ST link

TWENTY-TWO years after their arrest under the Internal Security Act (ISA), at least four of the former detainees attended an event yesterday to commemorate the incident.

They were at the Speakers’ Corner to remember May 21, 1987 – the day 16 Singaporeans were held under the ISA, which provides for detention without trial.

They were accused of being members of a Marxist conspiracy to topple the Government through illegal means. Another six were arrested on June 20 that same year.

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ST link

Some are proud, others find closure, but questions remain
By Sujin Thomas

NEWS of the recapture of Mas Selamat Kastari was met with a sense of relief, especially as he was caught just as he was said to be planning to act against Singapore.

‘I was so proud when I read that the Malaysian authorities caught him with help from Singapore intelligence. We may have made a mistake when he got away, but I think we’ve more than made up for it with this arrest,’ said Mr Mirza Khan, 37, who runs his own IT and logistics business.

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ST link

DPM Wong commends Malaysian Special Branch for its work
By Chua Lee Hoong

THE normally sombre Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng allowed himself a slight show of emotion yesterday when he recounted how his friends congratulated him after they read reports about Mas Selamat being captured in Malaysia.

‘I am happy, I am sure Singaporeans are also happy.

‘I received many SMSes this morning congratulating ISD (Internal Security Department) for the capture.

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ST link

MAS Selamat Kastari escaped from Singapore by swimming across the Johor Strait with the help of an ‘improvised flotation device’, Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng told reporters yesterday.

The fugitive fled from Singapore to Johor ‘soon after’ his escape from the Whitley Road Detention Centre on Feb 27 last year, Mr Wong said, citing information provided by the Malaysian authorities.

He also said such flotation devices were often used by illegal immigrants attempting to enter Singapore undetected.

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ST link

JEMAAH Islamiah (JI) terrorist Mas Selamat Kastari was plotting attacks on Singapore at the time he was captured in Johor on April 1.

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak disclosed this to Malaysian media yesterday, hours after Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng told local media the JI leader escaped Singapore by swimming across the narrow stretch of water that separates Singapore from Johor, with the help of an ‘improvised flotation device’.

Datuk Seri Najib told Malaysian reporters: ‘We apprehended him here (in Malaysia), his main focus at the time was Singapore. He was planning a lot of things in Singapore.’

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CNA link

SINGAPORE: Singapore’s Law and Second Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam has said security along the country’s borders is tight.

He stressed that if there is any weakness in Singapore’s border security, the government will work towards plugging it.

Mr Shanmugam was speaking on the sidelines of a fund-raising event organised by New Hope Community Society.

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CNA link

SINGAPORE: Kudos to Singapore’s Internal Security Department and the Malaysian Special Branch for the recapture of former Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) leader Mas Selamat Kastari.

And yes, his arrest has dealt a blow to a JI network already suffering from “a crisis of leadership”, as S Rajaratnam School of International Studies’ (RSIS) senior fellow Antonio Rappa pointed out.

But hold the champagne — there is precious little time to rejoice, not with major events such as the Youth Olympics and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meetings to be held here in the near future.

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CNA link

SINGAPORE: Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has said Singapore’s security challenge is to keep up its guard without getting fatigued or complacent.

In his first remarks on the capture of Mas Selamat Kastari, Mr Lee said Singapore must not think that the re-arrest of the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) leader is the end of its problem.

He said the terrorism situation in Southeast Asia is under control, but the threat is far from over. He added that the price of security is eternal vigilance.

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TODAY link

THE narrow, some 1km strip of water separating Singapore and Malaysia is known for its fast-flowing currents, rocky outcrops and deep waters. Not many dare to swim across the Johor Strait and few live to tell the tale. And one of those few is Singapore’s infamous fugitive Mas Selamat Kastari.

Soon after he escaped from the Whitley Road Detention Centre here on Feb 27 last year, Mas Selamat travelled at least 14 km — it remains unclear how — and ended up at an unknown location somewhere on Singapore’s northern shore.

The Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) leader, who walks with a limp due to an earlier fall, then used an improvised floatation device to swim across the strait. This is a well-known technique used by some illegal immigrants to enter Singapore.

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