Singapore Democrats
As if losing a detainee in broad daylight wasn’t embarrassing enough, Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng is now threatening to turn the re-capture of Mr Mas Selamat into another spectacle.
He was reported in the Straits Times as saying that it was the “strong co-operation” between the police intelligence agencies on both sides of the Causeway that led to the apprehension of Mr Mas Selamat in Johor last week.
But the Malaysian side refuted such a claim, saying that “the operation to trace and capture Mas Selamat was carried out fully by the Malaysian police.”
Mr Wong also said that the Malaysian authorities will want to interview Mr Selamat: “And we will let them do their job and when they feel it’s time to send him back to us, we will be happy to receive him back.”
Translation: We have no choice but to let Malaysia dictate the terms of when and how Mr Selamat is to be returned, if at all.
Depending on how desperate Mr Wong is to have Mr Mas Selamat back at Whitley, the earlier before the next election the better, the Minister’s men will be eagerly waiting at the negotiating table to talk terms with — beg your pardon — listen to terms from the Malaysians.
Then he turns to Singaporeans and admonishes: “I have said it for years, that the threat of terrorism is real and that we are a prime target and therefore there’s no question about letting our guard down.”
Letting our guard down? You mean like how we neglected to lock the window which the prisoner conveniently crawled through? You mean like how we strategically placed rolls of toilet paper inside the toilet with no toilet bowl so that escapee could use for a soft landing after he jumped from the window? You mean like how the security cameras were not working all at the same time?
How dare he? He hasn’t even apologised to the people for the escape, for the way the matter was so ineptly handled after the escape and for the millions of taxpayers’ dollars spent in the search. And now he wants to play teacher?
Unbelievable.
And for the icing on the cake, the Minister tells us: “Apart from Mas Selamat, there are other JI members who are still out there and we haven’t got them…we don’t know where they are, who they are and when they will come into Singapore.”
Yes, with our long coastline it’s hard to keep track of who goes in and out of this island, especially those limping along without pants and using little floating devices.
But if Mr Wong’s arrogance is breathtaking, his intellect is a little more humble.
In a January report this year, the Straits Times said that the Home Affairs Minister had narrowed down Mr Mas Selamat’s whereabouts to either of two scenarios: “One, he is in Singapore…or, two, he has fled the country.”
“Both scenarios are plausible,” our dear Minister concluded.
Nothing escapes the man.
Read also:
The capture: Who gets the credit? by LittleSpeck.com
EXPOSED: ST’s selective censorship of Bernama’s report by WayangParty.com