PM Lee says JI fugitive Mas Selamat's escape a setback
By Asha Popatlal, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 09 March 2008 1754 hrs

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SINGAPORE : Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has said that the escape of Jemaah Islamiyah leader Mas Selamat Kastari is a setback and is something that should never have happened.

Making his first public comments on an issue that has gripped Singaporeans, Mr Lee on Sunday also called on the people to "close ranks and bounce back, chastened but stronger and more on guard".

With Mas Selamat still on the run after 12 days, it is not surprising the hunt for the missing fugitive remains the talk of the town.

In his first public comments on the issue, Mr Lee said the authorities are not absolutely sure yet what happened. But they will find out what went wrong and "fix it".

A Committee of Inquiry has been set up to look into how the escape occurred.

Mr Lee said, "As Minister Mentor said, we are not infallible. If we are not careful, we make mistakes. When we do, we better find out and put it right. I think that the security agencies are taking it very seriously - ISD certainly.

"I think the police and the Gurkha unit and the SAF forces, which are now (trying to) catch him, they are (carrying out) the operation with a lot of resources and close cooperation. I have been talking to the ministers responsible and I think we have a good chance of catching him, provided he is still in Singapore."

When asked if he believed that Mas Selamat is in Singapore, Mr Lee replied, "We have no reason to believe that he has left."

However, while security forces will learn and grow from this, Mr Lee said such a mistake must never be repeated.

Asked if it has affected the country's reputation, Mr Lee said, "It's not done (any) good for our reputation, but I don't think people believe that we are just like any other place where you can have television sets and other things in jail these days...we are different, this was a lapse. What to do, it has happened."

Meanwhile, Mr Lee said it was good to see how Singaporeans of all races had come together to distribute flyers to residents and maintain watch. And he called on the population to overcome this setback and close ranks. - CNA/ms