PUTRAJAYA : The Malay-sian and Singaporean Immigration director-generals will meet soon to discuss either separate or joint smart cards for frequent travellers between both countries.

Home Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said the officials from both Immigration Departments would co-ordinate and discuss how to resolve the issuing of smart cards to travellers from both countries at the next Asean immigration director-generals' meeting.

"Let them discuss and iron out the technical problems that may arise before we decide on either having separate smart cards or a joint one,'' he told reporters after a one-and-a-half hour meeting with his Singapore counterpart Wong Kan Seng.

Abdullah, who is also Deputy Prime Minister, said during the meeting, they touched only on issues pertaining to the Home Ministry. Among the issues were illegal immigrants, trans-boundary crimes and the drug scourge.

"The relationship between the Home Ministries of both countries is very good. We will continue to co-operate with one another, exchange information on security issues and work closely to curb trans-boundary crimes besides dealing with the illegal immigrant problem,'' he added.

Wong proposed that it would be better for both countries to issue smart cards to frequent travellers between Singapore and Malaysia.

"That is possible or we can discuss how the two systems, as both countries have their own smart cards that are differently structured with different algorithms, can talk to one another. Or we can have a joint smart card issued by both countries.

"This would also include resolving technicalities on immigration records if the joint smart cards were to be issued,'' he said, adding that they had issued more than 100,000 smart cards to citizens and also foreign residents in Singapore.

Wong said among the other common problems that Malaysia and Singapore faced was illegal immigrants.

"I have explained Singapore's enforcement practices, methods of dealing with them in court and repatriation,'' he added.