The use of spies by religious authorities to catch couples engaging in activities deemed "immoral" was tantamount to invasion of privacy, Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was quoted as saying Friday.

Abdullah was quoted in Malaysian newspapers as telling reporters during a visit to Jakarta that Malaysia's religious authorities should instead concern themselves with a variety of urgent issues facing the Muslim community, the Star newspaper said.

"We can take action against those who are involved in vice activities in public places, but there is no need for us to snoop as that will infringe on people's right to privacy," Abdullah was quoted as saying.

"I say that there is no need for this," he said.

The government of the conservative northern state of Terengganu last weekend said it planned to recruit spies to catch couples engaged in "immoral" activities, including premarital sex, in hotels, parks and public places.

The plan was widely criticised by rights groups and the opposition who claimed it could lead to abuses of power.

The state's religious authorities said the spies would be rewarded for providing tip-offs about couples caught in compromising situations.

Wrong message

The plan aimed to curb the rising number of so-called "khalwat" or "close proximity" cases, a euphemism for extramarital relations that are considered sinful in Islam.

Abdullah warned the plan could send the wrong message to foreign tourists and ordinary people living in multi-racial Malaysia.

"It can be misread. For example, the incident which happened to a non-Muslim couple in Langkawi not too long ago," Abdullah said, referring to an official raid on the home of a retired American couple living on the northern resort island of Langkawi on suspicion of "khalwat".

Last year the government ordered the Federal Territory Religious Department to disband its team of sex snoops in order to avoid invading citizens' privacy.

The Star said that in Malacca in 2005 a group of volunteer spies had been ordered to disband for the same reason.