No credible information of whereabouts of Mas Selamat Kastari
By Valarie Tan, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 05 February 2009 2136 hrs

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SINGAPORE : Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng said his ministry has no credible information on the whereabouts of Mas Selamat Kastari, the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) leader who escaped last year.

Giving Parliament this update on Thursday, Mr Wong added there were currently 20 persons detained for terrorist activities by Singapore's Internal Security Department.

The Whitley Road Detention Centre was where the authorities last saw Mas Selamat Kastari in February 2008.

He has been at large for nearly a year, leading one MP to ask what the current status is.

"I noticed that many Singaporeans have simply forgotten about Mas Selamat, and our community engagement of the public with regard to terrorism seems to have slackened," said Dr Teo Ho Pin, MP for Bukit Panjang.

Mr Wong, who is also the deputy PM, replied: "We have no credible information on Mas Selamat's whereabouts to share at this point in time. But let me assure Dr Teo that we have not slackened in our search. Whether Mas Selamat is in Singapore or he has fled our country, we will hunt him down as we did before."

Another issue raised was America closing the Guantanamo Bay detainee facility and how it will affect the movement of any Southeast Asian detainees who may pose a security threat to Singapore.

"How Guantanamo Bay detainees are managed, when it is closed, will bear serious security implications for many countries. It would be useful if there is a mechanism to track the movement of detainees. However, this is up to the Obama Administration, which is studying how Guantanamo Bay can be closed," said Mr Wong.

The home affairs minister said Singapore's security agencies are monitoring developments and keeping in close touch with their foreign counterparts.

He added that Singapore's border security has also been enhanced after the recent terrorist attack in Mumbai. - CNA /ls