| By Goh Chin Lian | ||
 |  | Mr Lee stressed that his arrest does not mark the end of Singapore's fight against terror. -- ST PHOTO: CHEW SENG KIM |
It was only then that Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng told the other ministers about it.
'They were completely taken by surprise,' Mr Lee said in his first comments on the capture of the terrorist leader.
He also explained why he and Mr Wong had remained tight- lipped until that point.
The Malaysians informed Singapore shortly after the arrest took place but requested that the matter be kept quiet for the time being.
Mr Wong conveyed the news to the Prime Minister.
Mr Lee said he knew that Singaporeans, who had rallied round the Government in its massive manhunt after Mas Selamat's escape in February last year, would be very anxious for the news.
But Malaysia's request had to be respected.
The Malaysian Special Branch nabbed Mas Selamat in Johor on April 1 following a lead from Singapore's Internal Security Department (ISD). He remains in its custody for interrogation.
The Straits Times' regional correspondent Leslie Lopez learnt about the arrest and, last Thursday, the paper asked the ISD to confirm its scoop. 'As the story had leaked, we had no choice but to confirm it,' Mr Lee said.
In his one-page statement, he praised the work of the Malaysian Special Branch and Singapore's ISD. He said he had personally conveyed Singapore's thanks for Malaysia's generous support and help when he met Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak in Pattaya on April 11.
Observing that the Jemaah Islamiah terror group remained active in the region, Mr Lee said Singapore and Malaysia must work together to counter it and other such groups.
He expressed special appreciation for the close cooperation and trust between the ISD and the Special Branch.
He also thanked all the Singapore officers who had been involved in the year-long manhunt for Mas Selamat.
He paid tribute to the dedicated service of officers in the ISD, a department that had come under fire for the security lapses that enabled Mas Selamat to escape from the Whitley Road Detention Centre.
'I never had any doubt that we would eventually find Mas Selamat, because I knew the quality and commitment of the officers working on this,' he said.
He also stressed that the ISD had moved quickly to set things right.
'ISD had recovered quickly from the mistakes which led to Mas Selamat's escape, put things right and set themselves to finding and arresting him back.
'Our security agencies work quietly and anonymously, keeping Singapore safe. The public only hears about their work occasionally, for example, when things go wrong. But we owe them more than most Singaporeans realise.'
The Malaysian authorities revealed last Friday that Mas Selamat had been planning attacks on Singapore when he was captured.
Mr Lee stressed that his arrest does not mark the end of Singapore's fight against terror.
While the terrorism situation in South-east Asia was under control, the threat was far from over.
There were many planned attacks that were detected and disrupted by security agencies and went unreported.
'Our challenge is to keep up our guard without getting fatigued or complacent. The price of security is eternal vigilance,' he said.
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