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See lah, some people will do anything to avoid their relatives.
| JI leader escapes while on way to meet his family | ||||||
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THE Jemaah Islamiah leader who escaped from the Whitley Detention Centre on Wednesday afternoon was on his way to meet his family who was visiting him when he gave his escorting officers the slip.
Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng disclosed the circumstances behind Mat Selamat Kastari's escape from the centre when he was questioned in Parliament on Thursday afternoon.
His family was visiting him at the time, and he was being led to a room to meet them when he asked to go to the toilet.
Giving an update of what happened, Mr Wong also apologised for the 'security lapse at the Whitley Detention Centre'.
'This should never have happened. I am sorry that it had. An independent investigation is underway and we should not speculate on what and how it happened,' he said, adding that security at the centre had since been stepped up.
Mat Selamat was taken out of his individual cell where he was confined to go to the family visit room to wait for his family to arrive. However, before he got there, he asked to go to the toilet, and that was where he fled.
Mr Wong added: 'He is a security threat which is why he was placed under preventive detention, However, there is no information that he has any plans that threaten public security. Nevertheless, we are not taking any chances.'
On why the public was informed of the escape only four hours after the escape, Mr Wong said the escape posed no 'imminent danger to the public' at the time.
'The focus then was to lock down the Whitley Road detention centre and then to start a systemic operation to find and arrest him. The priority is to arrest him and no effort will be spared to track him down,' he said.
Elaborating, he added that the security at all the air, land and sea checkpoints have been tightened, including 'the areas where he may leave our shores not from the normal immigration clearance areas'.
He also warned that anyone who helps Mat Selamat would be committing a serious offence. 'I urge the public to stay calm and report any suspicious sightings to the police immediately,' he said.
According to the news on TV earlier, apparently he escaped just after he was escorted into a washroom...
Wonder what kind of grilles they put on the windows and air ducts.
How escape around 4pm? Would think people are wide awake during that time, not feeling drowsy from lunch and all pep up to go home.
Why didn't escape earlier but in 2008? Urgent family matter? Prefer the rat year?
Hope he is not out for any destructive appointment.
Indonesia police arrested him 3 years ago and he was extradited to Spore.
First world govt cannot even keep a 'pai ka' man behind bars......now our first world police cannot recapture him.
He is probably in Malaysia now......helping PAS with their election campaign.....he would not have escaped to Indo....the 3rd world police there have outsmarted him before. If so, we will have to depend on the 2nd world Malaysian police to recapture him.
This is big loss of face to Spore..... sigh!!!!!
his escape means the is hidden things we do not know... i damn scared of those who assisted him to escape.. how the hell they can contact him?....
Throw the net wider and catch more fish.
His kakis will be near the vicinity to assist him to escape...probably police can also track those who go this assistance...so many hours past still can't apprehend him...> heads of the police hve to roll..if by today still no arrest..spore police's credibility will drop
How they know he escaped at 4.05pm? Walking with a limp and still can run so fast?Maybe he reached his destination at 4.05pm?
ALL singaporeans very confident of the police etc??? who did they interview? o_0
likely ran off to malaysia already.....
hope they get him back soon. >~<
cashiertan,
CNA govt controlled....what else can they say?
With best pay ppl and best infrastructure and the best what money can buy......and yet this guy can get away.....did he have any guns with him? Maybe he only arm with black magic....................simply cannot imagine how he get away..........
man?.those guys must be sleeping on their work ??..some heads better roll man?.....
Aiyoh ! Chum la ! How Can Like This Happen ?
CNA report all the sporean are still very confident of the police. PUI! shame on the media and the police force. spend so much ppl and still cant catch the guy.
I saw the news and thought that it was in other country untl I recogised the police uniform and car plate number of the police car. Very embarassing indeed!
Very embarrassing for Singapore. shplayer is right.
It has now been 17 hours since the fella escaped. He could now be in another country liao!
Where is the detention centre in Whitley Rd? I only know of the CC and Police post there. Today the jam outsidde SJI and SCGS really bad. The sight of so many police is scary! Quick, get a snifffing dog to hunt him down fast!
Lesson Learnt:
If they put him to death as soon as they capture him in 2006, then this thing won't happen. Now is already 2008, and I can't believe he's still alive and kicking! This type of dangerman should be executed once caught to prevent more tragedy from happening!
"But more likely, some lower level officers will be the scapegoat."
This is really embarrassing.
Minister of Home Affair and police chief should take full responsibility and do the honourable thing........i.e RESIGN.
But more likely, some lower level officers will be the scapegoat.