The main reason quoted by BERNAMA is that he is no longer a security threat to Malaysia. Yes, it takes about 1 year and 5 months for Malaysia to come to that conclusion? Whatever happens to the good old truth serums made in Malaysia with the main ingredient of cili padis???
Okay. I wish. I don't think Malaysia is subscribing to the use of truth serums. It's said that it's a form of torture.
But the question is if it does deliver the result (the truth in this case), shouldn't the use of truth serums be acceptable? Especially in the situation involving terrorists? Where the relatively innocents would-be victims can be spared from their tragic end?
In that period of Mas Selamat detained in Malaysia, bad things could have happened to either Singapore or Malaysia. Just because the truth is taking its time to surface. Without the truth serums.
SINGAPORE Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) leader Mas Selamat Kastari was handed over to the Republic on Friday after it was decided that he was no longer a security threat to Malaysia.
Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said the decision was made after discussions between Malaysia and Singapore, besides the security and intelligence agencies as well as the special task force of both countries confirming that Mas Selamat was no longer a threat.
'I was briefed that Mas Selamat was no longer a security threat to our country. He is from Singapore and I had said before that if a foreigner arrested is not a security threat to us, he should be sent back to his country of origin,' he told reporters after the Sembrong parliamentary constituency's Raya open house in Taman Sri Lambak on Saturday.
Asked if the deportation of the JI leader to Singapore was requested through Prime Ministe Najib Razak during his visit to Singapore recently, Hishammuddin said this was in fact made by Singapore some time ago.
'The request was made because Mas Selamat is a Singapore citizen, but as long as we were not satisfied that he was no longer a security threat, we had to take the necessary precautions.' he said.
'But from our own investigation, I felt that it was time for us to hand over Mas Selamat to the Singapore authority.'
From Straits Times, "Mas Selamat not a threat".
INVESTIGATIONS have been launched into how terrorist leader Mas Selamat Kastari escaped from the Whitley Road Detention Centre to Malaysia, and once these are completed, the results will be shared with Singaporeans, Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng promised yesterday.
This may, however, take some time as a lot depends on whether the Jemaah Islamiah (JI) leader is cooperative or not, said Mr Wong, who is also Deputy Prime Minister.
The disclosures will also need to be verified, he added.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a constituency event, he said: 'I am sure that Singaporeans are very interested to know how he escaped. I can assure Singaporeans that when the information he gives can be verified, and we can conclusively say that that is how he escaped, and without compromising on operational security, I will let Singaporeans know more about how he escaped.'
The 49-year-old terrorist escaped from the Whitley Road Detention Centre on Feb 27, 2008, sparking a nationwide manhunt.
It emerged later that he swam across the Johor Strait into Malaysia, where he was on the run until caught by Malaysian police more than a year later, on April 1 last year, in Johor. The capture was the result of intelligence provided by Singapore.
From Straits Times, "Probe results will be shared".
