On the 26th of February 2008, Singaporeans returned home to the startling news that Mas Selamat Kastari, the former head of the Jemiaah Islamiah cell in Singapore and the republic’s most dangerous man, had escaped from the Whitley Detention Centre and is now on the loose.I believe that many would never have, in their wildest dreams, imagined the possibility of such a wanted terrorist breaking out from a ‘high-security’ detention centre, especially given the hard-line stance Singapore adopts on anti-terrorism.
Mas Selamat Kastari had been detained under the Internal Security Act since 2006 for allegedly plotting to hijack and crash a plane from Bangkok into Changi Airport. According to various news reports, he had slipped out of the detention centre at approximately 4.05pm that eventful day after visiting the toilet.
Without a doubt, one of the pressing questions that must be racing through the minds of Singaporeans and the global community alike, would be how Mas Selamat, being such a threat to public security, was able to achieve this ‘feat’ completely undetected? At such a ‘high-security’ prison, security obviously had to be top-notch and constant vigilance maintained at all times. Why was Mas Selamat allowed to visit the toilet alone, and how long did it take for the guards to discover that he had disappeared?
Of colossal importance is how this incident has affected our society, and the greater implications it may have on Singapore’s reputation within the international community. Globally reputed for its low crime rate and tight security, as well as its firm approach against terrorism in the region and the world around, this unexpected glitch will certainly tarnish the shine in our record somewhat.
Nonetheless, Singapore society, though anxious for the capture of this wanted fugitive, has been taking matters in its stride and cooperating fully with the government’s all-out efforts to locate and arrest Mas Selamat. In fact, it is heartening to see how the nation has instead bonded together as one through this ‘calamity’. As the government ordered a massive island-wide manhunt for Mas Selamat, many citizens, while understandably worried, were extremely obliging as army units conducted spot-checks on passing vehicles and households. Police also tightened security along the borders, resulting in hour-long traffic jams for those heading into Johor and overseas, but many who were interviewed expressed their understanding for the rationale behind such checks.
Grassroots leaders and MPs such as Mdm. Cynthia Phua and Dr. Fatimah Lateef, amongst an army of volunteers from all walks of life, all eager to play their part in the search effort, have all chipped in to distribute posters with Mas Selamat’s face to passers-by at MRT stations and shopping malls. The three major Telco operators here have also very willingly sent out free MMSes to all mobile phone users in Singapore, reminding them to remain vigilant and be on the lookout for Mas Selamat. Virtually every public place in Singapore has been splashed across with the face of the escaped terrorist, and with the search for him reaching down even to the community level, it will be interesting to see how long Mas Selamat Kastari can remain in hiding here on our beloved island.
While this freak, out-of-the-blue incident has exposed Singapore’s vulnerability to moments of negligence, I echo the hope of everyone that it will not be long before this thorn to society is arrested and locked away safely. Amid the ongoing hullabaloo around us, it is definitely heartening to see Singapore society stand so strong in a united front in such times of trouble. It will without doubt reflect how much we have progressed over the years as a country, and give us the confidence to go through thick and thin, come whatever may!
Singapore’s response to this crisis will be extremely crucial as it will reflect the strength of our little nation as a unified society and test our ability to respond to such situations. Nevertheless, I am fully confident that Singapore will be able to bounce back from this global embarrassment, and emerge stronger and readier to tackle such terror issues.
Article Sources:
1. “Manhunt”, Rosnah Ahmad, Leong Wee Keat, Esther Fung and Tan Hui Leng, Today, Thursday 28 February 2008
2. “The one question on the mind of Netizens”, Claire Huang, MyPaper, February 29 2008
3. “Community leaders help with search”, Diana Othman, The Straits Times, March 1 2008
4. "Posters & leaflets of fugitive helpful, says S’poreans”, Mavis Teo and Jessica Jaganathan, The Straits Times, March 1 2008
5. “Elite cops blanket Bt. Batok”, Chong Chee Kin, The Sunday Times, March 2 2008
6. “The face that launched 5.5million cell phone alerts”, Ben Nadarajan, The Sunday Times, 2 March 2008
7. “Kampung Boy, bus mechanic, bomb maker, wanted terrorist”, Nur Dianah Suhaimi, The Sunday Times, 2 March 2008
8. “Telcos rally to help alert all residents”, Jamie Ee, The Sunday Times, 2 March 2008
9. “Man hunt for terrorist chief goes into 5th day: He’s still in Singapore”, MyPaper, 3 March 2008
1. “Manhunt”, Rosnah Ahmad, Leong Wee Keat, Esther Fung and Tan Hui Leng, Today, Thursday 28 February 2008
2. “The one question on the mind of Netizens”, Claire Huang, MyPaper, February 29 2008
3. “Community leaders help with search”, Diana Othman, The Straits Times, March 1 2008
4. "Posters & leaflets of fugitive helpful, says S’poreans”, Mavis Teo and Jessica Jaganathan, The Straits Times, March 1 2008
5. “Elite cops blanket Bt. Batok”, Chong Chee Kin, The Sunday Times, March 2 2008
6. “The face that launched 5.5million cell phone alerts”, Ben Nadarajan, The Sunday Times, 2 March 2008
7. “Kampung Boy, bus mechanic, bomb maker, wanted terrorist”, Nur Dianah Suhaimi, The Sunday Times, 2 March 2008
8. “Telcos rally to help alert all residents”, Jamie Ee, The Sunday Times, 2 March 2008
9. “Man hunt for terrorist chief goes into 5th day: He’s still in Singapore”, MyPaper, 3 March 2008
