Mas Selamat's arrest puts sleepy town of Skudai in spotlight
By Shaik Mohd Iqbal/Lip Kok Wai, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 09 May 2009 2338 hrs
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SKUDAI, JOHOR BAHRU: Malaysian media reports say Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) leader Mas Selamat Kastari was arrested in Skudai during a dawn raid.
This immediately put the sleepy town near Johor Bahru in the spotlight.
What are the reactions of residents living there upon discovering the link between their town and Singapore's most wanted fugitive?
Located just 25 minutes away from the Causeway, Skudai is very near popular hangouts that Singaporeans frequent when they cross over to Johor.
Therefore, it is difficult to imagine that of all places, Skudai was where Mas Selamat had been hiding to evade arrest.
This too was the reaction of Tan Ah Eng, the Member of Parliament for Gelang Patah, the constituency which Skudai falls under.
She said: "I really feel surprised that he was here for the few months because I used to go down to the villages and visit the villagers because they are all in my constituency. They never mention to me that there are suspicious people around here.
"For me....it's (like) impossible for him to be here for so long and the villagers did not notice at all."
Indeed, some residents said an outsider like Mas Selamat should not have gone unnoticed in this Chinese-majority district.
Nonetheless, residents said they are relieved Mas Selamat has been caught so there is no chance for the JI leader to cause any harm.
However, some residents are concerned that Skudai may be associated with the JI terror network.
"Of course I'm worried, because he's a wanted man, so I'm worried...We thought he might be in Indonesia , but suddenly he's arrested here, so that's why we are shocked," said a Malay woman.
"Ya lah, I'm surprised, how come he can stay in the Skudai area? We are also going to be scared," said an Indian man.
Acknowledging these concerns, the area's MP shared some plans she intends to put in place to address the issue.
Ms Tan said: "I feel that it's impossible that my area is a JI breeding ground. But, no matter how, I will discuss or inform my village head and also the chairman of UMNO branch so that (they can) create awareness among the villagers to cooperate, to inform the police if there're any suspicious people around their area."
On a more positive note, many residents said now that Mas Selamat is in custody, it will be easier for Johoreans to go through the Woodlands checkpoint without having to go through additional checks.
- CNA/ir
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