Mas Selamat Kastari

[updated: 30 May 2008 / 03:38] 27 Feb 2008, Mas Selamat Kastari, Singapore JI number one man manage to run away from Whitley Road detention centre. 94 days past without any track until today. Singapore Internal Security Department fail to re-capture the most wanted man in Singapore and no one know where he is? Initial report said, he might runaway to Indonesia but then government said, he still hiding domestically. Mas Selamat, 47, led the Singapore JI cell and during a crackdown in 2001, he run away to Indonesia but his 13 members detained. The Indonesian authorities caught and handed him over to Singapore in 2006. His escape has caused the major alarm and public criticism of Singapore's security agencies especially when he just need 49 second to escape him self from one of the most secured detention centre in the region.

The Committee of Inquiry identified six major factor;

i. Guard escorting Mas Selamat failed to stop him from closing the urinal cubicle door in the Family Visitation Block toilet.

ii. The ventilation window in the urinal cubicle has not been secured by grilles.

iii. Security weak point in the perimeter fencing where the outer and inner perimeter fences converged with an enclosed staircase and walkway leading to the Family Visitation Block was not detected.

iv. The escorting security officer's failed to respond immediately when they noticed Mas Selamat was taking too long in urinal cubicle.

v. Escorting officer failed to check if Mas Selamat had changed out his detention attire into his civilian clothes. He might be wearing at least two layers of clothing when he escaped.

vi. No one was actively monitoring the CCTV cameras covering the outer and inner perimeter fences.

One thing we must remember, when any issue/tragedy occured, there will be three matters involve; "true story", "story" and "theory". In Mas Selamat case, no one [even the Singapore government] know what really transpired so they come out with the story and People are talking about the theory. One of the theory was, Mas Selamat passed away in detention and to avoid the revenge from JI, the authority are telling the story. Singapore is a very small island with population not more than 4 million so it's not very difficult to detect him but then until today no news at all. Impossible for him to swim to Indonesia or Pulau Pisang [since unman island] so where the guy went?