JI Leader Mas Selamat Escaped From Detention Centre
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Originally posted by whiskers:
And third, there was a physical weakness in the perimeter fencing outside the Family Visitation Block, where the toilet was located, which made it easier for Mas Selamat to get out of the detention centre's premises.
How does mas knows the fencing outside is weak? Is he a psychic, or some people who knows abt the weakness has told him abt it? -
we all know the answers, more or less, why must COI take 1 month ? of course there is no grille in the wdw, of course mas escaped thru the fence.
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hear ye, hear ye! the WISE had spoken. So what does it mean?
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Originally posted by freedom4ever:
they just have to tell you that you have no proof that he is out of singapore.
u know what guys,I am super impressed by the leadership when he confidently said abang is still 'inside'.....ermm....inside where? inside the pore lah. I din mean inside the cell lah.... that would be scary to think that he is still lying on the floor of the cell when he is said to have escaped even when he is limping and can climb up the toilet, to outside the toilet and knows exactly where the infrastructure is weak and escape totally UNDETECTED. STEALTH.
I think even james bond and jackie chan have to give it up for abang.
david blaine also cannot make such an escape.
Totally UNDETECTED.
So, I am impressed by 2 people:
1. leadership who is confident for some reason he is still 'inside'.
2. abang who is capable of escaping totally undetected, better than jackie chan, david blaine and david copperfield and some say james bond.
very impressed so confident. So, why need evidence? ha ha.
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Channel NewsAsia - 2 hours 53 minutes ago
Officers responsible for Mas Selamat’s escape to be disciplined
SINGAPORE: Officers responsible for Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) detainee Mas Selamat Kastari’s escape from the Whitley Road Detention Centre (WRDC) will be disciplined and penalised, Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng said in Parliament on Monday.
Mr Wong said this will include those at the junior officer level, all the way up the chain of command to the supervisory and management levels of the detention centre.
The Commissioner of Police and the director of the Internal Security Department (ISD) have also been told to replace all the WRDC officers — as identified in the Committee of Inquiry report — who were responsible for Mas Selamat’s escape.
Mr Wong, who had spoken to the officers from the ISD and the Gurkha contingent of the police force, added: "I can see that they feel the disappointment most acutely because they have fallen short of the high standards that Singaporeans have come to expect from them."
"This security lapse in WRDC came as a rude and painful shock to them; all the more when the mistakes have turned out to be so simple as to appear silly and incredible. I was shocked and disappointed when first informed of Mas Selamat’s escape on 27 February 2008 via a message on my handphone," he said.
While calling this incident a "dark stain" on the successes the ISD had against terrorism, Mr Wong also highlighted some of the department’s achievements, and he called for a balance in how the whole episode is viewed.
He said, "Do not misunderstand me. I mention these facts not to absolve or excuse the ISD from responsibility for its officers’ mistakes or lapses. I mention these facts because we need to be fair and balanced in our judgement and not ’throw the baby out with the bath water’.
"Yes, this episode of Mas Selamat’s escape is a bad mistake and officers who did not carry out their duties as required will be held accountable.
"But ISD — the organisation — and the many dedicated and committed officers who continue to serve in it are resolved to pick themselves up, recover their spirits and move forward relentlessly in their national mission. We must support them in this."
Mr Wong added that it was absolutely essential to find out whether Mas Selamat had been assisted by anyone inside the centre, as not detecting this could lead to more escapes.
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) — through a series of interviews, forensic examination of the site, and polygraph tests — found no evidence to suggest any collusion on the part of Internal Security Department officers, detention centre staff or guards involved.
It concluded that the escape was the result of a combination of factors and was not under the control of any one individual. The attorney—general has thus seen no need to press any charges.
However, while there is no evidence to suggest external help in the escape, it is not clear whether Mas Selamat could have secured help after his escape, which is still being looked into.
Mr Wong also acknowledged the disappointment and frustration Singaporeans feel over Mas Selamat’s escape from detention.
"I understand their frustration. This incident should not have happened. But since it did happen, my priority had to be — to establish the full facts of what (happened) and how it happened, and at the same time, galvanise and focus the energies of the home team and its partners, including the community, to tackle the situation at hand," he said.
He added that despite their disappointment over this security lapse, Singaporeans have stepped forward to work with the government to address the immediate challenge.
"I am deeply grateful for the way Singaporeans have rallied behind our efforts even as they rightly expect a proper accounting," he said.
He thanked the many Singaporeans who have actively put their minds to the problem — to share their ideas and help the security agencies. — CNA/ac
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By GILLIAN WONG,Associated Press Writer AP - 2 hours 49 minutes ago
Singapore details terror suspect escape
SINGAPORE - An unsecured bathroom window and complacent guards allowed a top terror suspect to flee a high-security prison in February, Singapore's deputy prime minister said Monday.
In announcing the results of a probe into the embarrassing escape, Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng said Mas Selamat Kastari, who allegedly once plotted to hijack an airplane and crash it into the city-state's international airport, had planned his Feb. 27 escape over time.
Speaking in Parliament, Wong said Mas Selamat climbed out of a ventilation window of a toilet cubicle before a scheduled weekly visit with his family. The window did not have a grill on it, Wong said.
"In my view, the security weakness of this window is the single most crucial factor which enabled Mas Selamat to escape," Wong said.
Wong said there was no video recording of the escape since closed-circuit television coverage of the area was being upgraded to add motion detectors.
The escape triggered a monthlong nationwide manhunt in which police, special operations officers, elite Gurkha guards and soldiers combed the island nation's forests. Border security was tightened.
Wong said the probe found no evidence suggesting that it was an inside job, but said the guards should have kept Mas Selamat in sight by preventing him from closing the cubicle door.
"Complacency, for whatever reason ... had crept into the operating culture" at the detention center, Wong said.
Wong said the officers responsible for Mas Selamat's escape would be disciplined, penalized and replaced.
Security breaches are rare in tightly controlled Singapore, an island nation of 4.5 million people that is a 45-minute boat ride from Indonesia where Mas Selamat is alleged to have links with the Jemaah Islamiyah terror network, blamed for a series of attacks that have killed more than 250 people since 2002.
In response to lawmakers' questions, Wong said authorities believed Mas Selamat had not managed to flee the country, and that there is a risk the fugitive would launch a retaliative attack on the city-state.
"We consider him to be a key trigger in the terrorist network," he said. "If he could leave Singapore and connect back with his (Jemaah Islamiyah) friends, they could well launch a revenge attack."
Mas Selamat is said to be the former commander of the local arm of the Jemaah Islamiyah.
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i see more job openings...
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if none of abang's allies and friends and family and anyone who knows him has seen him......not a good sign....
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I like to ask, is our leadership still as confident that he is still inside? i mean the pore lah. what else u thinking?
I just like to know, afterall, this is the 8 th week coming already right? So, has his confidence been shaken or for some reason still very confident?
If so, I hope to hear the reason for being confident that he is still 'inside'.
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I like to ask, is our leadership still as confident that he is still inside? i mean the pore lah. what else u thinking?
I just like to know, afterall, this is the 8 th week coming already right? So, has his confidence been shaken or for some reason still very confident?
If so, I hope to hear the reason for being confident that he is still 'inside'.
and how many more weeks is estimated to capture abang?
and have the searches shrank in size? If so, why ?
Where esle can he be hiding in a tiny little dot where all is concrete.
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Originally posted by QX179R:
Channel NewsAsia - 2 hours 53 minutes ago
Officers responsible for Mas Selamat’s escape to be disciplined
SINGAPORE: Officers responsible for Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) detainee Mas Selamat Kastari’s escape from the Whitley Road Detention Centre (WRDC) will be disciplined and penalised, Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng said in Parliament on Monday.
Mr Wong said this will include those at the junior officer level, all the way up the chain of command to the supervisory and management levels of the detention centre.
The Commissioner of Police and the director of the Internal Security Department (ISD) have also been told to replace all the WRDC officers — as identified in the Committee of Inquiry report — who were responsible for Mas Selamat’s escape.
Mr Wong, who had spoken to the officers from the ISD and the Gurkha contingent of the police force, added: "I can see that they feel the disappointment most acutely because they have fallen short of the high standards that Singaporeans have come to expect from them."
"This security lapse in WRDC came as a rude and painful shock to them; all the more when the mistakes have turned out to be so simple as to appear silly and incredible. I was shocked and disappointed when first informed of Mas Selamat’s escape on 27 February 2008 via a message on my handphone," he said.
While calling this incident a "dark stain" on the successes the ISD had against terrorism, Mr Wong also highlighted some of the department’s achievements, and he called for a balance in how the whole episode is viewed.
He said, "Do not misunderstand me. I mention these facts not to absolve or excuse the ISD from responsibility for its officers’ mistakes or lapses. I mention these facts because we need to be fair and balanced in our judgement and not ’throw the baby out with the bath water’.
"Yes, this episode of Mas Selamat’s escape is a bad mistake and officers who did not carry out their duties as required will be held accountable.
"But ISD — the organisation — and the many dedicated and committed officers who continue to serve in it are resolved to pick themselves up, recover their spirits and move forward relentlessly in their national mission. We must support them in this."
Mr Wong added that it was absolutely essential to find out whether Mas Selamat had been assisted by anyone inside the centre, as not detecting this could lead to more escapes.
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) — through a series of interviews, forensic examination of the site, and polygraph tests — found no evidence to suggest any collusion on the part of Internal Security Department officers, detention centre staff or guards involved.
It concluded that the escape was the result of a combination of factors and was not under the control of any one individual. The attorney—general has thus seen no need to press any charges.
However, while there is no evidence to suggest external help in the escape, it is not clear whether Mas Selamat could have secured help after his escape, which is still being looked into.
Mr Wong also acknowledged the disappointment and frustration Singaporeans feel over Mas Selamat’s escape from detention.
"I understand their frustration. This incident should not have happened. But since it did happen, my priority had to be — to establish the full facts of what (happened) and how it happened, and at the same time, galvanise and focus the energies of the home team and its partners, including the community, to tackle the situation at hand," he said.
He added that despite their disappointment over this security lapse, Singaporeans have stepped forward to work with the government to address the immediate challenge.
"I am deeply grateful for the way Singaporeans have rallied behind our efforts even as they rightly expect a proper accounting," he said.
He thanked the many Singaporeans who have actively put their minds to the problem — to share their ideas and help the security agencies. — CNA/ac
Everybody except Minister himself will be punished! How ridiculous! How come he can't behave like a 1st world leader and take responsibilty? -
This is uniquely Singapore - the higher is the pay the lesser the responsibility. One wonders if that is the leadership how does our DPM expect his officers and guards who are getting less pays to work hard to save his skin and make him the world's best as boasted so often by MM Lee, in from third world to first world.
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Say like neber say like that. Only junior officers kena the blame. I-ASS-D head bo tai chi de meh? Ministar of HOME bo tai chi also.
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Channel NewsAsia - 2 hours 28 minutes ago
COI recommends building new detention centre in Changi Prison
SINGAPORE: The Committee of Inquiry (COI) that was formed to look into Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) leader Mas Selamat Kastari’s escape has recommended that a new detention centre for internal security detainees be built in Changi Prison.
This is one of several recommendations made to prevent a recurrence of such an incident.
Deputy Prime Minister and Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng said the Director of the Internal Security Department (ISD) and the Director of Prisons will co—chair a team to study the implementation details for the new facility.
Mr Wong said: "The COI’s recommendation to shift the detention centre to the Changi Prison Complex will, among other things, ensure that security and prison operating standards of the detention centre are always tied to best practices.
"At the same time, ISD can tap (the) Prison’s medical and food logistics for its detainees. However, and let me emphasise this, careful thought must be given to how to operationalise this plan to ensure that it meets ISD’s needs, while at the same time not undermine (the) Prison’s operating regime.
"Among other things, we definitely do not want to expose the prison inmate population to ’contamination’ by extremist detainees. This has been the bad experience in many countries where prisons have been one of the most fertile sources of new terrorist recruits."
The COI has also recommended that the ISD assumes overall command and control of the Whitley Road Detention Centre (WRDC) and that frontline officers should hold regular exercises and security audits.
The committee also put forth the suggestion that there should be better coordination and communication among the Gurkhas, ISD and the management of the centre.
And even though the COI has found no evidence of connivance, collusion or assistance given to Mas Selamat by any individual who could have aided him in his escape from WRDC, the possibility that the JI detainee had secured help after his escape has not been dismissed.
The home affairs minister also briefed Parliament on Monday on the outcome of separate investigations conducted by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and the ISD.
Mr Wong said: "The CID investigation has been completed with extensive interviews and forensic examination of the site. Polygraph tests were also administered to some witnesses to support investigation. The CID has found no evidence to suggest collusion on the part of any of the ISD officers, WRDC staff or guards involved.
"The CID submitted its investigation papers to the Attorney General’s Chambers to determine if any offences have been committed. I am informed that the Attorney—General has considered the investigation papers and concluded that there is no basis to lay criminal charges against any individual.
"In my view, while the COI and the CID investigations found no malice or criminal liability on the part of any officer implicated in Mas Selamat’s escape, there is no avoiding the fact that the escape would not have happened but for the security and operational lapses identified by the COI.
"Complacency for whatever reason — be it fatigue given the protracted security operations by ISD since 2001 or routinisation over time — had crept into the operating culture at WRDC. That no detainee had escaped from WRDC before may have been one reason why an escape was unimaginable in the minds of those who run WRDC.
"Even when the guards became concerned over the time Mas Selamat was taking in the toilet, they did not think that he might have escaped."
As to why the COI could not conduct its proceedings publicly, Mr Wong explained that it was to protect the intelligence personnel and their operational systems which are highly classified and sensitive.
That is why the government has decided to only release an Executive Summary of the full report.
He said: "Exposing these details in public would compromise the persons and processes involved in our security and intelligence operations, and put these operations at risk. Holding the inquiry out of public view enabled the COI to have the full and unfettered access needed to fulfil their mission and establish the full facts.
"We had also considered releasing the COI’s report with the sensitive parts blacked out. But that was not feasible as the details are extensive. It would not only make understanding the report difficult, but also fuel the distraction of baseless speculation." — CNA/so
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I think Mas Selamat is at some country watching TV, shaking leg and laughing at our Singapore government (especially that DPM Wong Kan Seng) how stupid our government are tat we still believe that he is still inside singapore.
Dun wat kind of intel or source they get from tat Mas selamat is still in sG.
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it been more than 8 weeks. i found it contridicting that WKS say he still confident Mas still in singapore but denied any outsider in support of his escape
how on earth can he survive in singapore for 8 weeks with his face on every corner of singapore. even my office doors also has a poster of him.
it turning into a joke.
If the junior policeofficer is to take responsbility, how on earth can the chain of command not take any responsibility? WKS, dont u think you need to take some responsbility off your men instead of putting more on them.
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Champion lar, now the whole blame is shouldered on some GC Guard and SDO. All the higher ups siamed the arrows.
Really, we need a few more mas-selamats to teach our BMT recruits how to do SOC. He one leg limping, can climb up to ventilation window, throw toilet rolls to cushion his landing, jump down, and become invisible to CCTVs that are watching his potential escape routes.
This guy is apparently not just trained in jungle survival, but escape and evasion from detention complexes as well. Strangely, he didn manage to escape when he was under Indon detention...
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will USA send troops to help us in our search?
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When I listened to the news on the 10 pm news on CNA, I kinda felt disheartened. It could be because the uncertainity is gone, and with it the cause celebre for speculation. But also because it is true (or least its official), it was a simple Toilet Break. I was expecting some drama or intrigue, but there was none.
It is too simple.
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Originally posted by pearlie27:
Everybody except Minister himself will be punished! How ridiculous! How come he can't behave like a 1st world leader and take responsibilty?cos if he do that, he is throwing away millions dollars salary. he is not that dumb to do that. but at least you know what kind of people are leading us now. "Talents".
so when next time something happen, dun expect too much from your ministers. they won't help you.
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i wonder will mr brown come out a pod cast from this news again.
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good that WKS don't take responsibility.
ppl will know what kind of quality ministers we have.
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Amazing that CNA had dutifully bombarded Singaporeans with a condensed version of the 1 hour WKS performance in Parliament, and flooded its website with varying reports of the same garbage spoken by WKS.
Why did WKS hold the Head of the WRDC - with the rank of Superintendent {equal to a full Colonel} - responsible for the security lapses in the building design, which resulted in a supposed miscommunication with the contractor that renovated the Centre ?
Was there a budget shortfall that did not allow the grill to be replaced, and that the Superintendent was so dumb and complacent not to realise that a toilet available to the prisoners have no grills to its window openings ?
Who approved the designs to convert the Whitley Primary School into the a Detention Centre - that featured the external perimeter fencing to converge with the wall of the Detention Centre Building, with the toilet windows opening directly into the world outside ?
Surely it cannot be a lowly ranked Superintendent influencing the designs when this School was converted into a Detention Centre - as he was probably assigned to this WRDC from some other posts ?
Was the Superintendent held accountable for the simplistic thinking that by sawing off the window handles will prevent the window from being open ?
How could a plump MSK squeeze through this small window opening that is made even narrower from a top hinged swing out window, and being mounted about 1.8 meters from the floor - with the drop on the other side even more ?
The explanations given by WSK raises even more questions than his answers.
Surprisingly, CNA did not give any ad verbatim report to the Q & A that followed - in which Opposition Leader T. K Low raised the public concern that MSK had actually died and not escaped from prison.
Amazingly, WKS - in the usual PAP counter towards the Opposition queries - had condescendingly challenged LTK if it was also LTK's personal position on this statement - with CNA camera focused on LTK shaking his head to indicate a negative response; and allowed WKS to proceed with his ministerial statements without any clear and definite reply to LTK's question.
It is even more amazing that WKS could speak in such an aloof manner - as if he was a meer observer and passing judgment on the events after the findings was concluded by the appointed committee that cleared a path for him to take.
It shows the genius of WKS in coming up with simplistic reasons that the continuous tempo of high security since 2001 led to the fatigue of the security forces - as if our security forces are in front line combat equal to the US Armed Forces dying every other day and exposed to live bullets in a combat zone since 2001.
It is sheer hypocrisy for the Political Leadership not to place full responsibility on the Home Minister, when it will demand accountability from the leadership and senior management of other organisations for the mistakes made by their subordinates.
The James Gomez Election 2006 affair was one, as well as the persecution of J.B. Jeyaratnam for the supposed accounting errors of the previous WP which he led.
It is about time that the Political Leadership exercise real responsibility and show real leadership in accepting the position that the ''buck stops here'' - especially more so when the buck amount to more then a million per minister per year.
In his monthly meetings with all the Heads of his Home Team, what was in WKS agenda ?
Did he concentrate his Agenda entirely in monitoring the political activities of CSJ, JBJ, all the members of the Alternative Political Parties, and all potential threats from Singaporeans, and lost sight of the weaknesses in his own infrastructure ?
If the reason given by WKS is about fatigue from the security forces, he is probably hinting at his own fatigue for being in politics and in the Home Ministry for far too long - leading to complacency in his leadership role to the Home Team.
What more can we expect from the Rulers of this Animal Farm ?
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... after such a long time, they produce such a Report...
... this is as good as NOT reporting anything at all...
... what's worse, is WKS didn't even answer LTK's suggestions that MSK died and this is all an elaborate cover-up fiasco! WKS challenged LTK (which is equivalent to a threat); ".. is this your believe that he died?..."
... I personally believe MSK died while under detention as a result of Torture techniques over-done...
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Mas Selamet managed to escape cause he closed the door and was out of sight for 11 min. The door of the toilet cubicle should not have been closed according the standard procedure.
But why the toilet cubicle has door in the first place if it is never meant to be closed?