'Smart card' travel discussed

Wed, 21 Mar 2001, 00:00 WIB | Source: AFP

BANGKOK (AFP): ASEAN delegates met here on Tuesday to discuss
ways of standardizing immigration laws so that "smart cards"
could one day replace passports and visas for member nationals,
officials said.

Under the proposal to facilitate travel between member states,
the cards would first be issued to government officials, then to
business investors and finally tourists as the scheme became
fully operational, they said.

Representatives from all 10 Association of Southeast Asian
Nations (ASEAN) were to discuss "recommended measures towards
harmonization of immigration regulations among ASEAN member
countries", according to a statement.

Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi said last
month that the smart card proposal was part of ASEAN's efforts to
link the region electronically under the e-ASEAN project.

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