Escape Of JI Leader Mars Singapore's Reputation

The escape of Singapore Jemaah Islamiah network leader Mas Selamat Kastari from a detention cell here in February has put a dent on Singapore's reputation, Deputy Prime Minister Prof S. Jayakumar said Monday.

"It is a blot on the security agencies copybook, a dent on Singapores reputation, and a reverse in keeping Singapore secure from terrorist attacks," he said when opening an international security conference here.

He said he could not help recalling the chilling warning when one of Singapore's security agencies, the Internal Security Department (ISD), suffered a major setback when the JI leader escaped from its detention centre on Feb 27.

Jayakumar, who is also Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Law, said Singaporeans were shocked and alarmed and they were critical of its security agencies, particularly the ISD, as there must have been a serious security lapse at the detention centre.

He said the circumstances surrounding Mas Selamats escape were being thoroughly investigated by a Committee of Inquiry led by a retired High Court judge.

The Criminal Investigation Department was also looking into whether there was any criminal wrong-doing related to the escape, he said at the 2nd Asia-Pacific Programme for Senior National Security Officers (APPSNO) organised by Singapore's National Security Coordination Secretariat and the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies at Sentosa Island.

Since the escape, Mas Selamat has yet to be traced although the Singaporean authorities launched a massive manhunt for the fugitive involving thousands of police and military personnel combing the whole island republic.

Jayakumar, however, commended all its security agencies - the ISD, Singapore police force, Immigration and Checkpoints Authority and other agencies, as well as those from the Singapore armed forces - for maintaining high levels of vigilance and mounting sustained operations in an on-going effort to capture Mas Selamat.

He also praised Singaporeans for coming together in a common effort to locate the fugitive and helping the authorities by putting up posters, sharing information on possible sightings and even offering rewards from their own pockets.

Jayakumar said the ISD officers had not been paralysed or demoralised following the incident, and they were as determined now as they were seven years ago when they first identified the JI threat and took prompt action before the JI could perpetrate any terrorist acts in Singapore.

He said the international community needed to be resilient and be prepared for any eventuality, be it a terrorist threat, catastrophy or natural disaster.

The minister said they could have the best formulated plans for various scenarios such as threats to aviation, maritime and public transport security and to key installations, or they could harden these targets with additional security measures, best trained security personnel and the latest technology.

"But it would not be enough because there would still be vulnerable soft targets in the community, and the terrorist movement, for example, had shown an uncanny ability to survive and find new ways to launch attacks despite the best efforts of the international community."

He said national security strategies could not rest alone on the pillar of deterrence and protection, but also on building up resilience and strengthening the citizens psychological resolve to overcome crises.

This mental toughness and preparedness was essential for the society to recover to a state of normalcy as soon as possible, he added.

The minister said the task of strengthening and developing community resilience in the globalised world was becoming increasingly difficult and challenging because societies were getting more complex and diverse in terms of racial composition, cultural practices and religious beliefs.

Building resilience could not be done overnight as it would take years to build understanding, trust and confidence as in the case of Singapore, which took 40 years to nurture racial and religious harmony in the city-state, he said.