TRAVELLERS entering Malaysia at the Causeway and Second Link were surprised by a change there last weekend.

They did not need to fill up those white immigration cards any more. They needed only to get their passports stamped by Malaysian immigration officials as proof of entry.

A new visitor screening system, whose trial run began quietly on Saturday, reads the necessary data, such as name, nationality and validity of passport, off the traveller's passport itself. This does away with the need for Malaysian officials to process tens of thousands of those cards.

Besides personal information, the cards - filled in by hand - also asked for the traveller's address while in Malaysia and declarations on currencies carried and state of health.

An immigration spokesman with the Malaysian High Commission said the trial may be extended to other entry points, such as Kuala Lumpur International Airport, but did not have information on when this might take place.

Visitors have always had their passports scanned, but the new system reads some of the data immigration officials used to obtain from the white cards. The Malaysian authorities could not say how health data and currency declarations will be collected.

About 250,000 people enter Malaysia via the Causeway daily, and another 30,000 use the Second Link. About half are foreigners who had to fill in the white cards.

The immigration spokesman said yesterday: "What they should be confident of is that our system will key in their particulars based on the information in their passports."

Despite temporary confusion over the change at the Causeway and the Second Link last weekend, immigration clearance went smoothly, he said.

Among the travellers caught off-guard was Ms Hung Meiling, 23. The marketing communications executive said: "I came prepared with the white card filled up, but the customs officer just said 'no need' and pointed to a notice in Malay, which I could not understand."

Cheering the new convenience, she added: "It does away with the hassle of filling up the cards beforehand and panicking when I realise I don't have any more of the cards. It's also a pain to have to keep extra cards just in case."

Another frequent traveller to Malaysia, Mr Sebastian Lim, 35, usually keeps four cards in his car and another 20 at home. He is playing it safe for now and will hold on to his stash.

He said: "I don't want to be caught in a tricky situation if these cards are needed again."