Kuala Lumpur, Nov 5 (IANS) Indians top the list of those who arrived under the visa on arrival (VOA) scheme and overstayed in Malaysia during 2006-09, a minister said Thursday to justify India being excluded from the scheme.
India is clubbed with Afghanistan and Pakistan for being excluded from the scheme earlier this year to safeguard “national security”, Deputy Home Minister Wira Abu Seman Yusop told Dewan Rakyat (parliament).

He did not specify figures pertaining to each country, but said 28 percent of visitors under VOA, numbering 75,462, overstayed.

VOA, meant to promote tourism, was introduced in 2006, allowing leading to visas being issued upon arrival for a period between 14 days and three months.

The government has no plans to scrap the VOA scheme for other countries, the minister was quoted as saying by Star Online, website of The Star newspaper.