollars), would be available throughout Visit Malaysia Year 2007 and afterwards if no problems were experienced.

"As long as it doesn't threaten Malaysia's security... it will depend on the situation and we will monitor to see if it is good for Malaysia," he said.

The government has said it hopes to attract some 20.1 million tourists in 2007, up from 15.7 million in 2004.

Tourism is Malaysia's second-largest foreign exchange earner, but it is facing stiff competition from neighbours including Singapore and Thailand.

Arrivals from China in particular have been dropping, from 550,000 in 2004 to 350,000 in 2005, in a decline blamed partly on negative publicity over the treatment of Chinese nationals here.