Singapore Parliament On How Mas Selamat Escape - 18 Oct 2010

SINGAPORE: Mas Selamat Kastari was handed over to Singapore by Malaysia a month ago, but little has been disclosed by the former Jemaah Islamiyah leader about his escape from Whitley Road Detention Centre.

Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng told Parliament that Mas Selamat was now placed in the highest risk category and the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and Internal Security Department (ISD) are investigating his escape from two different angles.

The CID is questioning Mas Selamat on his escape while the ISD is investigating it from a counter-terrorism angle.

"As to how he eventually escaped from Singapore to Malaysia, this is something the current investigations are looking into...Mas Selamat has not given a completely reliable account of how he evaded detection...and how he made his way to Malaysia. As this is the part of his escape which is under active investigation, I am not able to share any details at this stage other than to say investigators are not closing any options," said Mr Wong.

Mr Wong said it's not possible to seal off all entry and exit points in Singapore.

"We have seen also in the example of illegal immigrants who manage to leave or enter Singapore and whom we have detected and arrested. "It is quite possible people can leave or enter Singapore undetected. Just within the last one week, police and ICA have managed to detect quite a few cases of illegal immigrants trying to come into Singapore."

Mr Wong said Mas Selamat escaped via a toilet window which did not have a grille.

Mas Selamat had observed renovation work at the centre, and when taken to a toilet in a new block, he noticed the window.

Noting this lapse, he planned the escape, getting guards used to his routine of closing the toilet cubicle and turning on the tap.

He also started hanging his pants over the cubicle door to deceive guards into thinking he was still inside and while in the forested area, he took off his light green baju kurung.

Mr Wong said a revised regime for detainees has since been implemented.

"The detainees are now classified into three different risk categories...depending on the levels of risk they pose...they are also given different privileges and different kinds of security assessments. Mas Selmat is now placed on the highest category, the red category...his movement will be closely observed and he is heavily shackled wherever he needs to be moved out of the cell, and also for him we have a larger Gurkha guard escorting."

Members also discussed the current threat levels to Singapore, with MP for Holland-Bukit Timah GRC Christopher De Souza asking is "the terrorism threat lower" and whether "a greater threat" exists.

The Home Affairs Minister pointed out there are still other terror cells and operators in the region where security is intertwined with Singapore's being an open economy.

"Singapore's security cannot be divorced from the security situation in our region. Singapore has been and will continue to remain a target in the eyes of the terrorist network, the continuous discoveries of new plots and the disruption by the security forces in the region tell us that the terrorist network is very much alive and resilient."

Mr Wong said details of how Mas Selamat managed to reach Malaysia and if anyone aided him in his escape will be revealed once investigations are over. However, a lot will also depend on how cooperative Mas Selamat chooses to be.

-CNA/sf/ac

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• SIngapore
• Mas
• Selemat
• terroist
• Jemaah
• Islamiah
• JI
• network
• Whitley
• Road
• Detention
• Centre
• Gurkha
• guards
• Deputy
• Prime
• Minister
• DPM
• Wong
• Kan
• Seng

[DANNYANG24]

IF HE HAD DONE SOMETHING BAD TO S'PORE AFTER ESCAPING,I WONDER WAT E GOVERMENT GOT TO SAY "SORRY"

SAVE IT