February 28, 2008 Thursday
Escape of JI
leader: How can this happen in S'pore?
MANY Singaporeans reacted to news of f the escape of JI leader Mas
Selamat Kastari from a high-security detention centre with
disbelief and incredulity.
This posting from Jordan Tan in the straitstimes.com aptly
summed up the reaction of many others: 'Hello, this is Singapore.
How can this happen?'
Added cc1034: 'How can a highly dangerous person escape from a
highly secured prison?'
Another disbelieving reader, who goes by the monicker howaiyee,
said: 'Security at the detention centre is 'tight'. He walks with a
limp. Yet he managed to escape. What a shame!'
'How can we feel safe anymore?' said a worried Lim Boon Hee.
Mas Selamat, 47, who heads the Singapore Jemaahy Islamiah terror
network, escaped from the Whitley Road Detention Centre at 4.05 pm
on Wednesday, sparking an island-wide manhunt involving thousands
of police, SAF, Gurkha and Special Operations Command forces.
The Straits Times online discussion board has also been buzzing
with readers' comments, with postings coming in at 3 am in the
morning. As at 2.15 pm, there were 186 postings on this issue, with
16,528 views.
Many readers expressed concern about the breach of security
which allowed the terror leader to slip away.
Said raymond_lo: 'I feel throughly let down by our security
men.'
A user who signed off as a 'terrified student from SCGS', said
she would not be going to school on Thursday.
Several also urged the authorities to provide more information
about the escape.
Said shean777: 'Please, Home Affairs Minister, say something or
more importantly, DO something!'
Indeed, a user who went by the name lib27 put it bluntly: 'The
whole Singapore is waiting for an answer.'
Many readers also offered tips and advice to catch the JI
leader.
Suggested mr.speakersir: 'Perhaps the authorities might
seriously warn Singaporeans and whoever else in Singapore about the
cosequences of sheltering him.. and whoever provides leads to his
whereabouts and subsequent capture should be rewarded ...
Singaporeans just love rewards!' He also suggested plastering his
picture island-wide, terming it the 'great Singapore terrorist
hunt.'
A reader readi suggested a CCTV system that could hook up images
of all passengers in taxis that could be beamed to a centralised
system.
Many also rallied Singaporeans to pitch in the search for the
wanted man.
Reader jchlee urged 'all to keep a lookout for this damn fella,
and help the SPF nab him before he really wreaks havoc in
Singapore.'
