The government is expanding the list of Malaysians who are barred from leaving the country, a top official said today.

"We add locals on to the list everyday," said Home Ministry secretary general Aseh Che Mat.

However, he said that a number of criteria must be fulfilled before a person is blacklisted.

In late May, it was reported that 78 individuals were barred from leaving the country because they had 'tarnished the image of the country'.

The Home Ministry, however, has not released the names of those who are on the blacklist.

Aseh said that the names could not be made public as it pertained to "national security".

He added that those who have not paid government levies or taxes could also be added to the list.

"When I served as the director-general of the Immigration department, I had blacklisted a person for not paying his taxes. But after he had done so, he was removed from the list," Aseh told reporters after launching the National Registration Department's website at its headquarters in Petaling Jaya.

National security threat

Meanwhile, Immigration director Jamal Mohd Kamdi said that the recent ban on Tian Chua's (Internal Security Act detainee) foreign-born fiancee was because she represented a threat to national security.

He added that it was the government's "prerogative" to bar Au from entering the country.

Jamal told malaysiakini that although Au could appeal to the authorities, it was still up to the government to decide on whether to lift the ban .

Au arrived in the Kuala Lumpur International Airport on July 20 to meet Tian at the Kamunting detention centre where he is currently being held under a two-year detention order.

Tian, who is Keadilan vice-president, was detained under the ISA since June together with five other reformasi leaders.

According to Au, she was kept in the airport's detention cell, denied food and water and deported back to her native Hong Kong the next day.

On another matter, Aseh said that foreign women who were divorced by their Malaysian husband while waiting for approval of their permanent residency application will no longer be immediately deported.

"We will allow the women to stay on social visit passes and then later on they can still apply for permanent residence status," he said.

Smart card

Meanwhile, Aseh announced that the government will launch a "multi-purpose smart card" next week.

The smart card contains medical information, passport details and could also be used as electronic cash.

"The early launch of the card began on April 2001 around the Multimedia Super Corridor - Kuala Lumpur area. Until now more than 35,000 of these cards have been distributed to the public.

He said that the current identity card would be upgraded into a smart card.

According to Aseh, information contained in the smart card are only accessible to the police, Immigration Department, Road Transport Department and the National Registration Department for enforcement purposes.

"Therefore, the public need not worry that private information would fall into the wrong hands," he said.