When I saw his picture on the silent gym TV last night, I thought he had died or was executed or something like that and didn't give much thought to it. Imagine my surprise when I read on BBC News today that he had escaped.
This leader of Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) is alleged to have been a part of plans to attack the US Embassy along Napier Road, the American Club along Scotts Road, MINDEF HQ at Bukit Gombak and the Education Ministry building in North Buona Vista Drive. He was also said to have been the mastermind behind plans to hijack an airplane in Bangkok and crash it into Changi airport (http://www.straitstimes.com/Free/Story/STIStory_211177.html). These are some majorly serious charges and obviously he's someone who could really be intent on causing serious damage, carnage and mayhem.
Apparently Mas, who was born in Indonesia, supposedly has the power to hypnotise people. As a friend said, "Indos strong religious ones tend to have these inner unorthodox power". Whether you believe that is true or not is up to you. However it's not surprising as pre-Islamic belief in the supernatural is still very strong in the Indonesian archipelago. How interesting, politics and terrorism with an added dash of the supernatural.
"You... will... release... me..."
"Yessss... masssssterrrr..."
"Woo! Hoo!! I'm free! Free! FREE!!! MUUAH... HA! HA! HA! HA! HA!!"
Well, it looks like someone or some people from ISD is going to get canned pretty soon. I wonder if he had help (internal or external) with his escape or he simply found an opening and took advantage of it. I can just imagine a getaway car waiting for him with some ladies in the niqab (which covers the entire body and face) and a spare one for him to put on.
The police and SAF soldiers are now in the midst of an island wide manhunt for him. I don't know whether they will succeed or not. He'll most probably be hiding out in the home of a supporter or sympathiser before making an explosive debut. Or if what one of my friends said is right, he has probably crossed the waters to either Johor or the Riau islands where his "brothers" are waiting to receive him with open arms.
I seriously doubt if JI has been disbanded. They were probably weakened by the string of arrests and was lying dormant all this while. But now that Mas their leader is out, things might start to change. And not for the better I'm afraid.
If there was a proper opposition in Singapore's parliament, the minister of home affairs and the PM will definitely get seriously grilled like they do in the UK when some shit (like the lost of CDs containing sensitive government data) hits the fan. In Singapore, they will probably get a slap on their hands with no calls for their resignation.
His picture is available at the links below.
- AsiaOne - SAF soldiers join island-wide manhunt for escaped JI leader
- BBC News - Singapore hunts escaped suspect
- Channel NewsAsia - JI detainee Mas Selamat Kastari escapes from Singapore detention centre
- Straits Times - Massive manhunt
CURRENT
TOP