Aware: Standing by CSE and Moving On

Standing by CSE and Moving On

You may have already read or heard the news about the Education Ministry’s decision to suspend AWARE’s Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) programme in schools pending its new vetting processes for such programmes. This move also affects similar programmes offered by other organisations.

We sent the media our response yesterday and I thought I should also write to you regarding our position.

We stand by our CSE programme. As I’ve said to the press, we’ve been running the programme for two years without complains. The Ministry’s statement of April 28th confirmed it had not received any complaints from the students, or their parents, who have been through the programme.

What is currently at issue, as revealed in the Ministry’s statement yesterday, lies specifically with some of the suggested responses in the Instructor Guide that it found to be “explicit and inappropriate”.

We are prepared to review these and make any necessary changes so long as the principles and objectives of the CSE are not compromised. Yesterday’s statement from the Ministry has also noted that the CSE carries accurate information on STD and HIV and role-play practice for students to say no to sex.

What is important is that the CSE programme, and similar programmes that other organisations may have, continues to be available to students in Singapore . We hope to be able to resume the CSE programme before too long.

TOP GIRLS

Meanwhile, there is an immediate matter we need your help with – sale of tickets for the Gala evening of TOP GIRLS, a fund-raiser for AWARE scheduled for Saturday, 30 May. It will be a great opportunity to put aside more weighty issues and celebrate life and renewal together.

The Caryl Churchill play is among the best 100 plays of the 20th Century on the British National Theatre’s Millennium list. It won the Obie Award in 1983. The Wessex Theatre production is directed by Daniel Toyne, and has a seven member all woman cast playing 16 roles in all! The play has some coarse language but promises an evening of heart-warming truths, and laughter.

It is being staged from 27th May to 30th May. Tickets for the Gala Night on 30th May are at $80 each. This comes with an invite to a reception brought to us by Harry’s and WineGuru. See you all there!

Please call AWARE Centre 6779 7137 or email tickets@aware.org.sg to buy tickets. And, mark the date on your calendar!

Warmest Regards,

Dana Lam

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Alleged Singapore militant arrested in Malaysia

Alleged S’pore militant arrested in M’sia

The alleged leader of an Islamic militant group accused of plotting to crash an airliner in Singapore has been arrested in Malaysia after more than a year on the run.

Mas Selamat Kastari was caught on April 1 and has been held in custody by Malaysian authorities since then, Singapore’s Straits Times reported.

Security officials in both nations had no immediate comment to make on the reports.

Kastari is said to be head of the Singapore cell of Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), an underground group linked to Al-Qaeda and blamed for the 2002 Bali bombing and other bloody attacks in Southeast Asia.

Singapore officials alleged he was part of a plot to hijack an airliner in Bangkok and crash it into Changi airport - one of Asia’s busiest - in 2001 following the September 11 attacks that year in the United States.

Now 48, he escaped from his high-security detention centre in Singapore on Feb 27 last year after squeezing through a toilet window that had no bars and climbing over a fence.

The Straits Times cited “senior intelligence sources” as saying Kastari was arrested on April 1 in Malaysia’s Johor state, which neighbours Singapore.

It is believed he is being held for interrogation by Malaysian authorities under its own internal security law, which also allows for detention without trial.

The newspaper said he was thought to have been in Johor all the time since his escape, and that his re-arrest followed a joint operation by Malaysian and Singaporean security agencies.

Kastari had fled Singapore in December 2001 following an Internal Security Department operation against Jemaah Islamiyah. He was arrested in Indonesia in 2006 and handed back.

His escape made the strict city-state an object of ridicule and triggered a sweeping review of security measures.

Nine officers and guards were penalised for lapses that allowed Kastari to escape. Two were sacked and three demoted, but calls for a high-level shake-up were ignored by the government.

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Singapore terrorism suspect held

Singapore terrorism suspect held

A top terrorism suspect has been arrested in Malaysia more than a year after his escape from a prison in Singapore, authorities say.

Officials said Mas Selamat Kastari had been detained in a joint operation between Malaysia and Singapore in Malaysia's southern Johor state.

He is the suspected Singapore leader of Jemaah Islamiah, blamed for attacks including the 2002 Bali bombings.

His escape through a toilet window triggered a worldwide manhunt.

Mas Selamat Kastari is also alleged to have plotted to crash a hijacked plane into Singapore's international airport.

Walter Chia, a spokesman for the Singapore's embassy in Kuala Lumpur, said authorities were interrogating the suspect.

Singapore's Straits Times said he had been detained on 1 April.

Indonesian authorities arrested Mas Selamat Kastari on immigration violation charges in 2003.

He was handed over to Singapore in 2006, where he was detained under the city-state's Internal Security Act - a law which permits indefinite imprisonment without trial.

But he escaped in February 2008, managing to squeeze through the toilet window at his detention centre and climb over a fence while guards waited outside the bathroom.

Jemaah Islamiah, which has links to al-Qaeda, is blamed for the bombings on the Indonesian island of Bali in 2002 which left 200 people dead.

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Mas Selamat: Swam across Johor straits

May 8, 2009

Capture of Mas Selamat

Swam across Johor straits

		No date has been fixed to return Mas Selamat to Singapore. -- ST PHOTO

WANTED terrorist Mas Selamat Kastari swam across the Straits of Johor using an 'improvised flotation device' in his dash to freedom 'soon after' his escape from the Whitley Detention Centre on Feb 27 last year.

These details were disclosed by Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kang Seng at a press conference on Friday.

Mr Wong said that, as far as the authorities know, no local Jemaah Islamiah network was involved in aiding Mas Selamat's dash from Whitley Centre, where he was being held under the Internal Security Act.

Mas Selamat, 48, leader of the Jemaah Islamiah terror network was arrested in the outskirts of Johor Baru on April 1 by Malaysian authorities after a tip-off from the Singapore side late last year.

The Singapore government was informed of the arrest 'soon after' the fugitive was caught, said Mr Wong, who is also Home Affairs Minister.

No date has been fixed to return Mas Selamat to Singapore. 'The Malaysian authorities want to interview him and we will let them do their job and when they feel it's time to send him back to us, we will be happy to receive him back,' Mr Wong said.

He added that the arrest is the result of the strong co-operation between security agencies on both sides. Intelligence leads provided by Singapore's Internal Security Department late last year played a key role leading to the capture.

Mr Wong urged Singaporeans to stay vigilant and they should not think that the threat of terrorism has receded with the arrest of Mas Selamat.

'I have said it for years, that the threat of terrorism is real and that we are a prime target and therefore there's no question about letting our guard down,' he said. 'We must continue to be vigilant and continue to implement the security measures we have put in place.

'So we must not assume that just by the arrest of one person, Singapore will be safe from terrorist threat now. Apart from Mas Selamat, there are other JI members who are still out there and we haven't got them.

'And there could be many others that we do not know. And we don't know where they are, who they are and when they will come into Singapore.'

In Kuala Lumpur, Malaysian Home Minister Hishamuddin Hussein on Friday confirmed that Mas Selamat has been captured and is being held under its Internal Security Act for interrogation.

'He was planning something that allowed us to arrest him,' said Mr Hishamuddin, declining to give more details on his arrest and whereabouts.

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Mas Selamat's Arrest a blow to JI

May 8, 2009

Capture of Mas Selamat

Arrest a blow to JI

		'He is an extremely skilled and dangerous terrorist and the fact that he has been recaptured improves the security situation in Singapore and the region.' -- ST

SECURITY experts applauded the arrest of Singapore's most wanted terrorist Mas Selamat Kastari in Malaysia, saying it is a 'very significant blow' to the militant Jemaah Islamiah (JI) terror network.

The fugitive militant was captured on April 1 while hiding in Johor, after more than a year after he bolted from the Whitley Road Detention Centre on Feb 27 last year.

Sources told The Straits Times that the 48-year-old was tracked down based on intelligence provided by Singapore's Internal Security Department (ISD), and a joint operation by Malaysia and Singapore's security agencies.

The Ministry of Home Affairs confirmed the arrest in a statement on Friday morning, but gave no other details.

Dr John Harrison, a security analyst at Nanyang Technological University (NTU), commenting on the Mas Selamat's arrest, told AFP: 'He is an extremely skilled and dangerous terrorist and the fact that he has been recaptured improves the security situation in Singapore and the region.'

Dr Harrison, manager of research at NTU's International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research, said whatever morale boost the JI gained from the escape has now been erased.

'Secondly, what it does show is that there is a tremendous regional cooperation against JI and that as long as that continues the JI will not be able to successfully re-establish itself as the organisation that it once was.'

Dr Harrison praised Singapore and Malaysian authorities for their cooperation and said they had kept the news under wraps to get more intelligence away from the media glare.

Ms Sidney Jones, an analyst with the International Crisis Group, applauded the arrest, but said it was not an ending. 'In some ways the bigger danger will still come from the people at large,' she told AFP from Jakarta.

Dr Rohan Gunaratna, a security analyst at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore, described Kastari's arrest as a 'very significant blow to the JI network because JI is trying to revive.'

'Mas Selamat is a key icon of the Jemaah Islamiah organisation, he is one of the most dangerous terrorists in this region, his arrest is a major setback to the JI organisation,' he said. -- AFP

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Mas Selamat's life in last eight years marked by escape and evasion

May 8, 2009

Living life on the run

Mas Selamat's life in last eight years marked by escape and evasion

By Leslie Koh
		SAF personnel combing thick vegetation opposite Mandai West Camp after Mas Selamat escaped from the Whitley Road Detention Centre in February last year. -- ST FILE PHOTO

ESCAPE and evasion appeared to have been virtually a lifestyle for the past eight years as far as Mas Selamat was concerned.

The man who set off one of Singapore's largest manhunts last year had eluded capture and escaped detention several times.

THE MAN, THE TERRORIST, THE FUGITIVE Jan 23, 1961: Born in Kendal, Central Java, and migrates with family to Singapore. The youngest of several siblings, Mas Selamat grows up in a kampung in Kaki Bukit and attends the English-language Kaki Bukit Primary School. 1980s: Moves to a flat in the Bedok Reservoir area and later marries Nurlela Sahali. They have five children, four boys and a girl. Believed to have worked as a bus mechanic. ... more

And throughout, he always stayed one step ahead of the authorities, displaying the kind of cunning that suggested why he had been chosen in 1999 by alleged Jemaah Islamiah (JI) terror network operations chief Hambali to take over the Singapore cell from Ibrahim Maidin, who was later detained.

In January 2002, when the Singapore authorities discovered plans by the JI to stage a series of terror attacks on local shores and swooped in on JI members here, Mas Selamat somehow got wind of it and fled the country.

Not, however, before taking time to damage a computer hard disk that contained potentially incriminating evidence, so that police could not get more information when they raided his home.

---

THE MAN, THE TERRORIST, THE FUGITIVE

Jan 23, 1961: Born in Kendal, Central Java, and migrates with family to Singapore. The youngest of several siblings, Mas Selamat grows up in a kampung in Kaki Bukit and attends the English-language Kaki Bukit Primary School.

1980s: Moves to a flat in the Bedok Reservoir area and later marries Nurlela Sahali. They have five children, four boys and a girl. Believed to have worked as a bus mechanic.

1990: Joins Darul Islam, a movement that had fought for an Islamic state in Indonesia in the 1950s. The Darul Islam is believed to have spawned several key leaders of the Jemaah Islamiah terrorist network, including its founders.

1992: Recruited into the religious council of the Singapore JI cell.

1993: Goes to Afghanistan for military training.

1998: Goes to Afghanistan again for one month, this time to observe the Taleban system of government.

1999: Alleged JI operations chief Hambali chooses him to take over as the leader of JI operations in Singapore.

December 2001: Flees Singapore after the Government cracks down on JI terrorists and nets 13 suspects. Makes his way to Medan and then Bali in Indonesia, via Malaysia and Thailand.

The arrests thwart plans to attack the Yishun MRT station and US naval vessels in Singapore.

In revenge, Mas Selamat is believed to have discussed with Hambali a plan to crash an American, British or Singapore plane into Changi Airport.

When arrested in Indonesia in 2003, Mas Selamat had a genuine Indonesian passport, issued in Surabaya, with a false identity. The name on the passport was given as Edi Haryanto. ST FILE PHOTO.

April 2002: Singaporeans hear of Mas Selamat Kastari for the first time, when then-Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong reveals the JI chief's involvement in the Changi Airport attack plot. Mas Selamat meanwhile is on the run, moving to places in Sumatra, Riau and Kundur island. His family joins him.

February 2003: He is arrested by Indonesian police in Tanjung Pinang, Bintan, after arriving with his wife and children from Riau. Singapore Home Affairs Ministry officers travel to Bintan to question him.

February 2003-August 2004: He is sentenced to 18 months' jail on charges of immigration violations and falsifying documents to enter Indonesia. He tries to escape from jail but breaks a leg, suffering a permanent limp.

August 2004-August 2005: Handed another 16-month sentence in Pasuruan prison for the same offences, he is released early because of remissions given.

January 2006: He is arrested again in Malang, 40km south of Pasuruan, also for carrying false identification.

February 2006: He is deported to Singapore, where he is served an Order of Detention and detained under the Internal Security Act.

Feb 27, 2008: Mas Selamat escapes from the Whitley Road Detention Centre.

Thousands of soldiers, Gurkhas and police officers fan out in a massive manhunt, border controls are tightened and countless posters and leaflets are distributed.

April 2008: Report of a Committee of Inquiry set up to investigate the escape finds several security lapses that allowed Mas Selamat to escape. They include a window with no grilles (below), guards who failed in their duties and CCTV cameras that were not commissioned. The Government comes under fire, with calls for officials and leaders to be punished.

May 2008: Nine officers and guards, including the commander of the detention centre and his superior, are penalised for the security lapses. Two are dismissed, three demoted and four relieved of duties or given reprimands and warnings. The Internal Security Department also corrects errors at detention centre and tightens security.

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Fugitive Mas Selamat nabbed

Updated: Friday May 8, 2009 MYT 1:56:39 PM
Fugitive Mas Selamat nabbed
By LOURDES CHARLES

KUALA LUMPUR: Suspected Singaporean terrorist Mas Selamat Kastari has been arrested by Malaysian police.

It is learnt the fugitive, who escaped from a Singapore maximum security detention centre on Feb 27, 2008 was arrested in Johor together with two others by Special Branch officers following intelligence sharing with the police forces of Indonesia and Singapore.
Mas Selamat Kastari

Sources said police here who had been on high alert for the suspected terrorist since his escape had gathered intelligence from their counterparts that Mas Selamat was hiding in Johor and was planning to create unrest in several countries in the region.

A massive operation was launched by the Special Branch with the help of other police departments here.

The month-long operation paid off when Mas Selamat who is said to be the leader of the Jemaah Islamiah (JI) in Singapore was arrested.

Police also seized documents and other paraphernalia that allegedly revealed their planned operation.

Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan confirmed the arrest.

"We are in touch with our international counterparts who were informed about the arrest as well as about what we have learnt.

"Our officers are still investigating their activities and networking," he added.

Mas Selamat was arrested in February 2006 and was sent to Singapore for investigations before he escaped in February last year.

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Mas Selamat’s capture: Why only inform us now?

Mas Selamat’s capture: Why only inform us now?

Friday, 8 May 2009

Terence Lee / Deputy Editor

IT TOOK 398 days for Mas Selamat to be caught on 1st April, but another 36 days for the public to be informed. What happened in between?

The Straits Times editors must be rubbing their hands in glee right now: they got the scoop of the year. Mas Selamat, the fugitive on the run, was found to be under interrogation by the Malaysian authorities. This was certainly no April Fool’s joke.

But while the ISD can finally pat themselves on the back for a job well done, it seems rather odd that they would want to hide their prize from public view, instead of displaying it proudly on the top shelf.
This could only mean two possibilities.

Firstly, the ISD did not know that Mas Selamat was caught until much later. Perhaps the Malaysian authorities chose to withhold the knowledge from the ISD until more information could be extracted from the fugitive. However, if such is the case, does this not amount to a lack of communication and cooperation on both sides?

Also, it is not known who knew about the capture first: the ISD or the Straits Times. Based on the freshest news reports, it appears that the ISD has been silent on this matter up till now.

But is this scenario likely? Perhaps not. It would be absurd for an organisation such as the ISD to not be informed about his capture. But then again, you never know.Secondly, the ISD knew about the fugitive’s capture, but chose to withhold the news from the public eye. Perhaps they believed that more information must be extracted first before it could be made known to Singaporeans. It used to be that the public was anxiously waiting for his capture in the days after his escape.

But as they waited, it soon became apparent that he was never going to be caught quickly. And soon the terrorist escaped not just Singapore, but from the minds of the public as well.

Perhaps that was the reason why the ISD saw no reason to inform the public as fast as they could. But surely such news should never be withheld, especially if it is about a man who could threaten the security and lives of Singaporeans with his very presence?

If this is true, then the Ministry of Home Affairs has not learned from the lessons of the past: the need for better communication and accountability with the public. It was the same scenario many months ago. The MHA was not forthcoming about information regarding the terrorist’s escape, and media practitioners and the public were left frustrated. But then, they had an excuse. Investigations were still ongoing, and the details had to be ascertained.

Now, there is no reason to withhold information. It does not take a lot of effort to say: Mas Selamat is captured, and is in the hands of the Malaysian authorities. It does not take a lot of time to verify if the captured prey really is the fugitive, even if he has gone through plastic surgery (should he chose to go to that extreme).

While this apparent oversight should not sully the news that Singapore’s Most Wanted Man is indeed caught, the MHA should pay heed to release details of his capture as quickly as possible, especially over the next few days.

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What makes us ready for a Singapore beyond Lee Kuan Yew

What makes us ready for a Singapore beyond Lee Kuan Yew

Sound values ingrained in system

SINGAPORE'S model of good governance, built on the principles of meritocracy, fairness and efficiency, has propelled it to great success.

Future leaders from my generation will have to ensure that this system continues to work well. Fortunately, we have what it takes due to the education we have received that is better than our parents'. That allows us to make the present system work even better.

Values such as industriousness, sensitivity towards cultural differences and strong community spirit continue to be embraced by this generation and are fundamentally ingrained into the Singapore system.

Because of this, Singapore will continue to thrive even after Lee Kuan Yew.

Ephraim Loy, 27, is a final-year social science student at Singapore Management University.

The dangers of playing it safe

MM LEE'S no-nonsense leadership has had an extremely profound impact on the psyche of Singaporeans, and this will not disappear over time. He will never 'leave' Singapore even after he has passed on.

However, many youth from my generation are now extremely deferential and respectful towards authority, and dependent on the Government to settle many aspects of life, such as the provision of jobs, educational opportunities and even life partners.

We have become so conditioned to following the tried-and-tested route in Singapore's secure and predictable environment that we might not be able to adapt quickly should global conditions change drastically or a sudden crisis strike this country, like the current economic crisis.

In these cases, Singapore runs the danger of losing much of what the previous generation has painstakingly built up.

Jonathan Kwok, 24, is an honours student in economics at the National University of Singapore.

Able to think global, but act local

SINGAPORE'S youth are more worldly today compared to our predecessors. We live in a time of affordable and accessible travel, with ample opportunities to broaden our horizons.

Some of my friends and I are fortunate to be able to travel and experience different cultures, politics and means of governance. This allows us to weigh the pros and cons of different systems, making us less narrow-minded and instead, capable of lateral thinking. At the same time, many of us realise that the grass is not always greener on the other side. Home is still where our hearts are, so we will embrace our overseas lessons with a mind to returning home to contribute to Singapore's future progress.

With these life experiences and outward-looking attitudes, I am confident my generation will continue MM Lee's good work and produce future leaders.

Tabitha Mok, 22, is a fifth-year medical student at the University of Western Australia.

Idealistic with dose of pragmatism

I AM confident that Singapore will not just 'survive' past MM Lee, or to quote Mr Ho Kwon Ping ('Singapore beyond Lee Kuan Yew', ST, April 22), 'muddle its way through' if the People's Action Party's leadership renewal goes awry.

Years of world-class education have given us the worldliness and vision to imagine bold change for Singapore - for the better. Hence, our constant thirst for success, desire for greater civil liberties, and courage to ask hard questions of those in power.

But we are not consumed entirely by our own idealism. It is tempered by a good dose of pragmatism. We know where our limits lie, and we know too much is at stake to start a riot. Instead, we try creative ways to work around the restrictions. We share ideas on blogs and Facebook. We set up campaigns to raise awareness about issues such as environmentalism.

I believe for every youth lost to apathy or emigration, there is one here willing to stand up and be counted when push comes to shove.

Eisen Teo, 24, is an honours student in history at NUS.

Material comforts spur us on

A LEGACY of MM Lee is the creation of a society that places economic progress at the fore of its priorities.

It is a system that emphasises a rigorous education, hard work, perseverance and developing intellect.

My generation has grown up in this environment and we cherish the material comforts this system engenders: stellar careers, nice houses and a beautiful, prosperous and peaceful city. We have come to expect these as the minimal standard of living, from which we constantly push for higher ground.

We want to earn bigger bucks, have nicer houses, get promotion at work and have a city that ranks higher year-on-year on the 'Best Cities' list. We are trained to be competitive and reap what we sow. We don't want to jeopardise our material comforts by backsliding on our work ethic.

This is what will compel us to continue striving hard to move Singapore forward - beyond MM Lee or any political party.

Jason Zhou, 23, is a third-year economics student from SMU. He is currently on exchange at Wirtschärftsuniversität Wien in Vienna.

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Envelope of white powder meant for senior pastor

Envelope of white powder meant for senior pastor

SCDF confirms powder is not hazardous

By Arul John

May 08, 2009

FIRST, some former Association of Women for Action and Research (Aware) exco members received death threats. TARGET? It is not known if Rev Derek Hong's name is on the envelope sent to his church's office. ST FILE PICTURE Now, the senior pastor of the church where six of them attend has also received something that smacks of the anthrax powder scare in the US eight years ago. An envelope containing white powder was sent to the Church of Our Saviour office at Margaret Drive, in Queenstown, last Thursday. The envelope was addressed to the senior pastor of the Anglican church but it was not known if the name of the pastor, Reverend Derek Hong, was indicated. Police spokesman William Goh said church staff alerted the police after receiving the envelope. He said the police and a Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) hazardous materials team were then sent to the church. The SCDF team examined the envelope and its contents and found the powder to be non-hazardous, said SCDF public affairs director N Subhas. Police investigations are ongoing. Since 2001, there have been several scares involving white powder worldwide. Fear The fear was that the powder could have been anthrax spores, which can cause death if inhaled. A source said he and a few other people were with Rev Hong several days after the incident when he told them about the envelope. He said RevHong did not say if any letter had accompanied the envelope but thought it was connected to the Aware saga. The source said: 'We were aghast.' The church spokesman told The New Paper that he did not know about the incident but added that RevHong looked all right when he met him yesterday. The discovery of the envelope came amid the tumultuous events surrounding Aware. On 28Mar, a large group of new Aware members attended its annual general meeting and elected a team of unknowns into power. Mrs Claire Nazar, who was elected Aware president, quit after just 11 days in office, and was replaced by Ms Josie Lau. It was later discovered that Ms Lau and several of the new leaders attend the Church of Our Saviour, which takes a strong stand against homosexuality. Senior lawyer Thio Su Mien, who also attends the church, later revealed she had encouraged the women to join Aware because she felt it was promoting lesbianism and homosexuality. On 23Apr, the new Aware leaders said that they and their families had been threatened and even received death threats. They reported them to the police. Ms Lau told the media that a death threat addressed to her husband, Aware affiliate member Alan Chin, and to Aware honorary secretary Jenica Chua, was sent to Aware's office on 14Apr. Many people, including members of the Aware old guard, condemned the death threats. Four days before the church received the envelope, in a sermon on 26Apr, RevHong said the church was against discrimination of homosexuals in areas where rights are extended to every citizen, but added that they were against any form of homophobic expression. He said that the church was against the promotion of the lifestyle and any programme that promotes homosexual behaviour as normal. He said: 'It's not a crusade against the people but there's a line that God has drawn for us, and we don't want our nation crossing that line.' On 30Apr, the president of the National Council of Churches of Singapore (NCCS), Dr John Chew, said NCCS did not condone churches getting involved in recent matters related to Aware, nor did it condone pulpits being used for the purpose. The day after Dr Chew's statement, Rev Hong said he regretted using the pulpit to mobilise support in the ongoing dispute over the Aware leadership. He said his actions on the pulpit had aroused some tension and he would be more sensitive to similar situations in future. At an acrimonious extraordinary general meeting on Saturday, Ms Lau and the rest of the Aware exco were ousted, and a new executive committee led by Ms Dana Lam-Teo took over.

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Singapore government confirms arrest of Mas Selamat

Singapore government confirms arrest of Mas Selamat
By Asha Popatlal, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 08 May 2009 1049 hrs

SINGAPORE: The Singapore government has confirmed the arrest of fugitive Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) leader Mas Selamat Kastari who escaped from the Whitley Road Detention Centre more than a year ago.

In a statement on Friday, Singapore's Home Affairs Ministry said: "Mas Selamat has been arrested by the Malaysian Special Branch (MSB) in a joint operation between the MSB and the Internal Security Department (ISD)."

Deputy Prime Minister and Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng said Singapore is happy that Mas Selamat has been arrested.

Singapore's Internal Security Department (ISD) had worked hard and looked at every lead, sharing information with its Malaysian counterpart.

Mr Wong, who was speaking to reporters at the Home Affairs Ministry on Friday, added that the Malaysian Special Branch has done excellent work.

Both parties have a longstanding cordial relationship which resulted in the arrest of Mas Selamat on April 1.

For now, the JI leader will remain in Malaysia as the authorities there want to continue interviewing him.

The deputy prime minister said Singaporeans must maintain vigilance and not let their guard down following Mas Selamat's arrest as the terror threat is real and Singapore is a prime target.

With Singapore's long coastline, Mr Wong said Singaporeans must not assume the country is safe as there are other JI members who have not been detained.

He said Mas Selamat will be sent to the Whitley Road Detention Centre again when he is brought back to Singapore.

Mr Wong added that the centre is now a different place compared to what it was when the JI leader escaped on February 27 last year.

He also revealed that Mas Selamat had used an improvised flotation device to escape from the north shore of Singapore to Johor Bahru.

Separately, Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry S Iswaran said the arrest of Mas Salamat is a welcome piece of news to Singaporeans.

He said the JI leader's arrest speaks highly of security forces involved in the operation.

"It's a tribute to the professionalism of the intelligence agencies. They worked across borders with their partners to secure his eventual arrest."


- CNA/so

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Singaporeans cheered by news of Mas Selamat's arrest

Singaporeans cheered by news of Mas Selamat's arrest
By Leong Wee Keat, TODAY | Posted: 08 May 2009 1200 hrs

	Photos 1 of 1 > " onclick="Next();" src="http://www.channelnewsasia.com/images/butt_next.gif" type="image" width="18" height="15"> Authorities hunting down Mas Selamat Kastari in 2008. (file photo by TODAY's Koh Mui Fong)
	Related News • Singapore government confirms arrest of Mas Selamat • Singapore's JI leader Mas Selamat arrested in Malaysia Special Report • Mas Selamat

SINGAPORE: It came as a pleasant surprise for many Singaporeans as they awoke on Friday morning to the news that the country's most wanted fugitive, Mas Selamat Kastari, has been captured.

With Influenza A (H1N1) dominating recent headlines, almost all 20 Singaporeans TODAY spoke to said they didn't see Mas Selamat's capture on the radar.

Mr Lim Cheng Heng, who read the news while having his breakfast, probably expressed the sentiments of many when he said: "I thought he had disappeared."

Another Singaporean, Mr Raymond Quek, had believed that the conspiracy theories he had heard were true, until he read the news of the fugitive's capture.

"I thought he had died and we would not hear from him again," said the retiree. "But it is good that he has been caught."

Mas Selamat's capture not only made local headlines, but also found its way to foreign news outlets in Australia and India.

It is believed that he was nabbed in the outskirts of Johor Baru and is now being held by the Malaysian authorities for interrogation.

While Singaporeans were glad to hear of Mas Selamat's capture, many had questions as to how he ended up in Malaysia. For some, the news that he was arrested in Johor came too close for comfort.

"Why was he in Malaysia? Was he planning something that we may not know of?" wondered auditor Sophia Loh.

Mr Tan Hee Joek added: "Was he communicating with someone here? I thought he would have escaped further, say Indonesia."

It is not known why Mas Selamat was in Malaysia. It is also not known why even though he was arrested six weeks ago, the Malaysian authorities have yet to announce the capture.

Financial planner Vincent Tan added: "I thought the authorities said they had no news of his whereabouts. It is definitely a surprise and I hope the authorities could share with us the details of his escape."

Ms Cheng Li Min also wondered how Mas Selamat escaped Singapore given that authorities had shut down the country's borders hours after his escape from the Whitley Road Detention Centre.

"I do hope the authorities could share with us what happened," she said.

It is not known how he slipped out of Singapore or when he entered Malaysia.

Mr Chia Wei Ping felt the authorities did well in tracking down the fugitive so quickly.

"Some fugitive go on the run for years and can't be found. They did well in making sure he is caught before he causes any damage," said the technical officer.

Teacher Eugene Ng felt that the news of Mas Selamat's capture could not have come at a better time.

"With Singapore downgrading from Orange to Yellow Alert for the flu virus, I think this comes as great news."


- TODAY/so

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Sniffing out the Straits Times agenda in the AWARE Saga

Sniffing out the Straits Times agenda in the AWARE Saga

A lot has been said about the gays, the anti-gays, the new guard, the old guard in the recent AWARE debacle, but as the ashes of the debate begin to cool, one guilty party escapes from the scrutiny. That party is the Straits Times, especially its senior reporters Wong Kim Hoh and Zakir Hussain.

Before Wong Kim Hoh’s article on the new EXCO on 10 April, my knowledge of AWARE was a small but rather active pro-women group who did one talk in my school (the talk was excellent BTW, the topic was how to help abused women). That’s why when I was surprised to see them grab not the forum section, nor the headlines of the home section, not even the sidebar of the Prime Section, but the Prime Page.

My surprise slowly grew into suspicion when not only did ST’s coverage continue with the weeks, but it did so with a tenacity of purpose (come on, even our GENERAL ELECTIONS don’t get this much attention). In fact, at one point, I could barely tell the difference between the ST and the New Paper because of the kind of headlines that were being published — “UNKNOWNS KNOCK OUT VETERANS”, “COUP LEADER COMES OPEN”,”THE FEMINIST MENTOR”, “AWARE SHOWDOWN”, and the fire they were feeding in the Forums. Before this, they were a pro-women’s rights group with a 30-strong membership nestled somewhere in the Dover heartland. Now, they were being portrayed as the all-important civil society group, whose leadership takeover had apocalyptic consequences that would rattle the foundations of Singapore.

Understand that even though your reporting is factual, you can still be biased. By choosing to give the issue so much attention (especially on print where there’s no diversity of information like online sources), and selectively choosing the kind of stories published, you polarise the issue and force people to take sides. What the ST did was not factual reporting but a deliberate, systematic attempt to provoke a public response.

With my limited knowledge, here are some suggestions as to why ST chose to do this:

1) Increase ailing readership. AWARE was always going to be a juicy issue, guaranteed to draw readership. Maybe ST felt threatened by the emergence of other media, and decided to cover an issue that would grab attention again.

2) Government agenda. Maybe somebody in Gov Inc. didn’t like COOS over-stepping their boundaries, and gave the press rein to expose their act.

3) There was really nothing else interesting deserving ST’s attention on those days. Uh… right.

-and, finally, the most controversial of them all-

4) Wong Kim Hoh / Zakir Hussain has a pro-gay agenda. These two senior writers did a lot of the reports, including the three-page feature on Dr. Thio, the no. 1 enemy of the gay community right now. Kim Hoh has written this article, which clearly reveals his sympathies, so perhaps he thought exposing the coup would create momentum against the New Guard that would force them out. I have sources that also point that during his coverage of the EGM, he was seen associating with the pro-gay crowds.

Now, if Mr. Wong is gay, or harbors sympathies towards the gay community, I have no issue with that. My issue is that assuming my guess is true, what you did was a breach of professionalism as a senior writer of the ST. Save your opinions for your blog, at most, and keep your reporting balanced please.

On the other hand, some of you may laud the ST for doing such a comprehensive coverage of the AWARE saga, because if they hadn’t, maybe Josie and her pussycats would never have been ousted out. Some may even see the coverage as important as it helped to facilitate a triumph of civil/secular society over a “fundamentalist” Christian group.

Well, while this may be so, what I really see was a press that behaved irresponsibly because what they did wasn’t reporting, but public provocation.

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Mas Selamat captured

May 8, 2009

Mas Selamat captured

Fugitive who escaped from Whitley detention centre last year is tracked down and captured in Johor after tip-off from Singapore; he is being held for interrogation by Malaysia

By Leslie Lopez, Senior Regional Correspondent
		Mas Selamat Kastari is snapped leaving the Tanjung Pinang police station under heavy guard by a special squad unit from Riau to the airport bound for Pekanbaru. -- ST FILE PHOTO

View more photos

KUALA LUMPUR: Thirteen months after his audacious escape from detention in Singapore, Mas Selamat Kastari has been caught in Malaysia.

Singapore's most wanted terrorist was captured on April 1 while hiding in Johor, regional intelligence sources told The Straits Times.

Intelligence provided by Singapore's Internal Security Department late last year led to a joint operation between Malaysia and Singapore's security agencies that eventually saw them arresting Mas Selamat in Johor in April. It was not the first time that information from Singapore helped to nab the escape artist. ... more

It is believed that he was nabbed in the outskirts of Johor Baru and is now being held by the Malaysian authorities for interrogation.

It is not known how he slipped out of Singapore or when he entered Malaysia.

Although he was arrested six weeks ago, the Malaysian authorities have not yet announced the capture.

A senior Malaysian government official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed the arrest and said that Mas Selamat was being held under the country's Internal Security Act.

He declined to say when the terrorist would be handed over to the Singapore authorities.

It is believed that the fugitive had stayed in Johor all this time and had not travelled further north. He is also believed to be detained in Johor.

Sources told The Straits Times that the 48-year-old was tracked down based on intelligence provided by Singapore's Internal Security Department (ISD), and a joint operation by Malaysia and Singapore's security agencies eventually led to his arrest.

The capture of Mas Selamat brings to an end one of the largest manhunts ever undertaken by Singapore and its neighbours for a terrorist on the run.

---

Intelligence provided by Singapore's Internal Security Department late last year led to a joint operation between Malaysia and Singapore's security agencies that eventually saw them arresting Mas Selamat in Johor in April.

It was not the first time that information from Singapore helped to nab the escape artist.

In February 2003, tip-offs by the Singapore authorities had led Indonesian police to monitor Mas Selamat's movements after he arrived in Indonesia. They tracked him to Tanjung Pinang in Bintan, arresting him just after he arrived by ferry from Dumai in Riau.

After Mas Selamat was released in August 2005, the Singapore police made another request to their Indonesian counterparts to track him again.

In January 2006, they found him at a neighbourhood mosque in Sengkaling, East Java. He was handed over to Singapore the following month.

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Olympic council should review STTA's emotive snub

Olympic council should review STTA's emotive snub

LEADERSHIP in sports is as important as it is in the corporate or political arenas.

Just days into the Singapore Table Tennis Association (STTA) presidency, Ms Lee Bee Wah showed a lack of sensitivity, not only to the Singapore National Olympic Council but also to Singapore with her untimely outburst.

Ms Lee has again shown to her officials and players that she is the boss and their fates are in her hands, that even the coach who nurtured Singapore's Olympic silver medal team can go nowhere without her support.

The fact is that coach Liu Guodong managed to bring out the best in a team to enable Singapore to win the Olympic silver medal. If this is not sufficient to win him the Coach of the Year award, if not the Coach of the Decade, then whoever won before him is a mockery.

We followed the STTA saga from Beijing Olympics to Singapore with great disappointment. We have shown to all sports officials, Singaporean and foreign, that to move forward, they must learn to kowtow to power.

According to Ms Lee: 'Results are not the only criterion.' She may wish to know that results are the No. 1 criterion. She has erred and her judgment appears to be emotive in snubbing coach Liu.

I suggest that the Singapore National Olympic Council review the nomination process, overrule the STTA's decision not to support Liu and restore confidence in the local sports scene by giving Liu his due reward, Coach of the Year.

Han Jit Kwang

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Lee Wei Ling criticises Health officials

May 8, 2009
FIGHTING INFLUENZA A
Tackling it better

MUCH has been said about this new variant of Influenza A (H1N1) virus. In brief, it seems to have started in Mexico but spread rapidly throughout the world, especially in the Americas.

As a doctor observing how our health-care system responded to this potential threat, I have several points to make from which we can learn to better tackle the next outbreak of H1N1 or other novel infectious diseases.

First, protecting Singapore from H1N1 must be an all-or-none approach. The present approach is illogical: People from certain countries or regions that have shown significant human-to-human transmission are not allowed into Singapore, or if they have already arrived, are quarantined; yet people from other areas where there is human-to-human transmission are allowed to enter freely. The latter group will bring in H1N1 and waste efforts to protect Singapore.

Second, standard operating procedures cannot be transferred automatically from one medical illness to another. In Sars, there was some logic in using fever to screen for patients who were infected because when they were infectious, the fever had already started. Even then, there was a huge proportion of false positives leading to futile investigations and anxiety.

With H1N1, the situation is worse. More than one-third of people infected have no fever or other features of flu. Of those who will eventually develop fever and symptoms and signs of flu, they are infectious yet appear well on the first day of their illness.

This leads to a high percentage of false negatives, which is worse than not having tested these people because they now have a false sense of security and hence are likely to spread their infection even further.

We must not dismiss H1N1 just because the morbidity and mortality seem mild compared to regular flu.

We should heed World Health Organisation chief Margaret Chan's warning: 'Flu viruses are very unpredictable, very deceptive...We should not be over-confident.'

I agree and would rather the Health Ministry err on the side of over- cautiousness, so we expend a few million dollars rather than relax because Mexico declared it was winning the battle against this new strain of H1N1, and later suffer unacceptable loss of lives.

Prof Lee Wei Ling

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MOE not making changes to core sexuality programme in schools

MOE not making changes to core sexuality programme in schools
By Cheryl Lim, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 08 May 2009 1809 hrs

	Photos 1 of 1 > " onclick="Next();" src="http://www.channelnewsasia.com/images/butt_next.gif" type="image" width="18" height="15"> Sex education talk (file pic)
	Related News • MOE suspends sexuality education programmes by external vendors • AWARE debate still raging in cyberspace • MOE investigates complaints over AWARE's sex ed programme • Controversial content in AWARE's sex education programme sparks debate

SINGAPORE : The Ministry of Education (MOE) said it will not be making changes to its core sexuality education programme, but warned that external providers offering programmes to supplement the core component should comply with the ministy's guidelines.

Speaking at the sidelines of a community event, Senior Minister of State for Education S Iswaran said appropriate action will be taken if programmes are found to be inconsistent with its guidelines.

Referring to the programme offered by the Association of Women for Action and Research (AWARE), he said parts of it are in line with the MOE's message.

Mr Iswaran also said the suspension on sexuality education programmes affects all external providers until the ministry completes reviewing its process of vetting service providers.

"Parents have a right to be concerned. The Ministry of Education strives to keep mainstream sex education in compliance with mainstream values in Singapore," said Mr Iswaran, who is the Senior Minister of State for Education. - CNA /ls

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'Right' to be concerned

May 8, 2009

'Right' to be concerned

By Theresa Tan
		Mr Iswaran stressed that the Ministry of Education strives to keep sexuality education in line with mainstream values in Singapore. -- ST PHOTO: JOYCE FANG

SENIOR Minister of State for Education S Iswaran said parents are 'quite right' to be concerned by some parts of the Association of Women for Action and Research (Aware) sexuality education programme.

While he did not elaborate, he stressed the Ministry of Education strives to keep sexuality education in line with mainstream values in Singapore.

The minister's comments came two days after MOE said it will suspend all sexuality education programmes in schools run by external groups, including the controversial Aware one.

In addition, the MOE will implement a new, tougher vetting process for the selection of such external programmes by schools.

The move was taken after the MOE received complaints, Mr Iswaran told reporters at an event on Friday, at which Cola Cola Singapore and McDonalds treated about 70 poor families to lunch.

He also said that schools are given automony to decide which external agencies to hire to run programmes but added that the MOE will take 'appropriate action' if it finds specific instances where such programmes don't follow MOE's guidelines.

'I think there are specific instances, upon investigation, there's a sense that they (Aware) have exceeded guidelines and we are taking appropriate action now,' he added.

A copy of Aware's instructor guide for its sexuality education programme posted online contained lines such as 'anal sex can be healthy or neutral if practised with consent and with a condom' and 'homosexuality is perfectly normal. Just like heterosexuality, it is simply the way you are'.

However, Aware had earlier told The Straits Times its instructor guide, which is meant to be confidential, contained more responses that what is used.

Aware added: 'The guide includes possible responses for instructors should certain topics, such as homosexuality and premarital sex, be raised during sessions. They are not necessarily the responses actually used, as our instructors always use language and terms appropriate to their audience.'

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MAS SELAMAT: Don't let guard down

May 8, 2009

CAPTURE OF MAS SELAMAT

Don't let guard down

		Singaporeans must continue to be vigilant and keep their guard up against terrorism. --ST PHOTO: ABDUL AZIZ HUSSIN

SINGAPOREANS must continue to be vigilant and keep their guard up against terrorism, even as JI leader Mas Selamat Kastari has been arrested in Malaysia, said Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng.

'I think Singaporeans must not think that just because Mas Selamat is arrested and now in Malaysia, the threat of security, the threat of terrorism will not be there anymore,' he said at a news conference on Friday morning.

VIDEO 'Don't take security for granted' (1:55)

'In fact... the threat of terrorism is real, we are a prime target and therefore there's no question about letting our guard down.'

Mr Wong, who is also Home Affairs Minister, added that Singapore must remain and continue to implement safety measures it has put in place.

'Singapore is a small country with a long coastline. It is porous and it's easy for people and for goods to be brought in, or even to leave Singapore. So we must not assume that just by the arrest of one person, Singapore will be safe from terrorist threat,' he cautioned.

Besides Mas Selamat, he said there are other Jemaah Islamiah members who have not been caught yet and many more that are unknown to intelligence.

'We don't know where they are, who they are and when they will come into Singapore, so we must not believe that with the arrest of Mas Selamat, we can let our guard down.'

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Mas Selamat: Will be back at Whitley centre

May 8, 2009

Capture of Mas Selamat

Will be back at Whitley centre

		Mas Selamat Kastari will be detained again at the Whitley Road detention centre when he is brought back to Singapore after the Malaysian authorities have completed their interrogation. --ST PHOTO: FRANCIS ONG

View more photos

ESCAPED Mas Selamat Kastari, who has been caught in Johor Baru, will be detained again at the Whitley Road detention centre when he is brought back to Singapore after the Malaysian authorities have completed their interrogation.

Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng said the detention centre, where the terror leader of the Singapore Jemaah Islamiah network escaped from, 'is today very different from the one on Feb 27, 2008' - the day Mas Selamat escaped.

'Many security measures have been put in place and that is the place we are going to put him,' Mr Wong, who is Home Affairs Minister, told a media conference on Friday morning, after news broke that the JI terrorist has been arrested.

Mr Wong said from the brief that was given to Singapore, Mas Selamat swam across the Straits of Johor with an 'improvised flotation device.'

'We don't know all the details and until he's brought back to Singapore and ISD interview him, we don't have much information on that,' he said.

After Mas Selamat's escape, a Committee of Enquiry was set up to look into the incident, highlight what went wrong and come up with recommendations to boost security especially at the Whitley Road Detention Centre.

The committee came up with 10 suggestions on how to rectify weaknesses there.

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Mas Selamat: ISD provides crucial lead

May 8, 2009

Capture of Mas Selamat

ISD provides crucial lead

		Mas Selamat's escape from the Whitley Road Detention Centre on Feb 27 last year sparked a massive manhunt in Singapore and the region. -- PHOTO: THE NEW PAPER

DEPUTY Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng commended the Internal Security Department (ISD) officers for going all out to track down the escaped terror leader Mas Selamat, who was eventually caught in Malaysia on April 1.

Mr Wong also said the capture of the Singapore Jemaah Islamiah network leader was the result oft the strong co-operation between security agencies on both sides. Intelligence leads provided by Singapore's ISD late last year played a key role leading to the arrest.

VIDEO Significance of arrest: Terror trends in the region (1:18)

Briefing the media on Friday morning on the capture of Mas Selamat, whose escape from the Whitley Road Detention Centre on Feb 27 last year sparked a massive manhunt in Singapore and the region, and involved the Interpol, Mr Wong said details of the arrest are brief at the moment as the Malaysian authorities are still questioning him.

Bernama on Friday reported that Singapore's most wanted man was arrested by Malaysian Special Branch officers near Skudai, about 25km from Johor Baru.

'We know that he has relatives staying in Skudai,' said Bernama, quoting a source, who is familiar with the operation to nab the JI leader, who masterminded a plot to hijack a jetliner and crash it into Singapore's Changi Airport.

Mas Selamat first fled Singapore in 2001 but was captured by the Indonesian police on Bintan Island in 2006 and detained at the maximum security Whitley Road detention centre.

Asked for his reaction on the capture, Mr Wong said at the media briefing: 'I am glad that he is now arrested. We were informed of the arrest soon after the arrest by the Malaysians on April 1. I also reported that to the Prime Minister. As I have said before, so long as we can find some leads on him sometime or other, we will find him.'

He said despite the setback last year, which was 'a painful lesson' for ISD officers, they continued to work very hard and did not give up.

'They continued to work their leads and they looked at every lead possible that it provided, and for this particular one, they developed this lead on their own and eventually, they shared that lead which they think is the most credible one with the Malaysians.

'The Malaysians worked hard on that and eventually found where Mas Selamat was and arrested him.

'On this, I must say that the excellent work done by the Malaysian Special Branch is really highly commendable. Between ISD and MSB, there's a long standing cooperative, cordial relationship and as a result of this kind of relationship, we were able to keep each of our countries safe, and contribute to the safety and security of the region.'

Confirming the arrest of Mas Selamat, Malaysian Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein told a news conference in Kuala Lumpur on Friday morning that he could not go into the detail because 'this is a sensitive issue which involves three parties namely Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia.'

'It also involves intelligence agencies of the three governments and it is something that I do not want to jeopardise,' he said, assuring that the Malaysian authorities would ensure that Mas Selamat would not escape for a second time

Bernama said Mas Selamat is still in police custody and had not been sent to the

Kamunting Detention Centre in Taiping, Perak where Malaysian ISA detainees are held.

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