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SINGAPORE : The government will release the Committee of Inquiry's findings on Mas Selamat Kastari's escape, in Parliament on Monday.
Deputy Prime Minister and Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng will provide the update in response to questions from Members of Parliament (MPs).
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will also deliver a statement regarding the government's responsibility on the issue.
The Jemaah Islamiyah leader had escaped from the Whitley Road Detention Centre on February 27.
Authorities said a security lapse at the detention centre led to his escape. He fled after he asked to use the toilet, on his way to meet his family.
Mas Selamat's escape sparked off the biggest manhunt in Singapore, involving more than 3,000 officers at one point.
Many grassroots organisations and Singaporeans also volunteered to distribute over 54,000 leaflets on the wanted man.
MPs would like some answers on questions like how he managed to escape from a high-security facility and what control measures are now in place to prevent a recurrence.
They also wish to know how the manhunt is proceeding and how much money the government has spent on this operation.
Some MPs wonder if the incident has dented investor confidence and the international reputation of Singapore. Others also want to know the government's approach to taking responsibility for such a major security lapse.
So DPM Wong will address these questions and more in his Ministerial Statement on Monday.
The Committee of Inquiry was set up just days after Mas Selamat escaped. The three-member panel is headed by retired Judge Goh Joon Seng, and he is joined by former Police Commissioner Tee Tua Ba, and a Deputy Secretary at the Home Affairs Ministry, Choong May Ling.
They were tasked to come up with a comprehensive report on how Mas Selamat escaped and recommendations on what needed to be done to avoid a repeat incident.
Mr Wong had earlier also announced that the Criminal Investigation Department will be conducting a separate investigation on whether there was any criminal wrongdoing in this matter. He will likely give an update on this.
Meanwhile, other items to be discussed in Parliament on Monday include the issues of rice and the cost of living.
Some questions will touch on how export restrictions by some countries will affect Singapore's rice supplies, and what steps are being taken against traders who hoard rice illegally to take advantage of high prices.
Two bills will also come up for second reading, including the Infectious Diseases (Amendment) Bill. - CNA/ms
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