Muhammad Hydar -
On the 22nd of November, our Minister for Home Affairs, Mr K Shanmugan, revealed that Mas Selamat Kastari’s (MSK) relatives aided MSK in his escape. Long story short, MSK went to his brother, Asmom, for shelter and aid.
Asmom’s family then provided aid to MSK. Asmom, his wife and adult daughter have been jailed accordingly for their actions.
That’s a lesson to all of you. Next time a terrorist comes to you for aid, you let him in your house first. Then you and the terrorist sit down at the table before you cockily blast him with your laser gun like Han Solo.
Mr Shanmugan stated that MSK’s relatives were interviewed on March 3rd 2008 in which they deliberately withheld information about MSK’s whereabouts.
So dangerous were Asmom’s family that our authorities interviewed them four days after MSK escaped.
So dangerous were Asmom’s family that we might even forget the overarching mistakes committed by the relevant security agencies.
On the 23rd of November, the Straits Times (ST) published the news. The report had an earnest tone, blunt questioning from the MPs and Mr Shanmugan’s abstract non-replies.
Logic tells me that the fact that MSK managed to escape could mean that our authorities didn’t monitor MSK’s immediate family members after he escaped.
Why didn’t they do so? Apparently, MSK’s extended family and loose network of contacts were in the hundreds, according to Shanmugam. Of course, when I escape from prison, I would rather go to the house of my grandmother’s cousin’s son’s sister-in-law’s children for help.
Mr Shanmugan gave assurance that investigations were conducted on all of them.
Wouldn’t one’s family or in this case, one’s brother be an obvious avenue of assistance for an escaped criminal? I watch enough NCIS to know that you always need to track down the family.
The ST report said that MSK going undetected in a flat is “not a security lapse.” Wrong move. Should have gone with the “I-made-a-mistake” move.
Not monitoring the brother of your target is clearly a mistake, isn’t it?
Mr Shanmugan revealed that MSK’s niece helped the terrorist disguise as a woman wearing a tudung and make-up. A hair-net was employed too.
I’m extremely worried about this as I’m a friend to many makciks and aunties.
You and I have may have aided MSK in his escape. Does the government know how many times I give up my seat in the MRT or bus to makciks and aunties? One of those women could have been MSK.
Our courteous ways might have damaged anti-terrorism efforts in our region.
This is clearly Singa, the Courtesy Lion’s fault.
By the way did anybody notice the makcik-esque photo used by the Straits Times?
According to terrorism experts quoted in the ST report, MSK was probably good at counter-surveillance, hence the tudung, make-up and flotation device.
And that a HDB flat is a “difficult place to conduct surveillance.” Or that there is no place to hide and if you sit long enough at the void deck, people get suspicious. Don’t we already have gangs and homeless people living at the void decks? The authorities could have disguised themselves with brightly dyed hair and skinny jeans to blend in.
Well, those inferences are as good as mine because when asked to divulge more information on MSK’s investigation, Mr Shanmugan said, “[It is] not in the interest of our country for us to disclose these matters.”
Perhaps the most enlightening quote by Mr Shanmugan would be, “Their [MSK relatives] actions are not a reflection on the wider Malay-Muslim community…We should therefore not allow this episode to affect the trust and goodwill that has been built up over the years between our different communities.”
Sure, those quotes might seem condescending/ cringe-worthy/ questionable/ low-brow/ insulting/ but Mr Shanmugan is wrong on the count that Asmom’s actions IS a reflection of the Malay-Muslim community.
What can I say?
The Malay-Muslim community is damn hospitable. We make Martha Stewart look like Joseph Stalin.
What about trust and goodwill?
It’s clear that to maintain trust and goodwill amongst our different communities, we need to unnecessarily imply that Malay-Muslims have a soft spot for cross-dressing terrorist suspects.
We also need to reserve one page in ST to quickly deny the link that it wasn’t because of one’s race or religion that one would decide to help MSK as opposed to the obvious stupid lapses in judgement, tendency to help family and reckless thinking.
Conjuring up stereotypical non-existent links between the actions of one family to an entire community and unnecessary comparisons between different communities is as goodwill as it comes.
As my cat always says, “Making a mountain out of a molehill.”
To say that Asmom’s actions does not reflect the Malay-Muslim community implies that we Singaporeans already thought that such actions are expected to come from the Malay-Muslim community.
Mr Shanmugan finally states that, “Singaporeans will be understandably disappointed that Asmom and his family had helped Mas Selamat in his escape.”
I for one, am disappointed in finding out that all MSK needed to thwart an island-wide manhunt was lipstick and a head scarf.
In order to curb more public speculation and prevent a possible decline in trust towards our security agencies, I urge Mr Shanmugan and the relevant authorities to disclose more information on the current investigation of Mas Selamat’s escape.
At least tell us what shade of lipstick he used.
————-
Cartoons from My Sketchbook.
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Major distraction smoke screen again with coming elections. How many more years are we going to be listen to the Greatest Singapore Escape par excellence.
Houdini would roll in his grave. Enuff already!!!
Making condescending remarks about the Malay-Muslim community is entirely uncalled for. Asmom sheltering MSK has nothing to do with Islam and Malayness but with basic family ties. Most people will protect family members who are in trouble; it is basic human nature.
So, it is puzzling why ministers like Shanmugam and Yaacob are turning this into a racial/religious thing. If MSK were Chinese and he went to his Chinese brother for help, would Shanmugam be drawing spurious connections to the wider Chinese community? I think not.
If anything, the Malay/Muslim community should be disappointed with the ministers, and not the other way round.
Btw, I know that Shanmugam and Yaacob said that this incident does *not* reflect on the wider Malay-Muslim community. But the very fact that they saw fit to bring up the racial/religious angle seems patronising and unnecessary.
Even the Straits Times is complicit in framing this incident in racial/religious lenses, by putting out clumsy propaganda from religious leaders on how this incident will not affect racial ties. Don’t you understand that the more you harp about something, the more the public will attribute significance to it?
let me quote 1 example if your car windscreen was smashed – ERP -cash card was stolen ,in many countries-the garmen department who implement the system will be help responsible as they didnt see the thing that might happen n could have happen when implementing the cash card in iu unit.smash windscreen by thief for the cash card.
so for this case- the family should counter sue W K S n his men incharge for not ensuring that mas cannot escape-because of their negligence , no forsight, cause selemat to escape, if not selamat wont be at their house in the 1st place, blame n punish the W K S n his men involved, should be sacked, not for selamat escape but for getting them into trouble, if selamat didnt escape, they wont have the chance to harbour him.
Why only MSK family members recieved prosecution. Our home team members & minister should also recieve similar punishable for their poor incompetence.
sigh..
judging from the sentiments on the ground, looks like our govt succeeded in their social experiment.
remember, elections are coming, the more divided we are, the easier it is for the govt to control everyone.
Sadly, looks like the majority cannot see past the smokes and mirrors and thus are now being led by the nose.
sg govt 1 – 0 sg citizens
While I cannot pretend to know how the spy agencies think, intelligence failure is the main theme here. The authorities probably had what they thought were good reasons given their supposed lack of resources to look left, right, up, down and back first, and in front of them only later.
Whether the reasons were compelling for them not to look in front first, we’ll never know. In the end, it is the Chinese saying that was most relevant – “the most dangerous place is the safest place”.
MSK limping from detention barrack to Tampines into his brother’s home (safe & undetected? Sound like prison-break drama movie with the distance cut-short. Hey, at least the director in the movie knew the first protocol is to track down the prisoner’s immediate family, regardless of their size and numbers, or at least that is the basic and understandable right thing (without question) to do in prison-break movie . Our first-class, so-called highly “intelligent” and “hi-tech” country didn’t know such important procedures or was our police force too stretched dealing with over-population in Singapore which has became a stumbling block to many crimes that went unoticed?
Let me recommend alittle more then NCIS,
a good read of Jeffrey Archer, Robert Ludlum and the father of all
Fredrick Forsyth’s books would certainly improve our security apparatus intelligence.
Anyway, again the minister makes another distasteful statement, drawing parallel to the Malay-Muslim community instead of family ties.
I saw and spoke to some of the Malay officers who worked tirelessly looking for Mas Selamat, after the escape. They were bent on capturing him, especially after a boo-boo from their own elite unit.
Now this bitter statement from the minister would certainly make them queasy.
the police aside, hasnt it always been preached that everyone has a role to play in civic-mindedness? that’s why people actually join the neighbourhood watch to patrol the estates.
yet the comments here seem to condone the family members who have sheltered MSK. true that the authorities should do the arresting but dont u think we have been duped by the family too?
He does not know the difference between immediate relatives and relatives and he is the Law Minister & home Affiars Minister. Excellent
hmmm (conspiracy theory)…
after what DAVID said,the prison break episode.
I am starting to wonder if this so called episode was staged as well.
Was all this a so called conspiracy to divide a nation into the same race based system.
What could be a better way?
I still cannot buy the escape from a maximum security prison.
Then to head off to the brother’s place to change and leave the country.
All this while thousands or even millions were on the lookout.
Can it be believed that MSK – still dressed in his ISD prison garments in white T-shirt and blue shorts – after escaping for TWO DAYS, will find his way from Whitley Road to his brother’s HDB unit at Tampinese (which floor) – without being spotted, which CNA had even reported that it was a busy neighborhood ?
One will need to know how intense was the supposed intensive search conducted for MSK – when his obvious points of contact could have been neglected !!!
The ISD and Singapore Police will need to watch more investigative thrillers from Starhub and Mio to gain more experience when conducting the next Manhunt !!!
Well written Haider! The millister is spinning stories to hide blunders made by the security and home teams and conveniently uses the security reasons for not divulging more boo-boos. Even a primary school kid can see the idiocy of the whole security effort.
And the racial reference is a classic subterfuge to put ideas into people’s heads when there was no need to make that implication.
The millister’s explanation is an insult to our intelligence. But the faithful state media will of course impress the ‘daft’ readers or viewers into believing everything that the ruling party says.
@ prettyplace
That’s what I’ve been trying to tell everyone, do not get trapped into the govt’s mind games. I don’t know, maybe the majority is just too brainwashed to even consider the thought that all this could well be a set up.
Seriously.. maximum security prison -> escape from toilet window -> sneaked out of the detention center -> out in the large for 2 days -> magically managed to sneak in to relative house in tampines -> play cross-dresser -> swam to jb?? all with a limp? and then happily stay on the edge of jb after all the trouble taken to escape?
Believing all that actually happened is like believing the “muslims” were responsible for 9/11 (oh wait, the majority still does)
Looks like the racial/religious card is very effective in the divide and conquer ploy.
Let me play the devil’s advocate here, are the ministers trying to imply or trying to plant into everyone’s mind that had it been a chinese/indian/insert-whatever-race-religion-here, all this would never have happened?
Ah beng: eh why you malay like that one, should call the police you know, how can that malay family habour a terrorist, they want all of us to die issit?
Mat: I don’t know, you mean chinese families wouldn’t have done the same?
Ah beng: No, we would definitely call the police because the govt is always right, if they say my family member is a terrorist, then it must be true, even though my “terrorist” family member has not been charged yet, I also don’t know if he is a terrorist or not but since govt says he is, so I have to do the “right” thing.
Mat: oh I see..
You see the implications? Suddenly the spotlight focus(again) on racial/religious instead of focusing the real culprits.
Again, like I said, maybe we all are too brainwashed.
It has happened before(60s, 70s) and this could well be the case, let’s just say blood can be thicker than water but some still think $$ can wipe off the bloodstains.
I was watching how david copperfield made an elephant disappear on youtube awhile ago. haha..
Actors at work, optical illusions, go figure..
Till today, the shameless WKS hasn’t resign for the BIG cock up
Just can’t believed that the home team did not monitor Mas Selamat’s direct families members.
This is just plain stupid. Did we have too many talk a lot but achieve nothing overpaid scholars in the civil service.
They have proven again it is time to change this government.
I have many Malay friends who disapproved Mas Selamat’s doing.
I now know why Shanmugan is promoted to Home Minister, because he can talk the same rots like the whole bunch of Papies.
In our PAP’s govt eyes, opposition dissidents like Chia Thye Poh, Dr. Lim Hock Siew, etc., must be more dangerous than terrorists like Mas Selamat & company.
Our ISD must have been spending most of their time monitoring people like CSJ and his sister, that will probably explain why they were unable to suspect Mas Selamat’s relatives.
Distributing a flier in this country is a criminal offence. No wonder they got all their priorities wrong ! And talking about our PM spending most of his time trying to fix our opposition, what a sick joke it can be !
Reference to malay community
Err remember why according to then DPM and SM, they can’t be SAF pilots or officers.
And remember the Muslim American soldier who threw a grenade into a tent of his buddies in Kuwait when the US imvaded Iraq.
Remember the Indonesian Muslim soldiers and policemen in Sulawesi who tk the side of Muslims when the Christians and Muslims were fighting a civil war?
Why are this time reveal the findings?
To promote one and bring one another or to take credits for the ‘thorough’ investigation and to show impartiality to different races?
Or warning that GRC needs to be expanded to include 2 minor persons to avoid such compassion?
As usual this PAP member keep their lips tight not to reveal too much to the public. However the million dollar taxpayer money paid to them entitle the people to know from A to Z about MS escape.
Lest we forget:
so you mean not allowing malay saf pilots/officers are now finally been justified because of ms relatives “helping” him?
well done. the government wish everyone can think “logically” like you. if only..
sad..
do you know why the us invaded iraq in the 1st place?
oh and in case you didn’t know. indonesian christians soldiers were siding with the christians too.
i don;t know what to say of your logic and reasoning..
Conspiracy theory: MHA led by WKS deliberately let MSK escape in order to test out their secret tracking device.
How it was done? The answer lies with this thing call GPS. A GPS microchip was inserted into the body of MSK unknowingly hence every movement of MSK is being tracked. Trail run of the GPS microchip was conducted in the ISA detention centre. Once the trail is successful they let MSK “escape”. After 2 years, they just need to pick him up.
Now, what can MHA use this highly successful tracking system?
this is a wonderful piece, that gets right under the tudung to the heart of things.
one thing tt mas’ niece can do when she comes out of jail is to go into makeup – stage, personal, bridal, whatever. she has merely to cite this incident as a reference for her abilities. she should get some (more?) paper qualifications in this field – a CET course perhaps? – while she’s in jail. upgrading leh…
ONLEE in singapoor would the number 1 most 1/3 hav such PRIVILEDGES with familLEE gatherin in a centre that HOUSED 1 prisoner somemore guarded by GURKHAS with FULL privacy getogether…
tork cork…
ok let says osabinlatte come to visit singapoor with his 4 wives.. he used his wife passport and fulLEE covered under the muslim law..the immigration would had to allow them to pass through immigration and welcome them with heineiken beers as well?
So.. if HDB flats are difficult to carry out surveillance, does that mean that fugitives fm the law in Sg can safely hide in the homes of 80% of Sg’reans who live in HDB flats?? For crying out loud.. if the urban landscape of Sg is predominantly high rise buildings, shouldn’t the ISD or whichever ‘intelligence’ agency develop some method to carry out surveillance in such an environment??
i got the impression days after MSK escaped from pix of thousands of police, NSF searching for him, that no resources were spared in the manhunt. But to be told that carrying out surveillance on his immediate family or even ‘extended’ family… was stretching our resources???
Unbelievable.
Reading the report makes one see this
is one great “taichi” act.
How did Mas escape in the first place?
The buck has to stop somewhere and its
the Home Minister.
Yet its the footmen, the security personel the brother’s family who are mainly taking the crap.
You don’t need CIA training to know where a fugitive would go after escape and yet we are hearing this ridiculous story about the brother’s family harbouring him for some time ,without the search party leader bearing any consequences.
And when you run out of explanation, “its not in the interest to divulge any more info” would do.
The more they talk about be accountable, the less they would practise
The blame on the government is clear and simple. However, why didn’t the Asmon family report? I would too altho I know it is a difficult decision but if don’t, I sure get into big big problem.
Lol, the article made me laugh especillay the part of Han Solo.
Either Hydar is a horrible writer or a talented satirist. I think its the latter.
It’s clear that the writer didnt intend the article to be a thought-provoking one. It has a satirical vibe to it.
But in the end, it raises 2 good points – the comparisons between the Malay community and the non-replies of Shanmugan.
In the end, how do we make sure our ministers have learnt their lessons? When will they apologise?
There are so many stains in the govt’s hat that there is no longer a place for this one. Shame Mugam should find a word to describe a govt that takes so bloody much and gives nothing.
Why can’t this govt throw in the towel and say, ” Yes, we fucked it up real bad. We are incompetent and we resign”.
We are your ” balls-hood” that defines you as a man.
It is important to make the Malay community feels that we are not singling them out for blame. Mas Selamat is a black sheep, not the rest of Malay. We’re disappointed his brother and family helped him to escape and did not report to police. But we ‘re not blaming the Malay community because all the other Malay voters are upright people and angry with what Mas Selamat had done.
Huh? Since when are Singaporeans divided over this issue. Geez. We have never been more UNITED to get these MIW pigs out. The only division is between the die hard BOOTLICKERS* and everyone else. No brainer!
* includes kiasi, kiasu, shut up & sit down bootlickers.
Don’t understand what race and religion has gotta do with MSK’s escape. Suddenly the govt has the cheek to throw this bombshell on a particular community. Don’t think it’s right to do that. This was clearly the police force’s job and pushing the blame to an ethnic community is the wrong thing to do. Whatever it is, you will certainly want to help your family in whatever way you can. This is a normal reaction regardless of race or religion. Complete failure of simple logic. Who is running SPF?
If the family had called the police, Mas Selamat would have been arrested almost immediately. No need to activate so many police and army which wasted so much resources. There was also no need for him to swim to Malaysia and we had to wait for him to get arrested there, sent back to Singapore. This also weaken our negotiation with Malaysia over land swap for railway tracks.
Just one simple act his brother or family could have done – pressed number 9 button 3 times on phone – and saved so many troubles for the country.
Where is LHL throughout this MSK saga?
Isn’t he ultimately responsible for the country’s security?
I seem to see the father more often than I see the son?
Who is really in charge?
durin the 2nd world war..ow many malays traitors was aroun? now compared to the chinese/indian..
we hav more than 1 each…
worst of all
both this 2 chaps is still holdin government appointments @ THE HIGHEST level sidebyside…
so what does this tell us?
the malays are alway 1 united race..they seldom betrayed their owned race @ any cost or even point the sar22 @ the northern abang adeks..
When you are in total white, the smallest of stain will be obvious. So what about these people who are so extraordinary and in super white?
Chinese pun not intended.
I don’t know which is worse. That they failed to catch him at the house. Or that his family thought blood ties was everything. Both equally to blame. Please, no excuses for lack of resources, no excuses for he is my bro.
When I first read the article, I didn’t even bother to think about any racial issues.
Japanese Justice Minister Minoru Yanagida had to resign for saying the following:
“Being a justice minister is easy, as I only have to remember two phrases, either of which I can use in parliament whenever I’m stuck for an answer,” he said,
adding that the two phrases are “I refrain from making comments on a specific issue” and “We’re dealing with the matter based on laws and evidence.”
DON’T AGGRIVATE AND COMPLICATE THE ISSUE.
” In the civil service, the recruitment policy is based on a system of meritocracy. I can state categorically that this incident will not affect the government’s recruitment policies….”
OOPS, forgot the link.
http://news.xin.msn.com/en/singapore/article.aspx?cp-documentid=4476122
@ Gullible Tan 23 November 2010
” ” So.. if HDB flats are difficult to carry out surveillance, does that mean that fugitives fm the law in Sg can safely hide in the homes of 80% of Sg’reans who live in HDB flats?? ——– the ISD or whichever ‘intelligence’ agency develop some method to carry out surveillance in such an environment?? ” ”
Sg already no privacy law…Please don’t tempt them, else they may install security cameras all over the island. End up ” Enemy of the state ” ….
@ Clear Mind 23 November 2010
” ” If the family had called the police, Mas Selamat would have been arrested almost immediately. No need to activate so many police and army which wasted so much resources. There was also no need for him to swim to Malaysia and we had to wait for him to get arrested there, sent back to Singapore. This also weaken our negotiation with Malaysia over land swap for railway tracks.
Just one simple act his brother or family could have done – pressed number 9 button 3 times on phone – and saved so many troubles for the country. ” ”
1) Our gov & ministers consist of so many elites & very highly pay, therefore they must achieve the impossible or extreme difficulties even create miracles. If they can’t overcome negotiations with malaysia, then they don’t the pay nor the elite brand. BTW, it was WKS & his men’s error or slacken in the 1st place that Mas Selamat escape to Malaysia successfully…
2) Unless very serious sibling’s rivalary or extreme bad blood or face with violence else which parents / siblings / relatives willing to sever family ties & dial triple 9 just to save the gov’s face……
INTERESTING STORY. See #1
http://www.singsupplies.com/showthread.php?p=612005#post612005
After a Taichi director now we have bollywood director. The story keep becoming fancinating.
What else can they blame on the escape?
Who helped MSK from orchard to tampines..did he fly only using under pants like superman.t
BTW, Its Gov who didn’t trust the Malay in the first place….why should they trust Gov.
I am happy Mas Selamat is finally behind bars and now chained. It doesn’t pay to be nice. Does it? The Bali and Marriot Hotel bombings by the JI is not a joking matter. Just look at the human carnage.
Imagine, Yishun MRT houses 1 000s of Singaporeans from all walk of life everyday.
I’m satisfied we have finally got to the bottom of the act. Who dunn it together with Selamat.
We all learn. Don’t we? The police can’t really trust anyone these days. Either way it’s not going to benefit them.
Put the past behind us. Singaporeans stay vigilant and together we fight off this terrorism scourge from our soil.
Shabas!
Wonder what are the brands of the those makeup kits that Mas S used?
Must be pretty branded and quality stuff so much so that Mas S could escape under the entire nation’s nose!
May be our authority should just ban all these brands for simply being too good and a class above for our Home Team.
And congrats to Mas S, his story will command a #1 box-office price-tag, i bet.