Malaysia is hunting down more than 20,000 foreign nationals who have entered the country as tourists before staying on to find jobs illegally, reports said today.

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.

Malaysia hopes to attract 20.1 million tourists in 2007, up from 17.5 million in 2006, and to draw in receipts of some RM44.5 billion.

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