This will mark the end of the manual-based form to monitor the nationwide movement of foreign-registered vehicles.

Following a successful pilot run in Sarawak last year, the electronic vehicle information system (Evis) will be introduced in Padang Besar in Perlis and Bukit Kayu Hitam in Kedah this month.

However, Customs corporate planning division director Hashim Pardi declined to reveal the exact number of smuggling cases identified in Sarawak through Evis, which was developed in-house by the department's information technology officers.

Currently, foreign vehicles are only allowed to remain in the country for a maximum of three months, Mr Hashim said after witnessing the handing over of duties for the Kelantan customs director's post on Monday.

Datuk Che Jamil Ahmad, who is retiring, handed formally over his duties to Azis Yaacub, who was previously the revenue collection accounting division deputy director.

Mr Hashim said foreign vehicle owners, upon registering online, would be issued with a smartcard which would record both the entry and departure dates of the vehicle.

Evis would monitor the vehicle's movements and detect if the vehicle had been in the country longer than permitted or if illegal sales of such vehicles had occurred, in addition to luxury models being cannibalised for their parts, said Mr Hashim.

It would also tighten and speed up the customs clearance at the various checkpoints. -- The Star/ANN.