Channel NewsAsia - 2 hours 6 minutes
ago
SINGAPORE : Businessman Richard Chan usually leaves it to his
wife to pick their daughter from the Singapore Chinese Girls’
School (SCGS). But on Thursday afternoon, he decided to accompany
his wife to the school.
With Mas Selamat Kastari — terror detainee—turned—fugitive —
still at large, Mr Chan did not want to take any chances.
"I may have not sent my daughter to school if I had known
earlier," he told TODAY.
In what Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng described as a
"security lapse", Mas Selamat, head of the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI)
terrorist network here, gave his guards the slip while he was being
taken to the toilet at the Whitley Detention Centre, which is near
SCGS.
The massive manhunt for the 47—year—old fugitive, who walks with
a limp, continued on Thursday.
"Extensive police, the Singapore Armed Forces and other security
resources are still deployed and no efforts will be spared to track
him down," the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said last night.
The soldiers were brought in on Thursday to help the thousands
of policemen, Gurkhas and men from the elite Special Operations
Forces already deployed cover a wider area.
As the security forces continued to maintain its presence in the
area around the detention centre, SCGS yesterday issued a letter to
parents assuring them that extra precautions had been taken to
ensure the students’ safety. Said SCGS principal Low Ay Nar: "Cars
allowed into the premises are scrutinised more stringently."
Despite the beefed—up security in some areas, it seemed to be
business as usual in many parts of Singapore. In Geylang Serai,
several people interviewed said they were not worried.
The owner of a textile outlet, Mr Hashim Mohd Noor, believes
that Mas Selamat will be caught "sooner or later".
Shopkeeper Chng Keng Chai, in his 80s, added: "I am not worried.
If I see him, I’ll call the police."
TODAY’s checks suggested that many Singaporeans were more
curious about the
escape itself.
As Mr K C Cheriyan, director of a childcare centre at Goldhill
Avenue and a former military man, said: "How do you escape from
such a facility? How is it possible?"
Other questions that have cropped up: Was Mas Selamat acting
alone? Why was he not restrained with handcuffs or electronic tags?
Shouldn’t there have been fail—safe measures in the first place?
Would his escape lead to greater security threats here?
Four government MPs also had some questions for Mr Wong in
Parliament on Thursday.
Among them was Dr Teo Ho Ping, who wanted to know what was the
level of security imposed on Mas Selamat during his detention.
"This has raised concerns about our police force’s vigilance, and
security operating procedures," he said.
MP Ho Geok Choo — noting the possibility that there could be a
network operating in the background to help Mas Selamat escape —
asked Mr Wong what more the Home Ministry could do to prepare
Singaporeans in the event of an emergency.
Mr Wong urged the House "not to speculate" until an independent
investigation had completed its work.
He also warned that anyone who helps Mas Selamat would be
committing a "grave offence". Under the Penal Code, a person who
harbours a fugitive faces a jail sentence that may extend to 15
years or even a life term, as well as a fine.
TODAY understands that Mas Selamat’s posters with his picture
and a number to call are being put up in places such as bus
interchanges and MRT stations.
Singapore’s neighbours were yesterday also on alert, with Malaysian
security forces beefing up patrols and distributing the JI leader’s
photos to various enforcement agencies. An Indonesian presidential
spokesman told online news portal detik.com that Jakarta was
coordinating very closely with Singapore’s security and
intelligence agencies.
Even as Singaporeans are waiting for answers to the "how",
security experts are already grappling with the question, "what
next?"
Some believe that Mas Selamat who once plotted to hijack a plane
and crash it into Changi Airport has four options: Hide and wait
until there is a lull in the manhunt; make a dash for it and try to
escape to a neightbouring country; or, if he feels cornered, Mas
Selamat might resort to taking a hostage or even a reckless act of
terror.
Mr Clive Williams, a professor with the Australian Defence Force
Academy, predicted that Mas Selamat would try to reach Indonesia.
"Because if he stays in Singapore, he’s going to be arrested fairly
quickly," Mr Williams told AFP. — TODAY/il
