The visa-on-arrival (VOA) scheme was introduced for visitors from 24 countries last September, ahead of a major Visit Malaysia campaign in 2007 aimed at boosting tourist numbers.

But the immigration department's enforcement director, Ishak Mohammed, said 20,481 of the total 36,701 granted visas since last year had overstayed the one-month limit.

"I will recommend to the Government to review the VOA facility once the Visit Malaysia programme ends. The facility needs to be reviewed as there have been many cases of abuse," Ishak was quoted as saying in the Star daily.

Ishak vowed to hunt down the overstayers, mainly from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, China and Bangladesh, whom he said were seeking work illegally.

"We will track them down and catch them, no matter where and no matter when," Ishak said.

"It is obvious that they came here not to experience the sights and sounds of Malaysia but to look for job opportunities," he said.

Malaysia in December stopped issuing the on-the-spot visas to tourists arriving from the south Indian city of Chennai after finding many were using the documents to overstay.